Wednesday 30 December 2009
Final Academic Piece
Hello i know its late and im cutting it fine but im on my jolly holidays, i have posted what i would love to be my final final copy of my academic piece and would appreciate some feedback, i have changed my title and wrote in more detail about sequels and would be nice to see what you think especially you Donna, Thanks
Academic Writing Style draft 3
Could a sequel potentially ruin the reputation of the longest running musical on Broadway?
“Phantom of the Opera is based on a 1911 novel, Le Fantome de l'Opera, written by French author Gaston Leroux. Leroux based the novel on his own research into strange events that occurred at the Paris Opera House in the 1880s. Though the novel was not widely read or well reviewed in its own time, the adaptation of Phantom to both screen and stage has familiarised the public with this haunting love story” (Anon, By eHow Contributing Writer)
It is believed that reliable facts and figures from (The Really Useful Group LTD) shows that "It is estimated that Phantom has been seen by more than 100 million people worldwide having been played in no fewer than 14 languages. The show has won over 50 major theatre awards including three Olivier Awards, the most recent being the 2002 Oliver Audience Award for Most Popular Show, an Evening Standard Award, seven Tony Awards including Best Musical, seven Drama Desk Awards and three Outer Critic Circle Awards".
Andrew Lloyd Webber (1948) one of the wealthiest and most successful composers today, yet again the man behind the most successful musical in history and “The Oscar-winning composer of some of the most successful British musicals of all time” (Kunal and Peck 2009)
Phantoms success is yet to be topped, but for how long now that the landmark musical is faced by its sequel “Love never dies” which opens at the Adelphi Theatre on 9th March 2010.
The production is set 10 years from Phantom and far away from the Paris Opera House, Christine and Raoul are now in living in Coney Island where Webber based the story on all of the original characters after taking some advice from Ben Elton (1959).
Sequels have played an important part in the history of Hollywood during their Golden Age in the 1930's. Broadway however has had less luck. It is apparent that successful plays and musicals have often spawned unsuccessful sequels.
“In a move that some theatre experts have described as "risky". Lloyd Webber will also attempt to make history by staging the first successful sequel to a musical anywhere in the world. All previous bids to repeat the triumph of original productions have failed miserably” (Nikkhah 2009)
Maybe the sequel will celebrate the life and success of Phantom and only time will tell, and with Phantoms track record we could be in for the long, however, it could be hard to convince you that this time a sequel will actually be successful after reading “Much of the chatter I've been hearing about Love Never Dies seems to be assuming that the show will be a guaranteed disaster, a bad idea from its very conception. Part of this comes from the fact that no musical sequel has ever been successful Let 'Em Eat Cake (sequel to Of Thee I Sing), Bring Back Birdie (Bye Bye Birdie), Annie Warbucks (Annie), Divorce Me, Darling (The Boy Friend), The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public (The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas) Well, that doesn't mean that no musical sequel could ever be successful, just that it hasn't happened yet” (Caggiano, 2009) Enough to argue that this sequel isn’t what the public are craving?
“Musical sequels are a very risky business. The 1960 smash Bye Bye Birdie was a thinly veiled satire of Elvis Presley. It ran for 607 performances. In 1981 the creative team behind the show produced a sequel called Bring Back Birdie. Nobody wanted him back, and the musical folded after four performances” (Botto, 2006)
So enough said? Made your mind up yet? It could be decided that there are a lot of sequels on record that have failed to be successful, so you can understand the negative critism towards “Love never Dies”. In a recent online video Andrew Lloyd Webber admits to saying that “Love Never Dies has been in the making for seventeen years” and that “The story of Christine and the Phantom didn’t really end” (The Really Useful Group LTD, 2009). Let’s not forget, this has been in the making for seventeen years and Webber has proved to be more than capable of producing fantastic, successful musicals. Maybe this time it will change the opinions of audiences worldwide and be the only successful sequel in Broadway history.
References
References
1) Anon, eHow Contributing Writer http://www.ehow.co.uk/about_4569129_facts-phantom-opera.html?cr=1 [accessed 24th November 2009]
2) The Really Useful Group Limited, http://www.thephantomoftheopera.com/ [accessed 26th November 2009]
3) Kunal, D, and Peck, T, 2009, “I have cancer says Lloyd Webber”, The Independent, [online] 26 October, Available from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/i-have-cancer-says-lloyd-webber-1809423.html [accessed 24th November 2009]
4) Nikkhah, R, 2009, “Andrew Lloyd Webber attempts to make history with Phantom of the Opera sequel” The Telegraph [online], 04 October, available from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-news/6257769/Andrew-Lloyd-Webber-attempts-to-make-history-with-Phantom-of-the-Opera-sequel.html [accessed date 25th November 2009]
5) Chris Caggiano,
http://ccaggiano.typepad.com/everything_i_know_i_learn/2009/05/phantom-sequel-to-have-march-2010-premiere-.html [accessed 17th December 2009]
6) Louis Botto, http://www.playbill.com/features/article/101485-The-Broadway-Sequel [accessed 16th December 2009]
7) The Really Useful Group LTD, http://www.loveneverdies.com/?video=lnd-launch-edit#video [accessed 15th October 2009]
Friday 25 December 2009
New Academic Piece
Hello boys & girls, hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, can't believe its all over so soon! Just to let you know that i have posted a new academic piece and would like some feedback as the deadline is very soon!! I have got to do some more on my referencing but i wanted to just get some feedback on the actual content so feel free to be brutally honest!
Thanks Abbi :-)
Thanks Abbi :-)
Academic Writing Style draft 2
Phantom of the opera the current longest running musical on Broadway, could a sequel potentially ruin its reputation?
Sequels have played an important part in the history of Hollywood during their Golden Age in the 1930's. Broadway however has had less luck. It is apparent that successful plays and musicals have often spawned unsuccessful sequels.
“Phantom of the Opera is based on a 1911 novel, Le Fantome de l'Opera, written by French author Gaston Leroux. Leroux based the novel on his own research into strange events that occurred at the Paris Opera House in the 1880s. Though the novel was not widely read or well reviewed in its own time, the adaptation of Phantom to both screen and stage has familiarized the public with this haunting love story”. http://www.ehow.co.uk/about_4569129_facts-phantom-opera.html?cr=l
It is believed that reliable facts and figures from http://www.thephantomoftheopera.com/ shows that "It is estimated that Phantom has been seen by more than 100 million people worldwide having been played in no fewer than 14 languages. The show has won over 50 major theatre awards including three Olivier Awards, the most recent being the 2002 Oliver Audience Award for Most Popular Show, an Evening Standard Award, seven Tony Awards including Best Musical, seven Drama Desk Awards and three Outer Critic Circle Awards".
Andrew Lloyd Webber (1948) one of the wealthiest and most successful composers today, yet again the man behind the most successful musical in history and “The Oscar-winning composer of some of the most successful British musicals of all time” (Kunal, D, and Peck, T, 2009)
Phantoms success is yet to be topped, but for how long now that the landmark musical is faced by its sequel “Love never dies” which opens at the Adelphi Theatre on 9th March 2010.
The production is set 10 years from Phantom and far from the Paris Opera House, Christine and Raoul are now in living in Coney Island where Webber based the story on all the original characters after taking advice from Ben Elton (1959) “In a move that some theatre experts have described as "risky". Lloyd Webber will also attempt to make history by staging the first successful sequel to a musical anywhere in the world. All previous bids to repeat the triumph of original productions have failed miserably” (Nikkhah, R, 2009)
Maybe the sequel will celebrate the life and success of Phantom and only time will tell, and with Phantoms track record we could be in for the long, however, it could be hard to convince you that this time a sequel will actually be successful after “Much of the chatter I've been hearing about Love Never Dies seems to be assuming that the show will be a guaranteed disaster, a bad idea from its very conception. Part of this comes from the fact that no musical sequel has ever been successful Let 'Em Eat Cake (sequel to Of Thee I Sing), Bring Back Birdie (Bye Bye Birdie), Annie Warbucks (Annie), Divorce Me, Darling (The Boy Friend), The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public (The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas) Well, that doesn't mean that no musical sequel could ever be successful, just that it hasn't happened yet” http://ccaggiano.typepad.com/everything_i_know_i_learn/2009/05/phantom-sequel-to-have-march-2010-premiere-.html enough to argue that this sequel isn’t the best of ideas?
“Musical sequels are a very risky business. The 1960 smash Bye Bye Birdie was a thinly veiled satire of Elvis Presley. It ran for 607 performances. In 1981 the creative team behind the show produced a sequel called Bring Back Birdie. Nobody wanted him back, and the musical folded after four performances” (Botto Louis, 2006)
So enough said? Personally I think there are a lot of sequels on record that have failed to be successful so you can understand the negative critism towards “Love never Dies”. “Andrew Lloyd Webber also admits to saying that “Love Never Dies” has been in the making for seventeen years and that “The story of Christine and the Phantom didn’t really end” http://www.loveneverdies.com/?video=lnd-launch-edit#video . Let’s not forget, this has been in the making for seventeen years and Webber has proved to be more than capable of producing fantastic, successful musicals. Maybe this time it will change the opinions of audiences worldwide.
References
1) http://www.ehow.co.uk/about_4569129_facts-phantom-opera.html?cr=1
2) http://www.thephantomoftheopera.com
3) Kunal, D, and Peck, T, 2009 “I have cancer says Lloyd Webber”, The Independent, [online] 26 October, Available from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/i-have-cancer-says-lloyd-webber-1809423.html [accessed 24th November 2009]
4) Nikkhah, R, 2009 “Andrew Lloyd Webber attempts to make history with Phantom of the Opera sequel” The Telegraph [online], 04 October, available from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-news/6257769/Andrew-Lloyd-Webber-attempts-to-make-history-with-Phantom-of-the-Opera-sequel.html [accessed date 25th November 2009]
5)http://ccaggiano.typepad.com/everything_i_know_i_learn/2009/05/phantom-sequel-to-have-march-2010-premiere-.html
6) 17 Aug 2006 http://www.playbill.com/features/article/101485-The-Broadway-Sequel
7) http://www.loveneverdies.com/?video=lnd-launch-edit#video
Sequels have played an important part in the history of Hollywood during their Golden Age in the 1930's. Broadway however has had less luck. It is apparent that successful plays and musicals have often spawned unsuccessful sequels.
“Phantom of the Opera is based on a 1911 novel, Le Fantome de l'Opera, written by French author Gaston Leroux. Leroux based the novel on his own research into strange events that occurred at the Paris Opera House in the 1880s. Though the novel was not widely read or well reviewed in its own time, the adaptation of Phantom to both screen and stage has familiarized the public with this haunting love story”. http://www.ehow.co.uk/about_4569129_facts-phantom-opera.html?cr=l
It is believed that reliable facts and figures from http://www.thephantomoftheopera.com/ shows that "It is estimated that Phantom has been seen by more than 100 million people worldwide having been played in no fewer than 14 languages. The show has won over 50 major theatre awards including three Olivier Awards, the most recent being the 2002 Oliver Audience Award for Most Popular Show, an Evening Standard Award, seven Tony Awards including Best Musical, seven Drama Desk Awards and three Outer Critic Circle Awards".
Andrew Lloyd Webber (1948) one of the wealthiest and most successful composers today, yet again the man behind the most successful musical in history and “The Oscar-winning composer of some of the most successful British musicals of all time” (Kunal, D, and Peck, T, 2009)
Phantoms success is yet to be topped, but for how long now that the landmark musical is faced by its sequel “Love never dies” which opens at the Adelphi Theatre on 9th March 2010.
The production is set 10 years from Phantom and far from the Paris Opera House, Christine and Raoul are now in living in Coney Island where Webber based the story on all the original characters after taking advice from Ben Elton (1959) “In a move that some theatre experts have described as "risky". Lloyd Webber will also attempt to make history by staging the first successful sequel to a musical anywhere in the world. All previous bids to repeat the triumph of original productions have failed miserably” (Nikkhah, R, 2009)
Maybe the sequel will celebrate the life and success of Phantom and only time will tell, and with Phantoms track record we could be in for the long, however, it could be hard to convince you that this time a sequel will actually be successful after “Much of the chatter I've been hearing about Love Never Dies seems to be assuming that the show will be a guaranteed disaster, a bad idea from its very conception. Part of this comes from the fact that no musical sequel has ever been successful Let 'Em Eat Cake (sequel to Of Thee I Sing), Bring Back Birdie (Bye Bye Birdie), Annie Warbucks (Annie), Divorce Me, Darling (The Boy Friend), The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public (The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas) Well, that doesn't mean that no musical sequel could ever be successful, just that it hasn't happened yet” http://ccaggiano.typepad.com/everything_i_know_i_learn/2009/05/phantom-sequel-to-have-march-2010-premiere-.html enough to argue that this sequel isn’t the best of ideas?
“Musical sequels are a very risky business. The 1960 smash Bye Bye Birdie was a thinly veiled satire of Elvis Presley. It ran for 607 performances. In 1981 the creative team behind the show produced a sequel called Bring Back Birdie. Nobody wanted him back, and the musical folded after four performances” (Botto Louis, 2006)
So enough said? Personally I think there are a lot of sequels on record that have failed to be successful so you can understand the negative critism towards “Love never Dies”. “Andrew Lloyd Webber also admits to saying that “Love Never Dies” has been in the making for seventeen years and that “The story of Christine and the Phantom didn’t really end” http://www.loveneverdies.com/?video=lnd-launch-edit#video . Let’s not forget, this has been in the making for seventeen years and Webber has proved to be more than capable of producing fantastic, successful musicals. Maybe this time it will change the opinions of audiences worldwide.
References
1) http://www.ehow.co.uk/about_4569129_facts-phantom-opera.html?cr=1
2) http://www.thephantomoftheopera.com
3) Kunal, D, and Peck, T, 2009 “I have cancer says Lloyd Webber”, The Independent, [online] 26 October, Available from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/i-have-cancer-says-lloyd-webber-1809423.html [accessed 24th November 2009]
4) Nikkhah, R, 2009 “Andrew Lloyd Webber attempts to make history with Phantom of the Opera sequel” The Telegraph [online], 04 October, available from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-news/6257769/Andrew-Lloyd-Webber-attempts-to-make-history-with-Phantom-of-the-Opera-sequel.html [accessed date 25th November 2009]
5)http://ccaggiano.typepad.com/everything_i_know_i_learn/2009/05/phantom-sequel-to-have-march-2010-premiere-.html
6) 17 Aug 2006 http://www.playbill.com/features/article/101485-The-Broadway-Sequel
7) http://www.loveneverdies.com/?video=lnd-launch-edit#video
Wednesday 9 December 2009
I feel a little debate is forming!!
Ok, so a little conversation is stewing about the use of internet sources for our academic pieces. I have used the internet to get hold of all of my sources as time to go to the library is difficult and I’m not the biggest fan of buying a paper full of words!
Even though I have used the internet I have looked for information from Google, Newspapers and the BBC website, therefore I feel that I have researched well as I have used websites that are existent.
By using the internet I have been able to look at papers and interviews that are months old and therefore I can still access them, what’s to say that buying a paper would have anything to do with my subject on that present day?
What does everyone think about this topic of conversation, do you think that it’s perfectly fine to use just the internet? Or do you think it’s essential to use other sources? Why?
I really look forward to what you all have to say
Abbi xx
Even though I have used the internet I have looked for information from Google, Newspapers and the BBC website, therefore I feel that I have researched well as I have used websites that are existent.
By using the internet I have been able to look at papers and interviews that are months old and therefore I can still access them, what’s to say that buying a paper would have anything to do with my subject on that present day?
What does everyone think about this topic of conversation, do you think that it’s perfectly fine to use just the internet? Or do you think it’s essential to use other sources? Why?
I really look forward to what you all have to say
Abbi xx
Monday 30 November 2009
Descriptive Writing Style Final
As you walk in this most prestigious Majestic Theatre you can’t help notice the significant chandelier, the most spectacular detail of hundreds of shiny swarovski crystals and glass that sparkles right at you.
The Phantom of the opera a disfigured musical genius passes his time terrorizing the members of the Opera house and haunts the members of the audience sending a chill around the theatre that you can feel running down your spine. Although hideously deformed, and a fearsome cold character the Phantom possesses a rich, smooth velvety voice that draws you in and you almost have to pinch yourself to remember how wicked he really is. He falls in love with a chorus girl Christine. His voice calls to her, nurturing her and the incredibly moving and powerful music they perform together is infectious.You find yourself singing along, drawing tears and feel the goose bumps surprise your skin throughout the entire performance. This extraordinary talent of Christine’s voice and beautiful appearance is mesmerising, she has the true voice of an angel.
The stunningly designed stage and gorgeous period costumes make you feel like your really an audience of the opera house, and as the Masquerade forms on the grand foyer the gold, white, black and silver palate of colours combined with the dazzling diamonds just like those of the chandelier sparkle as they catch the lights on the stage draws you in. Then in a jealous rage the Phantom sets the stage for a dramatic crescendo.He has fallen in love with Christine who only has eyes for Raoul in which his soaring passions, fierce jealousies, and obsessive love threaten to drive the fated lovers past “the point of no return”. The Phantom sends the beautiful shiny crystal set piece crashing down towards the audience. The fear rushes straight through you as the lights dim and flash, in slow motion you see it falling towards you and as you hold your breath waiting to hear it crash to the floor witnessing the crystals burst into the air and leave the scent of burning glass around you, you open your eyes, and its there, rocking above you. This breathtaking theatrical effect has enthralled audiences across generations.
You learn to love Christine because her voice and character make you feel at home the furious Phantom lures her to a creepy colorless place, she takes a voyage on a gondola guided by the Phantom and you can feel the icy atmosphere around you, the smell in the air changes and leaves that chill on your spine again as he takes her through a series of locks that then reveals this dingy, gloomy looking grotto shaped like a harbor where he threatens to make her his forever.The curtain closes and your hands are sore from the applause of sheer enjoyment and pleasure. The subtle auditorium music gets taken over by reviews of the people who have sat around you. A wonderful, romantic and thrilling night of theater that can only be experienced by watching it before your very eyes.
Marketing Writing Style Final
Are you struggling to find the perfect gift this Christmas? Phantom Of the Opera will guarantee a very special Christmas to remember.
Winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, The Cameron Mackintosh/Really Useful Theatre Company and Andrew Lloyd Webber's masterwork is a timeless story of seduction and despair. Set at the Paris opera house, a beautiful soprano Christine becomes the obsession of a mysterious, disfigured musical genius.
Phantom will bring song, dance, love and fear. Only here at the prestigious Majestic Theatre will you really be apart of the audience at the Paris Opera House where the disfigured Phantom and Christine the voice of an angel take you on a rollercoaster of emotions.
So far Phantom has been seen in 124 cities in 25 countries and played to over 100 million people, not to mention total worldwide box office takings of over £3.5bn ($5.1bn). Phantom is the highest-grossing entertainment event of all time.
Phantom is a must see, breathtaking landmark musical on Broadway. Go and see how it’s holding up after almost fourteen and a half years, “That’s all I ask of you”.
Majestic Theatre, Broadway
247 West 44th Street, NY 10036, (+1 212-239-6200)
Running time: 2 hours 30 minutes with one 15 minute intermission
Schedule: Monday through Saturday at 8 PM. Wednesday and Saturday at 2 PM
Tickets also available from,
www.broadwaybox.com
www.theatermania.com/.../theaters/majestic-theatre_25/
Winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, The Cameron Mackintosh/Really Useful Theatre Company and Andrew Lloyd Webber's masterwork is a timeless story of seduction and despair. Set at the Paris opera house, a beautiful soprano Christine becomes the obsession of a mysterious, disfigured musical genius.
Phantom will bring song, dance, love and fear. Only here at the prestigious Majestic Theatre will you really be apart of the audience at the Paris Opera House where the disfigured Phantom and Christine the voice of an angel take you on a rollercoaster of emotions.So far Phantom has been seen in 124 cities in 25 countries and played to over 100 million people, not to mention total worldwide box office takings of over £3.5bn ($5.1bn). Phantom is the highest-grossing entertainment event of all time.
Phantom is a must see, breathtaking landmark musical on Broadway. Go and see how it’s holding up after almost fourteen and a half years, “That’s all I ask of you”.
Majestic Theatre, Broadway
247 West 44th Street, NY 10036, (+1 212-239-6200)
Running time: 2 hours 30 minutes with one 15 minute intermission
Schedule: Monday through Saturday at 8 PM. Wednesday and Saturday at 2 PM
Tickets also available from,www.broadwaybox.com
www.theatermania.com/.../theaters/majestic-theatre_25/
Prices of tickets may vary.
Friday 27 November 2009
Reflection on Writing Task Draft Copies
I have now posted my draft copies of my three writing styles and have started to receive a few comments which I am hoping over the next couple of days will develop into conversations where I will welcome plenty of positive and constructive critism. I have taken some time to reflect upon Task D and have realised that I actually don’t find having to do lots of written work as monotonous as I thought. I say this because my role as a teacher doesn’t involve much if any written work, certainly not to the extent of what I have had to produce for my degree with Middlesex.
Personally I think that my marketing piece is written well and I stuck to my guns about not writing too after research from Michael Cohn stated “Keep the language simple and direct, Buzzwords and jargon can turn people off. Always try to speak plainly about what you are marketing. If some technical vocabulary is necessary, make sure that the terms are explained and examples are given. No matter how sophisticated the readers are, they will become impatient with text that does not get to the core message quickly and efficiently” http://biznik.com/articles/marketing-writing-how-to-maximize-its-effectiveness . I understand that some people may disagree hence why I will be interested to read what people think.
I must articulate that I found the descriptive writing the least challenging as I have always found this style of writing easier to generate. I was often capable of descriptive writing at school as writing stories and poems was something I was gifted at. I think I have a creative imagination and this helps me immensely in the classroom when I am teaching dance as my choreography is frequently about telling a story or portraying an emotion.
My least favorite example of writing is the academic style as I am out of practice and it has been a long while since I have written a form of essay with quotations and research back-up. It did take me the longer to write this style and do welcome all critism as I do feel this is a weaker area for me. I have followed my guide to referencing my quotes the “Harvard” way and feel that my question “Phantom of the opera the current longest running musical on Broadway, will a sequel ruin its reputation?” is relevant and already in discussion.
I have also give thought to Task E and I have commented on many peoples blogs with positive and constructive feedback which I hope helps people deliver excellent final copies of Task D. I also feel that this is really important as it’s a task where I ask myself “is this right?”, “Is this the best it can be?” I can only move forward with my writing styles if people comment and I find this hard as I feel my work is dependant upon someone else because I have delivered the best I can at this stage. I understand the importance of this task and I understand how feedback is important as a teacher to give and receive.
I look forward to reading your comments and they will go to great use helping me with final copies of my writing styles.
Personally I think that my marketing piece is written well and I stuck to my guns about not writing too after research from Michael Cohn stated “Keep the language simple and direct, Buzzwords and jargon can turn people off. Always try to speak plainly about what you are marketing. If some technical vocabulary is necessary, make sure that the terms are explained and examples are given. No matter how sophisticated the readers are, they will become impatient with text that does not get to the core message quickly and efficiently” http://biznik.com/articles/marketing-writing-how-to-maximize-its-effectiveness . I understand that some people may disagree hence why I will be interested to read what people think.
I must articulate that I found the descriptive writing the least challenging as I have always found this style of writing easier to generate. I was often capable of descriptive writing at school as writing stories and poems was something I was gifted at. I think I have a creative imagination and this helps me immensely in the classroom when I am teaching dance as my choreography is frequently about telling a story or portraying an emotion.
My least favorite example of writing is the academic style as I am out of practice and it has been a long while since I have written a form of essay with quotations and research back-up. It did take me the longer to write this style and do welcome all critism as I do feel this is a weaker area for me. I have followed my guide to referencing my quotes the “Harvard” way and feel that my question “Phantom of the opera the current longest running musical on Broadway, will a sequel ruin its reputation?” is relevant and already in discussion.
I have also give thought to Task E and I have commented on many peoples blogs with positive and constructive feedback which I hope helps people deliver excellent final copies of Task D. I also feel that this is really important as it’s a task where I ask myself “is this right?”, “Is this the best it can be?” I can only move forward with my writing styles if people comment and I find this hard as I feel my work is dependant upon someone else because I have delivered the best I can at this stage. I understand the importance of this task and I understand how feedback is important as a teacher to give and receive.
I look forward to reading your comments and they will go to great use helping me with final copies of my writing styles.
Thursday 26 November 2009
Writing Style 3
Phantom of the opera the current longest running musical on Broadway, will a sequel ruin it's reputation?
Phantom of the Opera is based on a 1911 novel, Le Fantome de l'Opera, written by French author Gaston Leroux. Leroux based the novel on his own research into strange events that occurred at the Paris Opera House in the 1880s. Though the novel was not widely read or well reviewed in its own time, the adaptation of Phantom to both screen and stage has familiarized the public with this haunting love story. http://www.ehow.co.uk/about_4569129_facts-phantom-opera.html?cr=1
After almost 22 years and more than 9,000 performances, “The Phantom of the Opera” at the Majestic Theater is the longest-running show on Broadway. Joe Brescia, 2009, “Longest-Running Show on Broadway Is Usher at ‘Phantom’ Theater”, The New York Times, [online] 12 October, pA21. Available from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/12/nyregion/12bus.html?scp=1&sq=phantom%20of%20the%20opera&st=cse [accessed 20th November 2009]
It is believed that reliable facts and figures from http://www.thephantomoftheopera.com/ shows that "It is estimated that Phantom has been seen by more than 100 million people worldwide having been played in no fewer than 14 languages. The show has won over 50 major theatre awards including three Olivier Awards, the most recent being the 2002 Oliver Audience Award for Most Popular Show, an Evening Standard Award, seven Tony Awards including Best Musical, seven Drama Desk Awards and three Outer Critic Circle Awards".
This alone argues why the curtains at the Majestic theatre should remain open, not to mention the vast amount of audiences Phantom has performed to but “The musical is also the most successful entertainment venture of all time, with worldwide box office takings of more than $3.2bn (£1.8bn)” http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4594084.stm
Andrew Lloyd Webber (22 March 1948) one of the wealthiest and most successful composers of all time is yet again the man behind the music “The Oscar-winning composer of some of the most successful British musicals of all time” Kunal, D, and Peck, T, 2009, “ I have cancer says Lloyd Webber”, The Independent, [online] 26 October, Available from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/i-have-cancer-says-lloyd-webber-1809423.html [accessed 24th November 2009] which for me raises the question “Is it Andrew Lloyd Webber keeping Phantom alive” or is “ Love never dies” keeping Webber alive after he was regrettably diagnosed with prostate cancer in November this year.
One thing for sure is Phantoms success on paper sounds far from the final curtain, but for how long now the landmark musical is faced by its sequel “Love never dies” which opens at the Adelphi Theatre on 9th March 2010. The production set 10 years from Phantom and far from the Paris Opera House Christine and Raoul are now in Coney Island. Webber based the story on all the original characters after taking advice from Ben Elton (3 May 1959) “Elton is currently working with Andrew Lloyd Webber on the sequel to his 1986 blockbuster The Phantom of the Opera entitled Phantom: Love Never Dies” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Elton
“In a move that some theatre experts have described as "risky", Lloyd Webber will also attempt to make history by staging the first successful sequel to a musical anywhere in the world. All previous bids to repeat the triumph of original productions have failed miserably” Nikkhah, R, 2009, “Andrew Lloyd Webber attempts to make history with Phantom of the Opera sequel” The Telegraph [online], 04 October, available from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-news/6257769/Andrew-Lloyd-Webber-attempts-to-make-history-with-Phantom-of-the-Opera-sequel.html [accessed date 25th November 2009]
Andrew Lloyd Webber also admits to saying that “Love Never Dies” has been in the making for seventeen years and “The story of Christine and the Phantom didn’t really end” http://www.loveneverdies.com/?video=lnd-launch-edit#video
Maybe the sequel will celebrate the life and success of Phantom, only time will tell, and with Phantoms track record, it could be years.
Phantom of the Opera is based on a 1911 novel, Le Fantome de l'Opera, written by French author Gaston Leroux. Leroux based the novel on his own research into strange events that occurred at the Paris Opera House in the 1880s. Though the novel was not widely read or well reviewed in its own time, the adaptation of Phantom to both screen and stage has familiarized the public with this haunting love story. http://www.ehow.co.uk/about_4569129_facts-phantom-opera.html?cr=1
After almost 22 years and more than 9,000 performances, “The Phantom of the Opera” at the Majestic Theater is the longest-running show on Broadway. Joe Brescia, 2009, “Longest-Running Show on Broadway Is Usher at ‘Phantom’ Theater”, The New York Times, [online] 12 October, pA21. Available from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/12/nyregion/12bus.html?scp=1&sq=phantom%20of%20the%20opera&st=cse [accessed 20th November 2009]
It is believed that reliable facts and figures from http://www.thephantomoftheopera.com/ shows that "It is estimated that Phantom has been seen by more than 100 million people worldwide having been played in no fewer than 14 languages. The show has won over 50 major theatre awards including three Olivier Awards, the most recent being the 2002 Oliver Audience Award for Most Popular Show, an Evening Standard Award, seven Tony Awards including Best Musical, seven Drama Desk Awards and three Outer Critic Circle Awards".
This alone argues why the curtains at the Majestic theatre should remain open, not to mention the vast amount of audiences Phantom has performed to but “The musical is also the most successful entertainment venture of all time, with worldwide box office takings of more than $3.2bn (£1.8bn)” http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4594084.stm
Andrew Lloyd Webber (22 March 1948) one of the wealthiest and most successful composers of all time is yet again the man behind the music “The Oscar-winning composer of some of the most successful British musicals of all time” Kunal, D, and Peck, T, 2009, “ I have cancer says Lloyd Webber”, The Independent, [online] 26 October, Available from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/i-have-cancer-says-lloyd-webber-1809423.html [accessed 24th November 2009] which for me raises the question “Is it Andrew Lloyd Webber keeping Phantom alive” or is “ Love never dies” keeping Webber alive after he was regrettably diagnosed with prostate cancer in November this year.
One thing for sure is Phantoms success on paper sounds far from the final curtain, but for how long now the landmark musical is faced by its sequel “Love never dies” which opens at the Adelphi Theatre on 9th March 2010. The production set 10 years from Phantom and far from the Paris Opera House Christine and Raoul are now in Coney Island. Webber based the story on all the original characters after taking advice from Ben Elton (3 May 1959) “Elton is currently working with Andrew Lloyd Webber on the sequel to his 1986 blockbuster The Phantom of the Opera entitled Phantom: Love Never Dies” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Elton
“In a move that some theatre experts have described as "risky", Lloyd Webber will also attempt to make history by staging the first successful sequel to a musical anywhere in the world. All previous bids to repeat the triumph of original productions have failed miserably” Nikkhah, R, 2009, “Andrew Lloyd Webber attempts to make history with Phantom of the Opera sequel” The Telegraph [online], 04 October, available from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-news/6257769/Andrew-Lloyd-Webber-attempts-to-make-history-with-Phantom-of-the-Opera-sequel.html [accessed date 25th November 2009]
Andrew Lloyd Webber also admits to saying that “Love Never Dies” has been in the making for seventeen years and “The story of Christine and the Phantom didn’t really end” http://www.loveneverdies.com/?video=lnd-launch-edit#video
Maybe the sequel will celebrate the life and success of Phantom, only time will tell, and with Phantoms track record, it could be years.
Friday 20 November 2009
Writing Style 2
Andrew Lloyd Webber's breathtaking musicalisation of the Gaston Leroux novel won the 1988 Tony Award for Best Musical Phantom of the Opera, which is now in its twenty first year on Broadway and is still as poignant as ever. This romantic musical masterpiece celebrates life beneath the stage of the Paris Opera House where the frightening and intimidating Phantom reigns.
As you walk in this most prestigious Majestic Theatre you can’t help notice the significant chandelier, the most spectacular detail of hundreds of shiny swarovski crystals and glass that sparkles right at you.
The Phantom of the opera a disfigured musical genius passes his time terrorizing the members of the Opera house and haunts the members of the audience sending a chill around the theatre that you can feel running down your spine. Although hideously deformed, and a fearsome cold character the Phantom possesses a rich, smooth velvety voice that draws you in and you almost have to pinch yourself to remember how wicked he really is. He falls in love with a chorus girl Christine. His voice calls to her, nurturing her and the incredibly moving and powerful music they perform together is infectious.
You find yourself singing along, drawing tears and feel the goose bumps surprise your skin throughout the entire performance. This extraordinary talent of Christine’s voice and beautiful appearance is mesmerising, she has the true voice of an angel.
The stunningly designed stage and gorgeous period costumes make you feel like your really an audience of the opera house and as the Masquerade forms on the grand foyer the gold, white, black and silver palate of colours combined with the dazzling diamonds just like those of the chandelier sparkle as they catch the lights on the stage draws you in. Then in a jealous rage the Phantom sets the stage for a dramatic crescendo.
He has fallen in love with Christine who only has eyes for Raoul in which his soaring passions, fierce jealousies, and obsessive love threaten to drive the fated lovers past “the point of no return”. The Phantom sends the beautiful shiny crystal set piece crashing down towards the audience. The fear rushes straight through you as the lights dim and flash, in slow motion you see it falling towards you and as you hold your breath waiting to hear it crash to the floor witnessing the crystals burst into the air and leaving the scent of burning glass around you, you open your eyes, and its there, rocking above you. This breathtaking theatrical effect has enthralled audiences across generations.
As you have learned to love Christine because her voice and character make you feel at home the furious Phantom lures her to a creepy colorless place, she takes a voyage on a gondola guided by the Phantom and you can feel the icy atmosphere around you, the smell in the air changes and leaves that chill on your spine again as he takes her through a series of locks that then reveals this dingy, gloomy looking grotto shaped like a harbor where he threatens to make her his forever.
Both romantic and scary, The Phantom of the Opera is a thrilling night of theater with grand emotions that you will only experience watching it before your very eyes.
As you walk in this most prestigious Majestic Theatre you can’t help notice the significant chandelier, the most spectacular detail of hundreds of shiny swarovski crystals and glass that sparkles right at you.
The Phantom of the opera a disfigured musical genius passes his time terrorizing the members of the Opera house and haunts the members of the audience sending a chill around the theatre that you can feel running down your spine. Although hideously deformed, and a fearsome cold character the Phantom possesses a rich, smooth velvety voice that draws you in and you almost have to pinch yourself to remember how wicked he really is. He falls in love with a chorus girl Christine. His voice calls to her, nurturing her and the incredibly moving and powerful music they perform together is infectious.
You find yourself singing along, drawing tears and feel the goose bumps surprise your skin throughout the entire performance. This extraordinary talent of Christine’s voice and beautiful appearance is mesmerising, she has the true voice of an angel.
The stunningly designed stage and gorgeous period costumes make you feel like your really an audience of the opera house and as the Masquerade forms on the grand foyer the gold, white, black and silver palate of colours combined with the dazzling diamonds just like those of the chandelier sparkle as they catch the lights on the stage draws you in. Then in a jealous rage the Phantom sets the stage for a dramatic crescendo.
He has fallen in love with Christine who only has eyes for Raoul in which his soaring passions, fierce jealousies, and obsessive love threaten to drive the fated lovers past “the point of no return”. The Phantom sends the beautiful shiny crystal set piece crashing down towards the audience. The fear rushes straight through you as the lights dim and flash, in slow motion you see it falling towards you and as you hold your breath waiting to hear it crash to the floor witnessing the crystals burst into the air and leaving the scent of burning glass around you, you open your eyes, and its there, rocking above you. This breathtaking theatrical effect has enthralled audiences across generations.
As you have learned to love Christine because her voice and character make you feel at home the furious Phantom lures her to a creepy colorless place, she takes a voyage on a gondola guided by the Phantom and you can feel the icy atmosphere around you, the smell in the air changes and leaves that chill on your spine again as he takes her through a series of locks that then reveals this dingy, gloomy looking grotto shaped like a harbor where he threatens to make her his forever.
Both romantic and scary, The Phantom of the Opera is a thrilling night of theater with grand emotions that you will only experience watching it before your very eyes.
Writing Style 1
Phantom of the opera the current longest running musical on Broadway, is it ready for the final curtain?
Winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, The Cameron Mackintosh/Really Useful Theatre Company and Andrew Lloyd Webber's masterwork is a timeless story of seduction and despair. Set at the Paris opera house, a beautiful soprano Christine becomes the obsession of a mysterious, disfigured musical genius.
The Phantom of the Opera had its first preview on the 27th September 1986, and then officially opened at Her Majesty's Theatre in London on the 9th October of the same year, starring Michael Crawford as the Phantom.
Based on the book by Gaston Leroux in 1911 and directed by Harold Prince, Phantom later opened on Broadway on January 26th 1988 and played its 6,000th Broadway performance on June 13 2002, and you can’t help wonder if Phantom is ready for the real final curtain?
Well according to the musical's website, it has been seen in 124 cities in 25 countries and played to over 100 million people, not to mention total worldwide box office takings of over £3.5bn ($5.1bn). Phantom is the highest-grossing entertainment event of all time, enough evidence to say that the romance and the fright continues to attract audiences worldwide.
Go and see for yourself and take a trip to the prestigious Majestic Theatre on Broadway and see how this landmark musical production is holding up after almost fourteen and a half years, “That’s all I ask of you”.
247 West 44th Street
Running time: 2 hours 30 minutes with one 15 minute intermission
Schedule: Monday through Saturday at 8 PM. Wednesday and Saturday at 2 PM
Winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, The Cameron Mackintosh/Really Useful Theatre Company and Andrew Lloyd Webber's masterwork is a timeless story of seduction and despair. Set at the Paris opera house, a beautiful soprano Christine becomes the obsession of a mysterious, disfigured musical genius.
The Phantom of the Opera had its first preview on the 27th September 1986, and then officially opened at Her Majesty's Theatre in London on the 9th October of the same year, starring Michael Crawford as the Phantom.
Based on the book by Gaston Leroux in 1911 and directed by Harold Prince, Phantom later opened on Broadway on January 26th 1988 and played its 6,000th Broadway performance on June 13 2002, and you can’t help wonder if Phantom is ready for the real final curtain?
Well according to the musical's website, it has been seen in 124 cities in 25 countries and played to over 100 million people, not to mention total worldwide box office takings of over £3.5bn ($5.1bn). Phantom is the highest-grossing entertainment event of all time, enough evidence to say that the romance and the fright continues to attract audiences worldwide.
Go and see for yourself and take a trip to the prestigious Majestic Theatre on Broadway and see how this landmark musical production is holding up after almost fourteen and a half years, “That’s all I ask of you”.
247 West 44th Street
Running time: 2 hours 30 minutes with one 15 minute intermission
Schedule: Monday through Saturday at 8 PM. Wednesday and Saturday at 2 PM
Wednesday 4 November 2009
Academic Writing Style Pointers
What makes a good piece of academic writing?
• It answers the question set.
• It demonstrates understanding and clarity of thought.
• It provides evidence of reading and research.
• It supports any assertions by evidence.
• It is well structured.
• It is written in an appropriate style.
• It flows logically from one section to another, and from one paragraph to another.
• It is appropriately referenced.
• It is interesting to read!
http://www2.napier.ac.uk/gus/writing_presenting/style.html
When researching this style I found a lot of information from universities as people at university are required to do lots of writing!!! Many of these universities described the same important points to academic writing.
I choose to use this extract from Glasgow Caledonian University.
Features of Academic Writing
The emphasis in academic writing is on facts and interpretation of the facts. These should be presented in a logical way using an academic writing style.
Some Academic Writing Tips
• Use straightforward language.
Take care with grammar and sentence construction. Avoid using a note-style of writing.
• Try not to use pompous language.
For example: use "find out" rather than "endeavour to ascertain". Try not to use jargon or clichés
• Provide definitions.
Include explanations of technical or unusual terms, unless you can reasonably expect your reader to know them.
• Use impersonal language.
Essays and reports should be written in the third person singular. Avoid personal terms such as 'I' or 'We'; the word 'It' should be used instead:
For example:
"I decided to interview the Tourism Planning Officer..." should read
"It was decided to interview the Tourism Planning Officer..."
The only exceptions to this may be where you are asked to link theory to your own professional practice.
• Be precise.
Avoid using terms such as 'nice', 'good' or 'excellent' that lack a precise meaning One person's idea of what is meant by 'good' is not necessarily another's.
• Be concise and to the point.
For example: Use 'now' or ‘currently' instead of phrases like 'at the time of writing' or 'at this point in time'.
• Try not to make generalizations.
For example: "Everyone agrees that cold calling does not produce results".
While this may be true you can only make such statements if supported with evidence. Instead you should write:
"According to the Mori Report (2000), cold calling does not produce results."
http://www.gcal.ac.uk/student/coursework/writing/index.html
This writing style is the one that I am going to find the hardest to use as it’s very precise and must be well referenced as well as sticking to all of the above pointers. I will certainly give it a try though.
• It answers the question set.
• It demonstrates understanding and clarity of thought.
• It provides evidence of reading and research.
• It supports any assertions by evidence.
• It is well structured.
• It is written in an appropriate style.
• It flows logically from one section to another, and from one paragraph to another.
• It is appropriately referenced.
• It is interesting to read!
http://www2.napier.ac.uk/gus/writing_presenting/style.html
When researching this style I found a lot of information from universities as people at university are required to do lots of writing!!! Many of these universities described the same important points to academic writing.
I choose to use this extract from Glasgow Caledonian University.
Features of Academic Writing
The emphasis in academic writing is on facts and interpretation of the facts. These should be presented in a logical way using an academic writing style.
Some Academic Writing Tips
• Use straightforward language.
Take care with grammar and sentence construction. Avoid using a note-style of writing.
• Try not to use pompous language.
For example: use "find out" rather than "endeavour to ascertain". Try not to use jargon or clichés
• Provide definitions.
Include explanations of technical or unusual terms, unless you can reasonably expect your reader to know them.
• Use impersonal language.
Essays and reports should be written in the third person singular. Avoid personal terms such as 'I' or 'We'; the word 'It' should be used instead:
For example:
"I decided to interview the Tourism Planning Officer..." should read
"It was decided to interview the Tourism Planning Officer..."
The only exceptions to this may be where you are asked to link theory to your own professional practice.
• Be precise.
Avoid using terms such as 'nice', 'good' or 'excellent' that lack a precise meaning One person's idea of what is meant by 'good' is not necessarily another's.
• Be concise and to the point.
For example: Use 'now' or ‘currently' instead of phrases like 'at the time of writing' or 'at this point in time'.
• Try not to make generalizations.
For example: "Everyone agrees that cold calling does not produce results".
While this may be true you can only make such statements if supported with evidence. Instead you should write:
"According to the Mori Report (2000), cold calling does not produce results."
http://www.gcal.ac.uk/student/coursework/writing/index.html
This writing style is the one that I am going to find the hardest to use as it’s very precise and must be well referenced as well as sticking to all of the above pointers. I will certainly give it a try though.
Descriptive Writing Techniques
Through description, a writer helps the reader use the senses of feeling, seeing, hearing, smelling, and tasting to experience what the writer experiences. Description helps the reader more clearly understand the people, places, and things about what you are writing. It is the most common form of writing. You will find descriptive writing in newspapers, magazines, books, and most other forms of written communication.
Descriptive writing portrays people, places, things, moments and theories with enough vivid detail to help the reader create a mental picture of what is being written about.
Things to Consider as You Write Your Descriptive Essay
• Think of an instance that you want to describe.
• What were you doing?
• What other things were happening around you? Is there anything specific that stands out in your mind?
• Where were objects located in relation to where you were?
• How did the surroundings remind you of other places you have been?
• What sights, smells, sounds, and tastes were in the air?
• Did the sights, smells, sounds, and tastes remind you of anything?
• What were you feeling at that time?
• Has there been an instance in which you have felt this way before?
• What do you want the reader to feel after reading the paper?
• What types of words and images can convey this feeling?
• Can you think of another situation that was similar to the one you are writing about? How can it help explain what you are writing about?
• Is there enough detail in your essayto create a mental image for the reader?
Conventions of Descriptive Essays Illustrated by Sample Paragraphs
Appealing-to-the-Senses Description: Let the reader see, smell, hear, taste, and feel what you write in your essay.
The thick, burnt scent of roasted coffee tickled the tip of my nose just seconds before the old, faithful alarm blared a distorted top-forty through its tiny top speaker. Wiping away the grit of last night's sleep, the starch white sunlight blinded me momentarily as I slung my arm like an elephant trunk along the top of the alarm, searching for the snooze button. While stretching hands and feet to the four posts of my bed, my eyes opened after several watery blinks. I crawled out of the comforter, edging awkwardly like a butterfly from a cocoon, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. The dusty pebbles on the chilled, wood floor sent ripples spiraling from my ankles to the nape of my neck when my feet hit the floor. Grabbing the apricot, terri-cloth robe, recently bathed in fabric softener and October wind, I knotted it tightly at my waist like a prestigious coat of armor and headed downstairs to battle the morning.
This example and website has made it clear for me to understand descriptive writing. This style for me has been the easiest to understand as I feel the detail required for this writing style relates to my role of a dancer/dance teacher.
Descriptive writing is like telling a story and expressing to the reader the interesting details to help create it and feel like your part of it. When dancing and choreographing I like to use a story/theme and like to express it with costumes, characters and the music. I feel that these elements help create my stories and that’s why I think I not only find it easy to understand but also interesting to write about.
http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/acadwrite/descriptive.html
Descriptive writing portrays people, places, things, moments and theories with enough vivid detail to help the reader create a mental picture of what is being written about.
Things to Consider as You Write Your Descriptive Essay
• Think of an instance that you want to describe.
• What were you doing?
• What other things were happening around you? Is there anything specific that stands out in your mind?
• Where were objects located in relation to where you were?
• How did the surroundings remind you of other places you have been?
• What sights, smells, sounds, and tastes were in the air?
• Did the sights, smells, sounds, and tastes remind you of anything?
• What were you feeling at that time?
• Has there been an instance in which you have felt this way before?
• What do you want the reader to feel after reading the paper?
• What types of words and images can convey this feeling?
• Can you think of another situation that was similar to the one you are writing about? How can it help explain what you are writing about?
• Is there enough detail in your essayto create a mental image for the reader?
Conventions of Descriptive Essays Illustrated by Sample Paragraphs
Appealing-to-the-Senses Description: Let the reader see, smell, hear, taste, and feel what you write in your essay.
The thick, burnt scent of roasted coffee tickled the tip of my nose just seconds before the old, faithful alarm blared a distorted top-forty through its tiny top speaker. Wiping away the grit of last night's sleep, the starch white sunlight blinded me momentarily as I slung my arm like an elephant trunk along the top of the alarm, searching for the snooze button. While stretching hands and feet to the four posts of my bed, my eyes opened after several watery blinks. I crawled out of the comforter, edging awkwardly like a butterfly from a cocoon, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. The dusty pebbles on the chilled, wood floor sent ripples spiraling from my ankles to the nape of my neck when my feet hit the floor. Grabbing the apricot, terri-cloth robe, recently bathed in fabric softener and October wind, I knotted it tightly at my waist like a prestigious coat of armor and headed downstairs to battle the morning.
This example and website has made it clear for me to understand descriptive writing. This style for me has been the easiest to understand as I feel the detail required for this writing style relates to my role of a dancer/dance teacher.
Descriptive writing is like telling a story and expressing to the reader the interesting details to help create it and feel like your part of it. When dancing and choreographing I like to use a story/theme and like to express it with costumes, characters and the music. I feel that these elements help create my stories and that’s why I think I not only find it easy to understand but also interesting to write about.
http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/acadwrite/descriptive.html
Marketing Writing - How to Maximize Its Effectiveness
Michael Cohn is the founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of CompuKol Communications. His business helps other business’s increase exposure on the Internet, resulting in increased leads, sales, profits, and ROI and build business’s a content-rich web presence, apply Internet marketing techniques, and utilize blog and social media technologies.I have used some of his own experience to help me understand what Marketing means and what content a piece of writing needs to include to be successful and classed as Marketing.
I have learnt that the best writing is always clear and to the point, imparting to the reader exactly what he/she needs to learn. This is especially the case with marketing writing, and in particular, Inbound Marketing writing, because the end result is whether the reader agrees to buy the product or service or just read the statement/article based on what is presented in the writing.
In short, if the potential customers are not enticed by what they read, they will not become customers at all. The following are tips on how to maximize the effectiveness of the marketing writing.
Make the readers see value in your headline statement
The most impactful headline is one that makes the readers give it value and so creates interest in pursuing it further. Good marketing doesn't lecture, it converses. One of the best ways to do this is to pose the headline as a question, which engages the readers as they read. In the course of the marketing piece, subtly direct the readers to a viable answer proposed in the initial statement, an answer that they will be willing to pay for. In sum, always consider the impact of making a statement versus asking a leading question.
Keep the language simple and direct
Buzzwords and jargon can turn people off. Always try to speak plainly about what you are marketing. If some technical vocabulary is necessary, make sure that the terms are explained and examples are given. No matter how sophisticated the readers are, they will become impatient with text that does not get to the core message quickly and efficiently.
So now that I have done some research on marketing I feel confident to try marketing some writing. I will probably start with marketing myself.
Michael Cohn
http://bx.businessweek.com/profile/michael-cohn/mcohn283/
The true beauty of Dance
Showbiz Riverside, CA 2009
Dance Precisions
Lyrical group age 16, Choreographed by Shannon Mather, Elleni Avila, Desiree Borden, Jordan Casanova, Ashley Gonzales, Molly Long, Jasmine Mason.
I watch this and it makes me want to dance, it makes me want to be one of those girls performing on that stage.
This amazing and interesting choreography, talented young contempory dancers and simple idea of using balloons makes this piece of work inspirational and truly memorable.
I hope that one day i will be able to choreograph work that makes people sit back and say what i have about this video.
Friday 30 October 2009
My Example of Kolbs Learning Cycle
Subsequent to reading several papers on Kolb’s learning cycle and analysing the four stages of learning, Concrete Experience, Reflective Observation, Abstract Conceptualization, Active Experimentation, which he states may happen in a flash, or over days, weeks or months, depending on the topic, I correlated this to taking a photograph.
Concrete Experience (direct practical) - take the digital image
Reflective Observation (look back) - scrutinise
Abstract Conceptualization (think about changes) - alter the lenses
Active Experimentation (make the changes) - increase the lenses speed Perpetuating to
Concrete Experience - take another photograph.
Using this hypothesise I was able to look back at how this theory relates to my past experiences. I presented with a task while training and more recently I embarked upon a similar task and how learning from my previous experience and how that fits with Kolb theory.
Concrete Experience
While I was studying at the Northern Ballet School, I chose choreography as an area of interest as part of my final module towards my Dance diploma. The reason being, choreography had never been offered before and it was something that stimulated my ideas and captivated my imagination. I feel that I am very good with ideas and I am able to imagine the final product.
The choreography was to be performed on the stage to a large audience that consisted of the dance faculty and dancers in the lower years.
The music was to be composed and performed by the Royal Northern College of Music. This meant I had to listen to what they had composed and link this to a theme and my ideas for the choreography. Part of the process was to select the dancers’ design the costumes and the lighting.
The marking criteria was based on overall choreography, costumes and lighting. This is my concrete experience because it’s something that I have physically and mentally experienced.
Reflective Observation
The music created several problems, in different ways, because more often than not I listen to a piece of music, which stimulates my ideas which in turn inspires me to dance, and create a final product before I have even put the steps together. However I didn’t have a choice or any say in the composure of the music and to make matters worse I never heard the final piece of music until the week of choreography. This was due to lack of communication between the musicians and the Ballet school.
Research and planning for my choreography was virtually none existent as time was limited and the dancers were getting involved in other projects and I was totally in the dark as to what the music would sound like let alone how long it would last.
Nevertheless I choreographed a piece that I thought revealed my ideas and enhanced the music. However watching my choreography live, I was extremely disappointed. It demonstrated little empathy for the music and the choreography unproductive in evoking passion or energy. While producing it I hadn’t realised that I had rarely watched it and what I had imagined in my head was not actually being portrayed.
The feedback from my tutor supported my own observations, that the lack of communication, research and the development of ideas had reduced the potential of my choreography. I was able to scrutinise my work and this exposes my reflective observation about my experience.
Abstract Conceptualisation
As a choreographer and reflecting back on my experience I needed to understand fully why my choreography failed to reach its potential. This is abstract conceptualisation and as I conclude what I have learnt from my observations is that planning is essential, and clear aims need to be set so that they could be used as a constant form of reference throughout, informing decisions. Research is also a beneficial tool as it can help in the discovery of what inspires you and scrutinizing other choreography can trigger your ideas.
Most importantly choreography is an on going piece of work and can happen over days, weeks or months, because to allow it to evolve it lends itself several modifications and can develop into a process of trail and elimination until the desired effect is accomplished. Therefore it is imperative to manage what time you have to the maximum.
In addition when choreographing you can often get carried along with the moment and the atmosphere, therefore it is vital to step back frequently to observe and see if it’s working and developing into what you perceive it to be, hence leading to informed changes. Another important aspect is getting other people to watch and enlighten you with what they think is being portrayed. Furthermore communication is also fundamental when working as a team, if everyone knows what is going on, the better the team work.
Active Experimentation
My active experimentation is solving the problems I had when reflecting back on an experience. Since graduating from the Ballet School and working for The Glenda Ann School of Dancing I have frequently had to choreograph and experiment with ideas.
Recently I choreographed several dances for a performance at the Middleton Arena http://www.link4life.org/ a showcase for a few select students. It was important to choreograph dances to reflect the student’s potentials but also to consider the nature of the audience and what genres to use to keep it entertaining. I had to think of the costumes for the best effect, the running order so that they could recover from one dance to the next leaving room for costume changes, and the overall performance to make sure it was the best that it could be.
Consequently I put Kolb’s theory into practice and made use of my reflective observations so that I did not repeat my previous experience. Therefore I utilized my abstract conceptualisation to put my active experimentation into place.
For the show, at the Arena I thoroughly planned all of my choreography setting myself achievable aims. I made comprehensive notes when I listened to the music and captured my initial inspirations which I reflected upon repeatedly throughout my choreographing. I also researched dances from www.youtube.com to deepen my understanding of what I like and others interpretations of themes. I made notes and sketched diagrams so I could incorporate sections into my own choreography. I used many genres to demonstrate to the audience that both the dancers myself and are diverse.
The running order I constructed to give the performers maximum time for costume changes but I also worked out that the dancers could wear tracksuits that were loose fitting for their first dance so they could layer their costumes underneath for subsequent dances, hence saving time hence fluid running.
Communication was evident this time. I communicated with my dancer’s in depth as I had discovered it was vital. We shared our ideas and discussed our opinions and this made me feel they were secure with the choreography and happy with what they were doing which increased my confidence in what I was producing. They shared ideas on costumes and discussed what they felt comfortable wearing, which is essential if the performance is to look professional.
To Summarise
Learning using Kolb’s theory is a continuous loop; I received lots of praise and positive feedback about my choreography and can now reflect and use the knowledge and repeat the process. I can now correlate this to choreography.
Concrete Experience Choreograph a dance
Reflective Observation Scrutinise the dance
Abstract Conceptualization Plan the adjust and amend the dance
Active Experimentation Implement the changes
Concrete Experience Choreograph a dance etc……
Concrete Experience (direct practical) - take the digital image
Reflective Observation (look back) - scrutinise
Abstract Conceptualization (think about changes) - alter the lenses
Active Experimentation (make the changes) - increase the lenses speed Perpetuating to
Concrete Experience - take another photograph.
Using this hypothesise I was able to look back at how this theory relates to my past experiences. I presented with a task while training and more recently I embarked upon a similar task and how learning from my previous experience and how that fits with Kolb theory.
Concrete Experience
While I was studying at the Northern Ballet School, I chose choreography as an area of interest as part of my final module towards my Dance diploma. The reason being, choreography had never been offered before and it was something that stimulated my ideas and captivated my imagination. I feel that I am very good with ideas and I am able to imagine the final product.
The choreography was to be performed on the stage to a large audience that consisted of the dance faculty and dancers in the lower years.
The music was to be composed and performed by the Royal Northern College of Music. This meant I had to listen to what they had composed and link this to a theme and my ideas for the choreography. Part of the process was to select the dancers’ design the costumes and the lighting.
The marking criteria was based on overall choreography, costumes and lighting. This is my concrete experience because it’s something that I have physically and mentally experienced.
Reflective Observation
The music created several problems, in different ways, because more often than not I listen to a piece of music, which stimulates my ideas which in turn inspires me to dance, and create a final product before I have even put the steps together. However I didn’t have a choice or any say in the composure of the music and to make matters worse I never heard the final piece of music until the week of choreography. This was due to lack of communication between the musicians and the Ballet school.
Research and planning for my choreography was virtually none existent as time was limited and the dancers were getting involved in other projects and I was totally in the dark as to what the music would sound like let alone how long it would last.
Nevertheless I choreographed a piece that I thought revealed my ideas and enhanced the music. However watching my choreography live, I was extremely disappointed. It demonstrated little empathy for the music and the choreography unproductive in evoking passion or energy. While producing it I hadn’t realised that I had rarely watched it and what I had imagined in my head was not actually being portrayed.
The feedback from my tutor supported my own observations, that the lack of communication, research and the development of ideas had reduced the potential of my choreography. I was able to scrutinise my work and this exposes my reflective observation about my experience.
Abstract Conceptualisation
As a choreographer and reflecting back on my experience I needed to understand fully why my choreography failed to reach its potential. This is abstract conceptualisation and as I conclude what I have learnt from my observations is that planning is essential, and clear aims need to be set so that they could be used as a constant form of reference throughout, informing decisions. Research is also a beneficial tool as it can help in the discovery of what inspires you and scrutinizing other choreography can trigger your ideas.
Most importantly choreography is an on going piece of work and can happen over days, weeks or months, because to allow it to evolve it lends itself several modifications and can develop into a process of trail and elimination until the desired effect is accomplished. Therefore it is imperative to manage what time you have to the maximum.
In addition when choreographing you can often get carried along with the moment and the atmosphere, therefore it is vital to step back frequently to observe and see if it’s working and developing into what you perceive it to be, hence leading to informed changes. Another important aspect is getting other people to watch and enlighten you with what they think is being portrayed. Furthermore communication is also fundamental when working as a team, if everyone knows what is going on, the better the team work.
Active Experimentation
My active experimentation is solving the problems I had when reflecting back on an experience. Since graduating from the Ballet School and working for The Glenda Ann School of Dancing I have frequently had to choreograph and experiment with ideas.
Recently I choreographed several dances for a performance at the Middleton Arena http://www.link4life.org/ a showcase for a few select students. It was important to choreograph dances to reflect the student’s potentials but also to consider the nature of the audience and what genres to use to keep it entertaining. I had to think of the costumes for the best effect, the running order so that they could recover from one dance to the next leaving room for costume changes, and the overall performance to make sure it was the best that it could be.
Consequently I put Kolb’s theory into practice and made use of my reflective observations so that I did not repeat my previous experience. Therefore I utilized my abstract conceptualisation to put my active experimentation into place.
For the show, at the Arena I thoroughly planned all of my choreography setting myself achievable aims. I made comprehensive notes when I listened to the music and captured my initial inspirations which I reflected upon repeatedly throughout my choreographing. I also researched dances from www.youtube.com to deepen my understanding of what I like and others interpretations of themes. I made notes and sketched diagrams so I could incorporate sections into my own choreography. I used many genres to demonstrate to the audience that both the dancers myself and are diverse.
The running order I constructed to give the performers maximum time for costume changes but I also worked out that the dancers could wear tracksuits that were loose fitting for their first dance so they could layer their costumes underneath for subsequent dances, hence saving time hence fluid running.
Communication was evident this time. I communicated with my dancer’s in depth as I had discovered it was vital. We shared our ideas and discussed our opinions and this made me feel they were secure with the choreography and happy with what they were doing which increased my confidence in what I was producing. They shared ideas on costumes and discussed what they felt comfortable wearing, which is essential if the performance is to look professional.
To Summarise
Learning using Kolb’s theory is a continuous loop; I received lots of praise and positive feedback about my choreography and can now reflect and use the knowledge and repeat the process. I can now correlate this to choreography.
Concrete Experience Choreograph a dance
Reflective Observation Scrutinise the dance
Abstract Conceptualization Plan the adjust and amend the dance
Active Experimentation Implement the changes
Concrete Experience Choreograph a dance etc……
Saturday 24 October 2009
Make-Up
Yes for all those Ladies and Gentlemen out there that wouldn't dream of leaving the house without your mascara on get a load of this.http://www.makeupgeek.com/
Marlena, a freelance makeup artist located in Michigan has designed this website for all you make-up lovers. As a dancer i love make-up, it not only gives you a presence but i also like the way make-up can be used to change the way you look, this can be very effective on the stage, take for instance Cats the musical, yes you would know they were cats as the movements are portrayed so well, but would it be as interesting if they didn't actually look like cats?
For others make-up is "isn’t just paint for the face, something to cover blemishes, or even something fun to do" (Marlena) it can be used to power boost for self-esteem.
A brand of make-up Marlena and I like to use is MAC. MAC make-up is well and truly amazing if you like your make-up. I agree it's slightly pricey but believe me whats inside of that wonderful black box is well worth it.As I'm used to wearing quite a lot of make-up from dancing on the stage I have honestly got to say that MAC always looks the best, stays on the longest and actually lasts longer than I thought. The other best bit about MAC is they have a range of excellent brushes to apply the make-up and a good range of skincare when you want to remove or replenish. Take a look at www.maccosmetics.co.uk for more on MAC.
I thought I would share both these sites with you as make-up for dancers is essential and getting the right make-up and applying it properly is also important.
Marlena has cleverly designed her website to show you how to apply make-up and what brands she likes to use, and believe me she knows her stuff, I found it really interesting to watch her videos as I learned new ways of applying my make-up, i also got some handy tips on applying those must have false lashes. Take a look for yourself.
Friday 23 October 2009
Reflective Practice
The importance of reflecting on what you are doing, as part of the learning process, has been emphasised by many investigators. Reflective Observation is the second stage (in the usual representation) of the Kolb learning cycle.
At the induction day at Middlesex it was stressed to us quite a lot about reflection and reflecting on what we do and what we have achieved, and it was confusing as it's not something we would normally do on a day to day basis. However since researching reflection I now understand it's importance. So I thought I would share this bit of information on reflection and hope to help others understand what it's all about.
Why is it important for me to reflect on my learning?
-To help you see a clear link between the effort you put into your development activity and the benefits you get out of it.
-To help you see more value in each learning experience, by knowing why you’re doing it and what’s in it for you.
-To help you 'learn how to learn' and add new skills over time.
How do I reflect on my learning?
Reflecting on your learning enables you to link your professional development to practical outcomes and widens the definition of what counts as useful activity. Quite simply, you need to keep asking ‘what did I get out of this?’
As a reflective learner, you’ll think about how you’ll use new knowledge and skills in your future activities – so learning is always linked to action, and theory to practice. It’s also useful to reflect on how you learn best. This may be through private study, networking with peers, formal courses, mentoring, or a combination of techniques.
How often should I reflect on my learning?
Reflection should become a routine part of working life that is more or less instinctive. If you see learning as an intrinsic part of your job, you don’t have to interrupt your work to do it. People who routinely plan, record and reflect on their learning tend to see more opportunities for personal development. It’s a matter of capturing the moment. The fact is, the world becomes a richer, more stimulating place when you embrace reflective learning, because you switch on a kind of intuitive radar that’s tuned to pick up useful opportunities.
http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/reflecti.htm
Forms of Knowledge and the Learning Cycle
Click on the picture to reveal the four quadrantsThe four quadrants of the cycle are associated with four different forms of knowledge, in Kolb's view. Each of these forms is paired with its diagonal opposite.
Broadly speaking, he suggests that practitioners of creative disciplines, such as the arts, are found in the Divergent quadrant.
Pure scientists and mathematicians are in the Assimilative quadrant
Applied scientists and lawyers are in the Convergent quadrant
Professionals who have to operate more intuitively, such as teachers, are in the Accommodative quadrant
There are also differences in the location of specialists within the more general disciplines
This would suggest that different subject areas call for different learning styles, and raises the usual chicken and egg question as to whether the discipline promotes a particular learning style, or whether preferred learning style leads to adoption of a discipline, or of course, both. (All of the above assumes that there is some validity in this conceptualisation of "learning styles".)
I strongly believe that people learn in different ways and that there isn't one way of learning. As teachers we recognise the way our students learn and adopt our teaching methods to the student in order to help them learn. This should mean that we need to adopt all of our teaching methods into the classroom, this then should only make teaching and learning a lot more interesting
Elaborations of the Experiential Learning Cycle
Click on the picture to reveal Apprehension & ComprehensionNot all forms of skill and knowledge emphasise all the stages of the Cycle to the same extent, and Kolb has carried the argument further by relating topics and subject areas to the cycle in the following ways:
Concrete Experience corresponds to "knowledge by acquaintance", direct practical experience (or "Apprehension" in Kolb's terms), as opposed to "knowledge about" something, which is theoretical, but perhaps more comprehensive, (hence "Comprehension") and represented by Abstract Conceptualisation.
Reflective Observation concentrates on what the experience means to the experienced, (it is transformed by "Intension") or its connotations, while Active Experimentation transforms the theory of Abstract Conceptualisation by testing it in practice (by "Extension") and relates to its denotations.
So it all sounds pretty complicated and that’s because as people in the arts we don’t put things on paper. We are “doers” however once it has been digested it starts to show clearly that we do all parts of the cycle we just don’t realise it.
Kolb, A. and Kolb D. A. (2001) Experiential Learning Theory Bibliography 1971-2001, Boston, Ma.: McBer and Co, http://trgmcber.haygroup.com/Products/learning/bibliography.htm
Kolb, D. A. (1976) The Learning Style Inventory: Technical Manual, Boston, Ma.: McBer.
Kolb, D. A. (1981) 'Learning styles and disciplinary differences'. in A. W. Chickering (ed.) The Modern American College, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Kolbs Learning Cycle “ The center of learning is experience”
Some of the students that attended Cat Hill campus at Middlesex University recently looked at the Learning Cycle process by David Kolb as shown above. They were given extracts from an anonymous peer's blog, which they separated into the relevant stages of Kolb's system. This then gave them a better understanding of the cycle.As I was unable to attend due to an extremely busy week in work I have done some of my own research on Kolb and his cycle of learning.
David A. Kolb is Professor of Organizational Behaviour in the Weatheread School of Management. He joined the School in 1976. Born in 1939, Kolb received his Batchelor of Arts from Knox College in 1961, his MA from Harvard in 1964 and his PhD from Harvard in 1967. Besides his work on experiential learning, David A. Kolb is also known for his contribution to thinking around organizational behaviour (1995a; 1995b). He has an interest in the nature of individual and social change, experiential learning, career development and executive and professional education.
The cycle basically suggests that there are four stages in learning which follow from each other: Concrete Experience is followed by Reflection on that experience on a personal basis. This may then be followed by the derivation of general rules describing the experience, or the application of known theories to it (Abstract Conceptualisation), and hence to the construction of ways of modifying the next occurrence of the experience (Active Experimentation), leading in turn to the next Concrete Experience. All this may happen in a flash, or over days, weeks or months, depending on the topic, and there may be a "wheels within wheels" process at the same time.
You can see a video of David Kolb and Alice Kolb where he quotes “The center of learning is experience” If you learn quickly by watching and listening as opposed to reading lots of text this will be helpful to you. It was for me.
http://www.learningfromexperience.com/
Wednesday 21 October 2009
People I Admire-Glenda Ann
Glenda Ann is my manager, I admire her because she has provided an excellent school of dance that accommodates every age, gender, class and ability. She opened her school in 1970 and she is Royal Academy of Dance accredited. Her school has over 12 members of staff who are fully qualified to teach all genres such as RAD, ISTD Ballet, Tap, Modern and Street dance. She has many students that attend all of these classes and the special thing about this school is it’s not based in one building.
Glenda Ann school of Dancing uses the facilities of schools, nurseries and church halls, this way she can broaden her school and place her name and reputation in and around greater Manchester. Some of her schools are in Prestwich, Middleton, Bury, Holmes Chapel, Bolton, Ainsworth, Didsbury and right in the heart of the city of Manchester
Glenda and her staff work extremely hard to train and teach her students to the best of their ability where they are then entered for exams, the results without fail are always exceptional.
I appreciate the speciality of her school and the way it reaches out to all children, there are no favourites and anyone is welcome, experience or no experience, good or bad backgrounds, wealthy or poor backgrounds Glenda offers her assistance everywhere. She also offers her schools work in many nurseries and primary schools as a way for children and toddlers to explore and enjoy dance, this way children can start dancing at a younger age and grow to understand dance developing technique at the same time, not forgetting that it’s a great way of keeping children fit and healthy.
Many, many performances have been produced by Glenda and her staff from Panto’s, May Day performances, Christmas light shows, productions at the Middleton Arena and yearly Summer schools, she works hard to show the public and the parents the hard work and high level of dance from her school.
She is an inspiration as she has run her school for nearly 40 years, as an employer I don’t notice all the behind the scenes work that she does. It’s not just teaching the classes for Glenda, it’s running a business, fees, rental for dance space, uniforms, letters, parents to deal with, organisation of performances, costumes, exams, invoices, staff the list goes on. Work doesn’t end when she’s finished a class, it goes home with her. I admire her for building on her long-term goal which was to own her own successful school. She is an inspiration to those who wish to do the same in a very competitive environment.
Tuesday 20 October 2009
A little info on Broadway tickets
I have written quite a lot about my experience in New York and I thought I would just give you a little information about accessing show tickets for Broadway shows. Whilst there Sarah and I got all of out tickets from a ticket booth which was redesigned and rebuilt in 2008. The new TKTS booth in Times Square is located "under the red steps" in Father Duffy Square at Broadway and 47th Street.
This is the main Broadway discount ticket booth, which is right in the heart of New York City's theater district. Here you can purchase the cheap seat tickets. There are many screens that show what shows are available to see and what tickets are available. Basically they are the seats that they have been unable to sell, this way everyone can see the shows and the performers get to perform to a full audience. But fear not, not all tickets mean bad seats, every show that we went to see came with great seats, i suppose it's a lucky dip.
When you see a show you want to see you need to queue up for it. These queue’s can be very long if you go at the wrong time and sometimes when you get to the window they have sold out so you end up seeing something else.
Many shows are not for sale as some theatres always sell out. The Lion King and Tarzan were two that we had to buy from the actual theatre.
Just as we were leaving New York Wicked came out, there was no chance of getting a ticket, not even a full priced one as the tickets were pre-booked for over 6months by people in the business, dancers and celebrities!!
So if your going to New York's Broadway and there is a show you are desperate to see do your research or you could be very disappointed.
Links Of Interest- Doing A Class
I love to go and do a dance class. It’s a great feeling to reverse the roles and be the one listening to the teacher. When teaching the amount of actual dancing is minimized as you spend a lot more time observing and correcting the work performed by your class. Therefore when I can I like to get out and dance my heart out.
I think taking part in a class is also a good way to maintain and improve my technique, because I am not dancing as much and I teach mainly young children in the week I rarely get the chance to dance to my full potential or for a decent amount of time.
Some places I like to go is http://www.sunshine-studios.co.uk/ They do classes from Ballet, Hip-Hop to Pole dancing. They have a timetable Monday-Saturday and open from 5.00-10.00, so there’s always a class I go to.
I was also lucky to have the opportunity to do classes at Steps on Broadway http://www.stepsnyc.com/ Here in New York I really improved my technique I did comtempory with Julie Bour, Ballet with Kenny Larson, and Jazz with Richard Pierlon. They were amazing teachers and the competition in the class was so high I danced as if I were auditioning for a Broadway musical.
Doing a class lets me go to a place where I just think of dancing and performing, something I don’t do very often anymore so I love it, at the same time its keeping me fit and exercising and strengthening my body.
I think its important as teachers that we do take part in classes as we are demonstrators and our technique and performance will be copied, technique can be lost very quickly and bad technique = bad results.
Here is a video from sunshine and steps
I think taking part in a class is also a good way to maintain and improve my technique, because I am not dancing as much and I teach mainly young children in the week I rarely get the chance to dance to my full potential or for a decent amount of time.
Some places I like to go is http://www.sunshine-studios.co.uk/ They do classes from Ballet, Hip-Hop to Pole dancing. They have a timetable Monday-Saturday and open from 5.00-10.00, so there’s always a class I go to.
I was also lucky to have the opportunity to do classes at Steps on Broadway http://www.stepsnyc.com/ Here in New York I really improved my technique I did comtempory with Julie Bour, Ballet with Kenny Larson, and Jazz with Richard Pierlon. They were amazing teachers and the competition in the class was so high I danced as if I were auditioning for a Broadway musical.
Doing a class lets me go to a place where I just think of dancing and performing, something I don’t do very often anymore so I love it, at the same time its keeping me fit and exercising and strengthening my body.
I think its important as teachers that we do take part in classes as we are demonstrators and our technique and performance will be copied, technique can be lost very quickly and bad technique = bad results.
Here is a video from sunshine and steps
Links of interest-Broadway New York
I went to New York with my best friend Sarah in August 2006 for a month. Whilst we were there we lived in hostels all around Manhattan, we traveled by Subway and always ended up in Times Square.Times Square is addictive, the bright lights and the buzz of the streets is electrifying. Seeing the billboards highlighting all the musicals on all the stages made us so excited we couldn’t keep still.
Whilst there we saw many musicals and I took pictures of all of the ones we saw.
I loved all of them, Spamalot was new to Broadway whilst we were there and it was brilliant, very funny and all about the English! But my most favored would have to be the Lion King at the Minskoff theatre.
I love to watch shows, they motivate, excite and give me ideas for my own choreography. I have seen some excellent shows from local dance schools to those on New York’s Broadway.
Tarzan was amazing and again I am fascinated how the choreographers Meryl Tankard with Aerial Movement by Pinchon Baldinu captured realistic movements of Apes. I am waiting for it to come over to England and I will defiantly see it again. Heres a clip of Tarzan on Broadway
People I Admire-Liz Cartledge
Liz Cartledge
I met Liz at Northern Ballet School, she was technically brilliant, worked herself hard and she was friends with everyone. At the Ballet school she did all her associates and then followed me to Preston where she turned them into Certificates in Dance as her dream was to set-up her own Dance School.
Whilst she was studying her parents moved to Knoxville Tennessee and her partner moved to Birmingham leaving her alone with a handful of friends that were still in the country. This was a tough time for Liz as she had a very close relationship with her parents and her friends. After some time she weighed up her options and chose to leave her home town to be with her partner. In Birmingham Liz had to find her way around a new town, find a new job, make new friends and deal with her friends and family being so far away. As an adult this is much harder than it sounds as your personality tells you to be very aware of new people and environments.
I admire Liz because it took some time for her to find her feet again, she had to start from scratch and develop new relationships and most importantly find a dance school where she could teach and be happy.
The best thing is after Liz found a dance school that she liked she met a girl that has become a good friend and they are now starting their own dance school called Silhouette Dance Academy; she is on the RAD Course and also doing a DTLLS course so she will be able to teach A-level and BTEC Dance.
I am so pleased for her after everything she went through. Her dedication to make her dream real finally came true even when she was going through the most stressful, emotional time of her life.
I am confident that Liz will be successful, and her Dance school will be the best it can be because she won’t settle for anything less.
Observation is the Key
I recently watched a class taken by one of the teachers that I work with and I can’t get over how much I learned.
Sophie teaches a lot of nurseries and I’ll be honest the kiddies are not my department, however she is great with them. I was observing her class because I do now and again cover some nurseries for her and wanted to know how I can make the most out of them for the children and for myself. Sophie makes every class different by bringing in props and costumes such as feathers, shakers and crowns. She always uses a lot of imagery like fairies and soldiers and makes up stories like “at the beach” or “what’s in the pond”, she tries to be as creative as possible.
After watching her class I realised how important observation is. I have observed many classes before, it was a big module towards my Foundation in Dance Instruction however because I now have my own classes and don’t often get time to drop in and watch other peoples classes I’d forgotten how important it is to a dance teacher to observe from others.
Sophie teaches a lot of nurseries and I’ll be honest the kiddies are not my department, however she is great with them. I was observing her class because I do now and again cover some nurseries for her and wanted to know how I can make the most out of them for the children and for myself. Sophie makes every class different by bringing in props and costumes such as feathers, shakers and crowns. She always uses a lot of imagery like fairies and soldiers and makes up stories like “at the beach” or “what’s in the pond”, she tries to be as creative as possible.
After watching her class I realised how important observation is. I have observed many classes before, it was a big module towards my Foundation in Dance Instruction however because I now have my own classes and don’t often get time to drop in and watch other peoples classes I’d forgotten how important it is to a dance teacher to observe from others.
I Love New York
My best friend Sarah and I went to New York to do dance classes and see Broadway. I was still deciding what I wanted to do with my career. I had been auditioning for some time and had started to think about securing my future and the auditioning process was becoming tiresome and I really wanted to make a new start.
As we were sat in the Minskoff theatre Broadway waiting for the Lion King to start I said to Sarah that I thought I didn’t want to dance anymore and that I would find something new to do and that I wouldn’t miss the stage...........
Well then the show started and they sang the circle of life and the lights went down, as soon as they came up again I was covered in tears. I wasn’t ready to give up dance or the stage.
The opening of the show was so powerful and emotional that it made me want to produce emotional strong choreography. The Lion King is what made me find my love for dance all over again, it made me want to choreograph.
New York was a truly amazing place, it’s busy, vibrant and full of talent. If you get the chance to go then head straight to Times Square.
People I Admire-Gillian Lynne
Gillian Lynne, Dancer, Choreographer and Director
If you don’t know who she is then I’ll give you 9 lives…I mean guesses! Character Christine, a mask and a rather big chandelier?
You guessed yet?
Yes she choreographed the iconic musicals CATS and The Phantom of the Opera which is the current longest running show in Broadway history and I was lucky enough to watch Phantom on Broadway in New York in 2006.
Gillian Lynne was born in Bromley, Kent, England, and was a precocious dance talent from an early age, teaming with her childhood friend Beryl Grey while still at school, and dancing to blot out the tragedy of the violent death (in a car crash) of her mother on 8 July 1939 in Coventry, when Lynne was just 13 years old.
Lynne's gift for dancing was discovered by a doctor. Lynne had been underperforming at school, so her mother took her to the doctor and explained about her fidgeting and lack of focus. After hearing everything her mother said, the doctor told Lynne that he needed to talk to her mother privately for a moment. He turned on the radio and walked out. He then encouraged her mother to look at Lynne, who was dancing to the radio. The doctor noted that she was a dancer, and encouraged Lynne's mother to take her to dance school.
I simply admire all of her work, there are many productions that she has choreographed however Cats is my most favorite musical of all, and I thought that how she portrayed the real movements of cats and captured them in her choreography was outstanding.
Both Cats and Phantom received well deserved Tony Awards for best Musicals and Oliver Awards for Gillian Lynne’s extremely creative choreography. In 1997 Gillian later received a CBE.
In her long career as a choreographer and director, she has worked on many productions including those from the Royal Opera House, Royal Shakespeare Company and English National Opera as well as many West End and Broadway shows. In 2002 she choreographed the Sherman Brothers' film musical, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang for the stage. It played in London, and later on Broadway in 2005, both times successfully. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang brought Lynne back to the London Palladium.
She has become a major success in the musical industry and is a tribute to dancers.
Information www.gillianlynne.com
Here is a video of a Cats Documentary choreographed by Gillian Lynne
Thursday 8 October 2009
Cloud of Life
My mum went on a course recently and told me that she was shown this. They encourage the children in year 9 to type their interests, hobbies and strengths into a document and upload it into http://www.wordle.net/. After viewing the cloud the student can clearly see the things they mention the most related to their strengths and interests. This effective exercise has proved to help some students decide their options at school so they choose the right subjects with their interests and strengths in mind. I think this is very clever. I remember seeing one at the Induction day at Middlesex very briefly but after my mum mentioned it i though I would give it a whirl. I literally copied everything I had written on my first three blogs and copied it into the website. It really shows the words that describe me and my interests and actually come to think of it my life's journey. Try one they look really cool.
Monday 5 October 2009
My Top 5 Resources
1. Contacts books- Published by The Spotlight www.spotlight.com
This book is great for people who are in Television, Dance, Film and the Radio industry. The content of the books have lots of information and contact details for companies such as dance companies, photography companies drama schools etc. I found it really useful when I wanted to send my CV’s to dance agencies. Everything is in one book that fits into your handbag, so if you don’t have the internet at the end of your index finger you can literally pull out your book highlight who you have contacted and off you go work out who’s next and jobs done.
2. The Stage- Newspaper, www.thestage.co.uk.The Stage is the newspaper or website for the performing arts industry, it features lot’s of reviews about shows and competitions but most important of all the jobs and auditions that are going on. You can subscribe to the Stage so you know that you are defiantly going to get one and not worry that the local shop has sold out and that you’re going to miss out on the week’s auditions. It tells you what the auditions are for, where it is and the company that’s holding the auditions so you can decide whether to go or not. Simples!
3. You Tubewww.youtube.co.uk or www.youtube.com. These websites contain videos of everything you can imagine English and American. I watch you tube to see peoples dance choreography’s whether it’s Beyonce or the local dance schools show. Soon I am going to be teaching pole dancing to ladies that want to lose weight by trying something new and I’ve watched many American videos of pole dancing competitions, they are amazing and they inspire me so much and I am determined to be as good as them.
It’s useful and interesting to see what people have created or just to catch up on what’s going on on TV that you’ve missed so when you’ve missed the auditions for x-factor search it, click on it, watch it .
4. The Student Dancer: Emotional Aspects of the Teaching and Learning of Dance by Julie Buckroyd (2000) BookThis book really helped me when I left home and went in to full time training, it discusses education, welfare, counseling and psychology in relation to dance teaching and training. There’s a lot of information about dealing with injuries and eating disorders as Julia is the director of Obesity and Eating Disorders at Hertfordshire University she likes to study among dancers and teachers.
My mum also found it interesting as I was only 16 when I left home and entered a world that she didn’t know much about. The book is extremely useful if you know someone who’s about to go into dance training but also useful if you want to know more about dealing with injuries and disorders from a professor.
5. The InternetIn general, it’s the most useful resource of all. It’s great for accessing your emails, blogs, internet banking, and information for everything. You can read the news, do some online shopping for when you’re tied up and work unsociable hours or just no hours in the day to nip to the shops for ballet tights and chocolate for your bad days. You can do everything and access everything providing you have a connection.
I like to do my online banking and find it useful to book my train tickets and hotels over the internet as it takes five minutes and it’s done. I like to access the information I need over the internet as I don’t always have time to go to the library and get books.
The internet is rapidly changing and computers can be stressful if you don’t know how to use them but it’s another world at the end of your finger, it’s a connection for people a networking machine that keeps you in touch with who and what’s important to you.
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