Journaling may sound like a lame "feelings thing" that your guidance counselor wants you to do. Not all journals are about feelings, though. Journaling can be a great tool for dancers, both students and pros. Here is my guide to journaling for dancers.
1. Choose a small, hardcover notebook that fits in your dance bag without getting squished. I like the pretty notebooks that are actually sold as journals or diaries at bookstores. Pair it with a pen that caps well and keep it in your dance bag.
2. Write in your journal every day that you have dance class, even if you take a different class or style every day. Things you notice in modern may help you later in ballet. Try to write in your journal right after each class, while everything is still fresh in your mind. If you have to wait for a parent to pick you up after class, this is the perfect time to get out your journal and make a few notes.
3. What you write does not have to be in sentence format with perfect spelling. Write in any way you want as long as it makes sense to you.
4. What should you write? First, make sure to note the date, class, and teacher. Then start with corrections the teacher gave you and any combinations in class that you had trouble with. You can also write down things you did well or think you are improving. If you are learning choreography, definitely write down the steps so you can practice at home. If your dance has emotions associated with it, write them down too. If something is better shown with an diagram or illustration, add that as well. The more information you put down, the more your journal will help you.
5. If you take private lessons or working on a solo, ask your teacher to write notes in your journal about things you can work on until your next lesson or rehearsal.
6. Once a week or so, look back at the journal entries you have written. Look for any trends, like if you are consistently getting corrections on the same thing. If you notice something like that, write another journal entry about why you think this is a problem and what you think you can do to fix it.
If you keep a dance journal, leave a comment about what you like to write in your journal!
For any "activity" journaling is the difference between casual interest and a serious student. History is how one learns. You will learn more from what you do if you recall what you have done. Thanks for the encouragement to be serious about my efforts.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of journaling. I never knew that it was a thing because all of my friends thought I was weird for doing it. I have a hard time learning combinations so I write down all of my combinations so that when I have my next class I can know my steps. It's a great idea, I'd really recommend it.
ReplyDelete