Dance Journals.

[Jess :)]

Hello All, Jess here!

 

My main teacher and a few others encourage us to keep a dance journal/diary. I find that this helps me when I am training, I write down before class what I am wanting to improve on, all of my obectives. After class (If i am learning a new syllabus) I write down the exercises I learnt, and if there is a certain something that helps me remember a tricky combination I write that down too, I also write down main things from our lesson that I learnt so that i can flick through my points before each class to refresh my memory. As well as writing down any corrections or new things I learn.

 

I was just interested to see how many of you keep a dance journal/diary, and what do you write in it? And am I writing to right sort of thing? This is just what I find helps me!

 

Thank you in advanced

 

Jess!

[Mel Johnson]

Journaling is a tool that can be used to teach a lot of things about many different subjects. In ballet, it's often used to familiarize students with new material as they advance along a curriculum. You can generally tell who's using it by seeing the names of the steps being framed and hung all over the studio. One of the most important dance journals was kept by Valborg Borchsenius of the Royal Danish Ballet. Only she didn't keep it in a book - she kept her notes in her sewing basket! Her journals recorded the steps of ballets that might otherwise have been lost if she hadn't written them out longhand.

[Jess :)]

Oh wow! Thank you very much for that great answer!

It's crazy to think that if she hadn't done that, the Ballet world may have lost those steps!

 

Thanks again!

[kittycatballet]

I usually record all of my corrections, plus tips on one side of the paper, and on the other side write the combination.

[miss ashley]

I keep a dance journal too! Basically I just write what happened, my corrections, and some combinations I really liked. Sometimes I use the video camera to record me doing the adagio or the petit allegro. It's nice to know that other dancers are also doing it too!

[ballet117]

I started a dance journal. I just jot down my corrections.

[anna0145]

I've often thought baout starting a dance journal but not quite like you suggested. I was thinking of perhaps writting about my life as a dancer and how I came into dancing and my life right now. Then go on to say what I was doing currantly in dancing.

 

I do think your idea sounds great and I may just try it!

[tinkerdancer09]

I'm a little hesitant to start a journal, just because it might not help me. Is it worth a try?

Edited February 21, 2009 by tinkerdancer09

[Mel Johnson]

Give it a try; if, after a month you discover that it's not working for you, you can always drop it. It's not like setting out to write War and Peace.

[Bendyballerina101]

Hello everybody!

I have a ballet journal and I think it helps really well! On one page I write down what class it is, who the teacher is and then my corrections for barre and center. I also write the date. On another page I write down the class, the teacher, and then a page long journal entry. I find it much easier for me because it helps me remember my corrections the next day so I can always work on them. I write in it everyday! I think it's a really great thing to have!

[littlemisstwinkletoes]

I write down my critiques and my warm fuzzy's (those are good things my teacher says lol) and the new things we learned so the day of my next class I read that over to refresh my memory and remember what I need to work on and what to keep doing well!

[balletsweetie]

So I just recently started keeping a dance journal too. I write down how I felt the class went overall, and the most important corrections. I feel like there's alot more I could write about though. What do you guys think is the most important stuff to keep track of?

[Cambria]

I write down my corrections the new things we learned ex: Fondu- to melt and then explain the move......I write down some combinations and when it comes time to add a move or two to the year end dance I write that down two....I also write down critiques she gives to other so that I can make sure I'm not making the same mistake that they did (my teacher hates this ) I then review this like others said on the way to my next class!

[HipHopAndTapDancer]

i just started a dance journal. i write down my corrections(in which ever class i need to corect in) i write down the combanations we do in class( because my teacher has a tendinocy to forget what we did last week) and i also keep track of what i eat...because i am boreder line hypoglycemia, so i write down the aboout of sugar and calories, so i dont over eat, or under eat before dance class. if i were to over eat, id get dizzy and pass out, same if i under ate.

[Roxie__]

I don't write in mine often, mostly update once every few months about any new classes or teachers, and improvements/epiphanies/changes in my dancing or corrections, etc. I use it a lot more at SIs and workshops than just after class.