Art form: Dance – Original Solo Composition (OSC)

Title: War; it was calm, it came, it influenced…

What did you find most useful in class to help prepare you to create your solo?
I found improvisation and workshop lessons in class the most useful in helping me to prepare to create my solo. In improvisation lessons we could either play music out of the speakers or in our head phones and move freely around the space. I found this useful in the preparation to create my solo as it allowed me to discover new shapes that I could embellish upon to create an intent and it also allowed me to see and feel what style/ music I connected with the most in order to convey the intent of my piece. Workshop lessons were also helpful in this sense where we could still improvise movement although we were given specific scenarios or actions in order to create movement.

What tips do you have for other year 12 students to help them prepare for their WACE exam?
The advice that I give for other year 12 students to help them prepare for their WACE exam is to create a timeline, a checklist and your goals/ outcomes of your solo. I find when you write down these three specific things in a physical form you are demanding your body to constantly think and manifest these outcomes. By creating a timeline, in creating your OSC for example, it allows you to see when sections are due or if you are ahead or behind schedule, which will reassure you and not overwhelm you in the preparation for the WACE exams. I find that checklists motivate me because when you have checked tasks off you see how much you have already achieved and when you have nothing checked off you are motivated to do so.

How many times did you edit your ‘finished’ work you keep refining and shaping your OSC?
One word. Perfectionist. The amount of times I changed, tweaked or edited my ‘finished’ work for my OSC is a bit crazy. One of my written goals and one of the biggest goals I had for my OSC was to be in the Performing Arts Perspectives or to be considered for the event. This was important to me as the previous dancers every year inspired me so much and I wanted to be able to do the same for other students. Therefore, I constantly was tweaking little things in my solo to ensure the piece not only conveyed my intent, but was also entertaining to watch. You will always be searching for improvement and you are always learning new things which you want to include in your piece. The point that you must remember is to not overwhelm your self and to change your solo a million times. Receive advice from your dance teacher or other people that don’t dance at all and see what they liked, what they understood and see if they can make out your intent without telling them. By receiving this advice it reassures you again what you are capable of. In conclusion, breath, write your lists and believe in yourself because if you have your mind in the right mind set who knows the magic you can create.