Feedback Strategies

In this weeks Feedback Strategies we focused more on giving feedback rather than receiving it.  The two articles that I read about feed back were "The difference between Praise and Feedback" and "Be a Mirror".  

In the first article- The difference between praise and feedback, the main point is that we should reinforce the effort that a child (or anyone) contributes to something as opposed to just saying "You're really good at that!" That way the person's talent does not become fixed and it allows them to continue to grow and face new challenges instead of vise versa. 

In the second article, "Be a Mirror"it touches on the same point of not having a fixed mindset so that you continue to grow.  As stated in the article this applies to being a mirror because "a mirrors job is to reflect back what is there without judgement."  And we should do the same with out feedback. 

As far as whether I am on the praise or non-praise side, I would say that I lean towards the non-praise side and definitely agree with praising effort over talent.  Being a dance teacher, my main job is obviously to teach, but to also help and critique which means giving feedback.  It is rare that I will ever say "good job!" to a student without adding something else on the end.  For example, I would say, "Good! Just try to point your toes harder next time".  There is always improving to be done and growing to do and I believe this applies to all areas of life not just dance.  As far as praising effort, I love to call out students who I can tell have been working at home on certain skills.  There is one girl in one of my classes this year who it is her first year of dance so she is a little bit behind the other girls in her class.  One week we were working on a certain step that she was really struggling with and she got frustrated.  Over the next few weeks she got better and better until one day she just showed up to class and could do it perfectly! She told me she had been practicing at home and I praised for that.  Like I said, in dance there is always improvement and I always stress to my students that class is not the only time to work on things and its imperative to work at home as well and keep growing!

Praising effort over talent. Web Source. 

Topic Research: The Nutcracker

After reading The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, an article that I had found in last weeks assignment, this article portrayed the story in a way I had never heard of before.  In the article it goes into a huge backstory about how nutcrackers became they way they are and why they look the way they do.  I personally didn't care of this version, but there is definitely some good ideas I could pull from if I decided to retell it for my project.

I then clicked on an article that was linked in the one I just read entitled simply The Nutcracker.   What drew my attention to this article is that it was more about the successful and famous ballet version of the story that is composed by Tchaikovsky.  This article had really awesome history of the ballet and its first performances and how it has transformed into what it is today.   While reading I came up with the idea to possibly retell the story from a ballerina dancing the show's point of view.  Shes dancing and when it's time for the Mouse King and Nutcracker to come out suddenly she is transported and its no longer just a ballet but real life, and by the end of the story she is transported back to the stage with a roaring audience.  This idea is much like how Marie (or Clara in some versions) is whisked away to the magic castle and then is magically brought back by the end of the story wondering "Was it just a dream?' Although in this version it has a little twist. 

I wanted to also look into the history of the Mouse King and how his character was developed so I looked into another article that I had found during last weeks assignment.  This article was entitled "No Sugar Plums: The Dark Romantic Roots of The Nutcracker".  I'm not going to lie, that title along gets me super excited! Apparently E.T.A. Hoffman (the original author of The Nutcracker) has written a lot of dark stories, one in particular being about evil inventors that create a robot girl- which get this- is the inspiration for the famous ballet Coppelia! My mind was blown.  Anyway back to the Nutcracker, in Hoffman's original text it was much darker that what it is now.  The imagination of Marie becomes much lighter as well as her family, hence the change from Marie to Clara as it is in most ballet now a days. Although, when I was in Tulsa Ballet's version of The Nutracker as a child, her name was Marie, and as of last season when I went to see it, it had been changed back to Clara.  Very interesting in my opinion.  Some other big changes that I find really interesting are the changing of character names.  In the original story, Marie's family is called Stahlbaum which means "steel tree' and Marie is "imprisoned within the regulations of the family".  Marie's godfather Drosselmeier (which means to stir up) is also described as provocative and strange.  This article had a lot of other great information and I would highly suggest reading it if anything I have said so far catches your attention! Last fun fact: the original ballet was unsuccessful, it was Tchaikovsky's composition to go with it that really made it famous and what made people fall in love with it. 

I found some really awesome information about this classic story that I didn't know and it was such a blast getting to learn all so much backstory to something that it so dear to me! Ever since I was a child, I've gone to see the ballet around Christmas, but I've never thought to look deeper into the meaning of it or how it came to be.  And to finally do that is super rewarding!

Illustration from the 1853 US edition of The Nutcracker. Web Source. 

Week 3 Story: The Lonely Cyclops

The Lonely Cyclops 

After Odysseus and his men had won the great battle of Troy, their fight was merely over.  They still had a great distance to travel back to their homeland.  There was no telling what they would come across and what monsters they would face.  

After about five days in the Ocean they came to a great island, flowing with green trees, water and growth. “This is the home of a great monster” warned Odysseus, “But we are running low on food and supplies, so we have no other choice but to stop and try to gather more.” Odysseus prepared his men for what they may face and began to explore the island, swords drawn and ready to attack whatever may come at them.  

As they were traveling through the brush they came across a large clearing with a giant cave.  Odysseus told his men to prepare to attack as this was surely where the great monster lived.  Suddenly, a huge giant walked out of the cave. He had one eye, wore nothing but sheepskin shorts and looked like he was tall enough to sit on the clouds.  “Cyclops” said Odysseus.  Gripped with fear, he tightened his grip on his sword and was about to call on his men when the Cylops with his great booming voice yelled “Hello! How wonderful it is to see fellow life on this island! From where do you little people come from?”  Confused, Odysseus explained how he and his men had traveled a great way after winning the battle and were on their way back to their homeland when they came across the island.  “Wonderful! I have been plagued with great loneliness on this great island by myself and now we can all live together in great joy and harmony, and I will keep you and take care of you forever!”  

Odysseus tried to explain that they were just merely passing through and could not stay for more than a day or two and the Cyclops became very sad and began to cry.  His tears fell like rain and soaked Odysseus and his men.  I will be stuck with this loneliness forever, let me at least feed you and your men and restock your supplies while you rest before carrying on with the rest of your journey” cried the Cyclops.  

After two days of rest and feasting, it was time for Odysseus and his men to leave the kind and hospitable Cyclops.  However, Odysseus was heart warmed by the Cyclops’ kind spirit that he had a great offer for him.  “Cyclops, I know you have been plagued with great sadness and loneliness on this island by yourself and you have shown me and my men such kindness and compassion that I want to ask you to travel back with us to my homeland and live with us forever in peace and friendship.” The Cyclops cried out in happiness and together they all set out for home, the Cyclops protecting them from everything that came their way.  

It wast then that the Cyclops was lonely no more, and him and Odysseus’s people lived happily together in harmony until the end of time. 

The Island. Web Source. 

Authors note: In the original text by Homer, the Cyclops is a great monster that is no happy with Odysseus’s arrival.  He traps them in his cave and eats his men throughout the time they are there.  Odysseus and his surviving men are able to escape by tying themselves to the underbellies of sheep.  When setting sale from the Island the angered Cyclops throws a giant stone at the ship, merely missing it.  Odysseus and his men are able to continue on their journey just barely, leaving the cyclops behind.  

Bibliography: Homer's The Odyssey, translated by Tony Kline. Web Source.