Evaluation

I found the process of producing the dance show quite challenging and have definitely learnt a great deal about time management. Furthermore it has really shown me that not everyone will have the same sense of urgency as you, they may offer to help but that doesn’t mean they will prioritise it; so the important things you need to either do yourself or give to someone you know will definitely complete the task on time. In terms of budget it wasn’t controlled by a limit rather than how much I was willing to part with of my own money, and for that reason I didn’t get to experience planning the budget as much. In terms of finding sponsorship I have learnt that everything has to be very far in advance to allow for any applications to be processed in time.

I think I was a bit over-ambitious with the showcase; choreographing numerous numbers in the showcase on top of being the costume designer and producer, however I had initially planned to only design costumes for one or two of the numbers in the show. I was also anticipating more help from an arts and events management student in producing the show; however those who had initially expressed interest in helping ended up needing to focus on other projects. I am quite proud of how much I achieved in so short a space of time and know that the show itself was a big success considering how limited we were on time and money.

I am looking forward to expanding on my new-found knowledge of production and working on the showcase next year. Although I will definitely be more organised and have already started discussing funding with a member of Bournemouth Council.

The costumes on the whole looked effective on stage and although some things I would have changed and done differently had we had more money available.  Furthermore I was quite disappointed with the shirts that were altered for the James Blake contemporary number which opened the second half, as they were not finished in time for the performance. When I asked my supervisor why they hadn’t been done, despite me asked her to make them her priority the previous day, she told me they “had got carried away with sewing name tags in and lost track of time”.  As a result we had to do a couple of alterations back-stage before the performance but this meant that the idea did not reach its full potential compared to the ideas I initially gave to the makers. They played a bit too safe so most of the work done to the shirts blended in with the main body of the shirt. I’m aware this was mainly due to a lack of time but it is still something I would have liked to improve on.

It was very unfortunate losing Lydia the night before the showcase when she dislocated her knee in rehearsals and it also meant that we had a very short space of time to re-work some of the dances. It also increased the number of quick changes. My order for the set list was not based on the music or the flow of the showcase it had to be based on avoiding quick changes as the main dancers were in the majority of the numbers in the show. I had managed to arrange it so no-one had to go back on stage immediately after coming off, but after Lydia had to pull out another dancer was needed to fill in for the beginners can-can. This meant there was a direct quick change so I asked the hosts to fill time during this break. 

We had a further drawback in that our dressing room for the first night was being hired out on the second night, so we had to use the downstairs kitchen which was a very small space and involved dancers having to run up the stairs and through the crowd and across the adjacent stage. Despite this we were able to time and cue costume changes and dancers effectively.

On reflection I was able to source a large quantity of costumes, and successfully managed to keep within both time and personal monetary constraints. However in taking on a project of this size I realise that the early planning stages are vital and that this could have been undertaken at an earlier date.

 I have also learnt that “peer management” has an important role within production, and that I need to account for the needs of others when directing a project, and that compromises are sometimes necessary to achieve the optimum result for all those involved.

Production Folder

Looking through the numerous emails and conversations I had running throughout the production of the dance showcase has really allowed me to consider where I went wrong and what worked well. I am well aware now that in terms of funding and advertising you must have enough time to go through the motions because people don't always respond as quickly as you need them to.
I have been in contact with a member of Bournemouth Council who has agreed to meet with me at some point in the not too distant future to discuss fundraising for next year's showcase. I think this will ensure I do not make the same mistakes I did this year.
I am not fully certain that I have included the correct items for my production folder but have had limited time so included the important details.

Sketchbook

My moodboard for my contemporary solo

 I found a much more effective way for me to work on my sketchbook during this project has been to create photo-montages of the images I have found in books and online using Photoshop. I then combined these images with small collages from magazines to show that it corresponds with current and relevant trends found in up-to-date fashion spreads.

   

The design for my contemporary solo

 I tried to be looser in the presentation of my design ideas to allow more time to work on other, more pressing matters but have had some time to go back and neaten up details on many of the designs and also to write-up information about each of the designs to make them clearer to understand from an outside perspective.

Easter

In all honesty Easter has not been very productive in terms of working on my SDP; I have spent most of my free time during the past two weeks with my family. In particular my Nana who does not have long left with us as she is in a losing battle with cancer, alongside numerous other illnesses. It would have been good to have progressed further with my work however in these circumstances it was not my main priority so took a slight side-line. I did however manage to work back into many of my designs and begin to perfect details to make them more presentable. Furthermore I took photos of all the images I had bookmarked in the following books:

• Carlton Books (2006) Vintage Fashion- collecting and wearing designer classics. London: Carlton Books Limited
• Davies, H (2008) 100 New Fashion Designers. London: Laurence King Publishing Ltd
• Packer, W (1984) The Art of Vogue Covers 1909-1940. Second Edition. Hong Kong: Mandarin Publishers Ltd.
• V&A Publications (2007) Kylie. Second Edition London: V&A Publications

These books were 4 of the 5 mentioned in my Learning Agreement and have greatly inspired me in the development of my design ideas. The fifth book was less useful but did give me some ideas for shape and the possibilities of re-making and re-developing garments which was useful when considering the shirts for the James Blake piece.

Funding

I only managed to raise £100 through getting sponsors for the event so the rest of the money for costumes came straight from my pocket... I spent around £300 on the costumes and other small items/accessories for the show so decided to sell on as many of the costumes as possible to gain back some of the money spent. I have managed to sell almost all of the can-can skirts, a couple of shirts and have had offers about some tops, a neon tutu from the disco number and the skirts from the lyrical opener. I am quite pleased with the return on this and have also had offers from the Student Union to help out. They have been very supportive throughout this process and have been invaluable in making the event a success



Furthermore the Students Union printed t-shirts for the finale for us as we did not have enough sports society t-shirts for all of the dancers

The Performance

We raised £565.26 for Winston's Wish, which I am totally over-the-roof about and very happy that the event went so well. It has been a huge learning curve for me and I have learnt a great deal.

I want to hold a similar event next year but would like to have a stage or use a theatre just because visibility wasn't great for all those who came, and although the relaxed and informal atmosphere of Rubyz worked well for the ethos of our dance society it was a shame that some of the performance was lost due to poor visibility.
Next year I am hoping to hold the fundraiser's for the showcase at Rubyz but will also apply for funding through the arts council and local businesses way in advance of the performance. I have already gained a contact at the local council who has told me they will advise me in the correct way of approaching this.
Furthermore I would like to have the set list finalised much sooner as it made it very difficult to get the correct number of costumes or design for a dance. For this reason I would like to hold auditions for each number and get definite numbers further in advance of the performance.

In addition I have learnt that often the prospect of buying tickets on the door on the night is too tempting an option so potential audience members do not have any reason to attend as they have not parted with their money yet. For this reason I will sell advanced tickets at a cheaper rate than those available on the door in the hope of attracting people to commit to attending. We were hoping for a better attendance than we received with between 35/40 people each night but those that came thoroughly enjoyed the performance almost as much as the dancers and I enjoyed it!

There were some difficulties backstage, especially as the shirts for the James Blake number were not finished and I was not aware of this until we were at the venue, hours before the performance was due to start. When I asked my supervisor about this I was told she had run out of time after spending the evening sewing on labels which was quite disappointing as I had high-hopes for the shirts and felt they had potential as effective costumes.

Furthermore, I discovered that the scarves that I had requested for the lyrical opener were not possible as the amount of fabric required had been underestimated, but this was not raised until the night of the performance due to a lack of communication between my supervisor and I, so we needed to scrap the idea of the scarves completely.

One of the t-shirts for the 'Pop' routine

Lastly, two dancers pulled out a mere 7 hours before the performance so their costumes were never used. These were for the 'Pop' dance and should have been teamed with wet-look leggings

Set List Developments

 There have been some changes to the set list despite efforts to lock down the previous set list and keep it final, we have had dancers drop out and one dancer dislocated her knee in rehearsals earlier tonight. This should however be the final set list:

	FIRST HALF
Number	Style	Dancers
1	Lyrical	Jennifer John
		Emily Pain
		Frayah Humphries
		Zoe Rolph
		Tessa Cox
		Grace Noble
		Emily Vandyke
		Nathalie Moore
2	Contemporary Jazz	Hannah Leon
3	Pointe	Emily Pain
		Frayah Humphries
4	Beginner's Can-can	Tessa Cox
		Emma Louise Wilson
		Emily Pain
		Ash Ramsay
		Helena Edwards
		Becci Burnard
		Amanda Ferris
5	Breakdance	…..
		…
		…
6	Street	Jennifer John
		Nathalie Moore
		Frayah Humphries
		Hannah Leon
		Zoe Rolph
		Jeff Tong
		Grace Noble
		Amanda Ferris
		Ash Ramsay
7	Tap	Emily Vandyke
		Tessa Cox
8	Beginner's Street	Charlotte Fitch
		Helena Edwards
		Becci Burnard
		Natalie Oakley
		Amanda Ferris
9	Contemporary solo	Jennifer John
10	H&S	Zoe Rolph
		Grace Noble
		Emily Pain
		Nathalie Moore
		Frayah Humphries
		Tessa Cox
		Emily Vandyke
	SECOND HALF
1	Contemporary	Jennifer John
		Frayah Humphries
		Grace Noble
		Hannah Leon
		Tessa Cox
		Nathalie Moore
		Zoe Rolph
		Emily Vandyke
2	Break dance soc	…
		…
		…
3	Ballet	Emily Pain
		Frayah Humphries
		Grace Noble
		Zoe Rolph
4	Lyrical	Nathalie Moore
5	Contemporary	Zoe Rolph
		Jennifer John
		Emily Pain
		Grace Noble
6	Pop	Danni Jackson
		Alicia Poulson
7	Modern	Emily Pain
		Frayah Humphries
		Nathalie Moore
		Becci Burnard
		Helena Edwards
		Amanda Ferris
8	Body manipulation	Hannah Leon
		Jeff Tong
9	Disco	Ash Ramsay
		Amanda Ferris
		Natalie Oakley
		Becci Burnard
		Helena Edwards
10	Can-can	Jennifer John
		Emily Pain
		Zoe Rolph
		Frayah Humphries
		Hannah Leon
		Nathalie Moore
		Grace Noble
		Emily Vandyke
11		ALL

.

Costume Sourcing- Pulling Resources

Hannah Leon in her outfit for
her contemporary jazz solo

To keep costs down I have managed to source numerous items for the show from friends, family and the dancers in the show. Hannah Leon had more than one option for her solo in terms of costume as she had some ideas of her own. We discussed her options and she wanted to go for a more simple option; something that she would feel comfortable in, so we used items that belong to her; a red leotard and black leggings.


 

 

The skirt for my contemporary solo

The skirts for the tap dance, for my solo, for the contemporary duet and some items for Zoe's contemporary were all sourced by myself from items in mine and my families wardrobes. The dresses for the piece 'Separation' all belong to the dancers and one of the tops in Zoe's contemporary number belongs to Grace, one of the dancers.




Furthermore I completed a fitting on Nathalie and my suspicions that the trousers would be too long was correct so I have taken them up to ensure the fit is correct. In addition to this I have altered the shift dresses for Zoe's contemporary number by taking out the side seams and re-stiching them with a slit up the side so that there is more room for movement. I have also taken up my jogging bottoms for the street routine and helped complete the can-can skirts. I have been quite involved with the make tasks where possible so time management has been quite important.

Costume sourcing- High Street Shops

When sourcing for costumes with my supervisor we looked in various shops but discovered that Primark was the best option for both clothing and accessories as not only does it keep the costs down but the large variety of items allowed us to keep to the designs without breaking the bank. We also looked in shops such as H&M, Claire's Accessories, Peacocks and many others but none had the selection, quantity in the various sizes we needed for our dance numbers other than Primark.
We managed to find feathered accesories for the pointe work number, flowered hair grips that we took the grip off and attached to the gathers on the can-can skirts, various tops for numerous numbers, fascinator-style top hats for the tap piece; which were exactly what I was hoping to source, office wear for Zoe's contemporary piece which ended up being a shift dress to match one which had been donated to the showcase, a waistcoat and a pair of trousers to match a pair I already owned. The trousers for this number are also going to be used for the 'male' dancers in the piece 'Separation' which will be closing the second half. We also found the perfect flared trousers for Nathalie's lyrical solo however they seem quite long for her so I am going to arrange a fitting to check the length and take them up if necessary.

On the other hand, it is not always possible to source everything that is needed in the shops, as we found when trying to search for floaty dresses for the ballet number. All the white dresses that were on sale were linen as the shops were preparing for their Summer collections. We therefore have decided to compromise and use 2 black skirts and 2 white skirts from the Adele openeing number

Stencil for Street Dance

 
Today we spray-painted the stencil design onto the white strap-tops for Charlotte Fitch's street dance... due to the delicate nature of the stencil, the inner section of the R fell off however it does not hinder the design
I think by using spray paint we managed to keep the design clear without the lines being too obvious, giving a very urban street feel so I am happy with the overall result.




However, printing white onto black tank tops (which was questionable in retrospective) did not, as I had feared work well enough to show the design. Thankfully we only ruined one top in finding this out so the rest are still useable. I have decided to use a similar method to what I am using for the 'Pop' dance with cutting and weaving the fabric. If we had more money I would attempt to source some hot pink tops to go underneath or failing that white tops but I think that it would be too expensive at this point.

Sourcing and Organisation

Over the weekend I continued sourcing items for the dance showcase and we are now almost finished in terms of sourcing. We have had to compromise on some items due to lack of funds however the costumes are coming together and will hopefully look very effective on stage.

eBay has become a valuable source to search for items for the showcase. I looked in local party shops to access prices for neon double-layered tutus for the 'disco' number and discovered that I can get them for less than half the price online than they are available in the shops. Furthermore I can buy matching legwarmers and fishnet gloves.

  

Another item I was able to source online were 1950's underskirts that we are using for the can-can, it is a much cheaper option than can-can outfits and a lot more effective than plain skirts.














Today I got posters, flyers and tickets printed for the showcase and started promoting the event ready for ticket selling throughout the week. I also booked more time in the studio to finalise routines so am building a schedule of rehearsals. Furthermore, I spoke to a film student to arrange filming of the event and the possibility of selling DVD's to fundraise for next year's showcase as I would like this to be an annual event. Although I have learnt the scale of things from working on the current showcase so would like to apply for funding early on so that we can access a theatre and have a budget to work with.

Dance Showcase

Today has been a very productive day with lots of quick decisions
A group of us went to view the space again today to work out logistically the best way to use the space. We have decided against hiring a stage due to lack of funds but are instead creating a rather unique lay-out for the seating to allow better visibility of the area we will be dancing in.
After visiting the space I went costume sourcing with my supervisor Tessa and we managed to find some good deals to reduce the amount of costumes we have left to find.

Final Poster Design

Lastly, I worked with a graphic designer Louise Jones so she could design posters and tickets for our showcase and I am extremely happy with the overall result. We will now be able to print out our posters and tickets on Monday ready to start selling.

Furthermore I have discussed PR with Merly from Art's and Event's Management to help get some advertisement and press to spread awareness of the showcase as well as help with sourcing some items for seating arrangements.

Make and Design Developments

Today, all of the circular skirts were cut out for the Adele, "Make You Feel My Love" dance, ready to be sewn together. The cost of the fabric was quite expensive but I think they will look very effective on stage and will easily be re-used or sold on as long as the finishing is done well

The Illustrator file

Furthermore I designed and made a stencil for the t-shirts for Charlotte Fitch's Street dance today using Illustrator.

The final stencil

When I was happy with the design- which is based on a photograph of me taken by Lola Hinks for a first year photography project on Movement, I then had the design laser cut into a stencil to allow spray paint to be applied to t-shirts to create a bold, effective and cheap logo!


I found this process to be very quick and easy and am hopeful that the finished product will keep the detail of the stencil once it has been finished.

Tutorials

My Costume Supervisor organised a meeting today with our tutuor to discuss the development of the showcase thus far and it had reminded me to ensure that communication is our priority; so that nothing gets lost in translation. We discussed the progress in terms of sourcing and also my worries about presenting my sketchbook, they were put to rest when I was told it was not important to put my research into my sketchbook before the showcase so I have decided to leave all the images I have collected bookmarked or saved on my computer ready to be presented neatly after the performance, when I have more time.

Learning Agreement

NAME:                                Jennifer John

COURSE:                            BA (Hons) Costume with Performance Design        

UNIT TITLE:                       Self Directed Project                    

REF. NO./LEVEL:                CSS518

WEIGHTING:                       2.0      

DURATION:                         9 Weeks       

HOURS OF STUDY:            300 Hours    

Unit Leader:                       Adele Keeley

DESCRIPTION:

I’ve always had a passion for dance, having learnt since the age of two. This experience has given me a reasonably extensive knowledge of the ergonomics of costume design for dance. I set up a dance society at the University to allow me to continue my hobby. Furthermore, I have always had a passion for fundraising for charity so decided to fuse my extra-curricular passions with my chosen career path and hold a charity dance showcase. I will be designing the costumes for the show as well as working as the producer, one of the choreographers and a dancer in the performance.

I am interested in designing for dance, television and film and thus far have managed to gain experience working on student films; therefore I decided to seize the opportunity to design for dance to gain more experience of this field of work.

The showcase will be on the 5^th and 6^th of April at Rubyz Cabaret Club in town so I will be working alongside a costume supervisor, set designer and an arts and events management student to help me organise this event in time. I will also have a small team of volunteer makers to work on the costumes for the showcase. I think this project will help me to develop my skills working as part of a team and collaborating with others. In addition I believe that this process will give me a much greater understanding of working round limits such as space, money available, time constrictions and working with performers.

I will be working to a strict budget gained via fundraising so will have to work closely with the costume supervisor to ensure we are able to keep the showcase cost effective.

In terms of work produced, I will generate a sketchbook of ideas and designs for the showcase, showing my development throughout the design process. I will also include images of the showcase to show the final outcome of the event. In terms of my role as producer, I will include a folder tracking my progress, and the more technical side of my role, such as the emails which were sent when trying to hire a venue, finding quotes for stage hire and general organisation.

Whilst designing for this project I will keep to a set colour scheme to keep the costumes looking cohesive, keeping to black, white, red and hot pink as I think they will work well with the general feel, music and dance styles of the show and will also look very effective on stage. Furthermore, I will take inspiration from fashion design, general street-wear and from previous dance productions; exploring various styles whilst keeping it as low-cost as possible. I will therefore look into re-creating basics such as a white shirt to make them more aesthetically interesting.

To use my time effectively I will make sure I keep good contact with my costume supervisor and regularly show her the progression of my designs so she is able to source and organise the costumes for the showcase in good time.

Aims:

A1       To provide opportunities for self-initiated, autonomous learning

            and develop the ability to plan time and work independently

A2       To provide opportunity to study the contextual development of costume and performance design

A3       To further develop the creative, intellectual and practical applications of research and contextualisation within a self initiated environment

A4       To propose, develop and evaluate professional aspirations through professional development planning

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this unit you will be able to:

LO1     Identify and define the context for the development of your own work towards professional aspirations

LO2     Demonstrate an understanding of the development of Costume with performance design

`

LO3     Have developed the creative, intellectual and practical applications of research and contextualisation

LO4    Consolidate and demonstrate professional aspirations and planning                      through your Progress File

Assessment Requirements:

• 1 sketchbook with designs for the showcase
• 1 folder as a production file
• Final images of the showcase

Which will be under pinned by personal development planning (in your blog journal) and a final written evaluation (750 words) evidenced in your Progress File                                                                                                                                                                     100%

Each assessment requirement must be passed at a minimum grade of 40% to successfully complete the unit.

Assessment Criteria (specific criteria related to the learning outcomes and linked to the statement of generic assessment criteria matrix):           

           

1. Evidence of knowledge of contextual and theoretical issues – The level to which you have considered the context of your project and evidenced that to your body of work (LO1, LO2)

2. Evidence of understanding through synthesis and development – The application and extend to which research has informed decision-making and project development together with the appropriate management of time (LO2, LO3, LO4)

3. Evidence of evaluation and reflection – The extent to which you have reflected on the progress of your project and used it to inform personal development planning (LO4)

4. Evidence of realisation through the communication of ideas - The presentation of your work and the level to which specialist knowledge has been applied, communicated and evidenced (LO3, LO4)

Reference Material

This will vary according to the needs of the individual project.  You will define Reference Material through personal investigation and consultation with staff and list it in your Learning Agreement.

• Carlton Books (2006) Vintage Fashion- collecting and wearing designer classics. London: Carlton Books Limited

• Davies, H (2008) 100 New Fashion Designers. London: Laurence King Publishing Ltd

• Packer, W (1984) The Art of Vogue Covers 1909-1940. Second Edition. Hong Kong: Mandarin Publishers Ltd.

• Stephan Hann (2008) Stephan Hann: Couture Remixed. Germany: Stephan Hann

• V&A Publications (2007) Kylie. Second Edition London: V&A Publications