Constructive Criticism

Last Friday in STAC we presented our power projects to the class. The girls of sophomore dance were all pretty nervous, considering that we finished our dance only the day before the presentation. We were afraid that people weren't going to understand our dance, or maybe think that it wasn't really that good.
Before we started, Luke discussed with us how to deliver constructive criticism. I liked his idea about it a lot. He told us that when watching or viewing a piece that is a work in progress, respond to it by asking questions. I liked that. In past experiences, constructive criticism consisted of telling people other things they should do with their piece. Not compliment it or help the performer understand it. With Luke's method, the criticism makes the performer understand what is unclear, and why. I think that works a whole lot better.
After our discussion, we finally performed it. And despite the nerves, I think we all did really well. A lot of people seemed to enjoy our dance, and most of the class understood the storyline. There were a few misconceptions here and there, and we now know what they are and are able to fix them.
I can't wait to get back to work on our project. I'm eager to fix the problem spots and make our dance better then it already is. I have a feeling that by the end of the year, our group will become really strong. And I'm glad to say, we're really close to getting there!

Little Time, Pretty Big Changes

Over the past couple of months, my approaches to creativity have changed. I have learned so much more about culture, art, and myself that it is surprising. I have completely changed many of my habits in the different disciplines, and my way of thinking about things.

One good example is when we watched the movie Hanna in class. Before STAC, watching movies to me was just something to do to pass the time. I didn't really pull a movie apart, or look for a true meaning, or watch it extremely intently. I just watched it, laughed when it was funny, ate my popcorn, and left the theater. And maybe if it was good, bought it on DVD. But one thing that completely boggled my mind in class was when we completely tore apart Hanna.

For starters, while watching the movie, I was just a little flustered. My usual movies consist of corny romantic comedies where Jennifer Aniston falls in love with yet another handsome actor in the end. Hanna was not that kind of movie. Hanna was deep, and left you wincing and wanting to know what was going on. I had honestly never experienced a movie like that before.

When I left the classroom the day we watched the movie, I honestly wasn't very pleased. I was torn with myself that everyone else got the jokes, and I didn't. That everyone else enjoyed the movie, and I had no idea what to take from it. It really bugged me all night long. I just wanted to know how everyone else could think that way and I couldn't.

A day later however, my problem was solved. Once we started to pick apart the scenes and look for deeper meanings in the movie, it all started to make sense to me. Before our discussion, I would have never picked up that it was like a take off of Snow White. I would have never picked up all of the characterization and what was back story and what wasn't.

Watching some clips again the next day to prove points really made me change my outlook on Hanna. I felt like I was finally starting to get everything that everything else was getting. It made me feel more at ease, and since then I haven't been thinking the way I did before STAC.

Lately, I'm starting to take everything I see - commercials, movies, people on the sidewalk or in the hallways, television shows - and rip them apart. Find a creative base that no one else would be able to see at a glance in that one small thing. It's almost become habit. I like this new way of thinking, because everything you see truly changes around you.

Another example is when we went to MoMA on the second STAC trip. On the first trip, all of the museums I went to (before I got sick) really made no sense to me at all. I didn't get why those things could be considered art.

And granted, some of the things in MoMA I still didn't understand. But honestly, what if they aren't meant for comprehension? What if the artist makes them so that you don't get it? I mean, if you see a stick in a museum, you're going to think about it, right? Think about how stupid that is, how your dog could do that, etc. But no matter what the circumstance, you're still thinking about it. It affected you. And lately, that's what I've been thinking about when I see things like that.

I've been finding the underlying cause. The point that no one has brought up. Something no one would see if they just took a careless glance. And I can honestly say that it was all because of STAC.