I have been continuously been writing my scholarship essays in an effort not to get caught off gaurd and miss crucial funding like last year. And I’ve been stuck on this particular one–just because my experiences are so in depth that I could take the piece in a number of directions. So in order to narrow it down a little, I’m going to write potential starts and see which one has the best feel to it. The question:
Knowledge or creativity in a field: Describe any of your special interests and how you have developed knowledge in these areas. Give examples of your creativity: the ability to see alternatives; take diverse perspectives; come up with many, varied, or original ideas; or willingness to try new things.
-Write about maximizing time, by utilizing the car ride to and from practice. Practicing spelling on the way, holding a smile on my face the whole ride home, taking snacks to class b/c there was no time for a real dinner.
-Talk about teaching dance–> Patience, fighting boredom when doing the same things over and over, working with diverse groups, getting people to step out of their comfort zone, change things for different style of learning, individual and group instruction, choreography.
-Write about one of my duets. Tie in all the decisions that go into choreographing a duet, communication, listening, reading the other person, adjusting physical position based on someone else, helping cover someone else’s mistakes during a performance, team-work, dancing in unison, practice above and beyond normal routines.
-Detail an action moment of performance–> Then show how the singular act of performing requires: Ability to overcome less then ideal conditions (weather, outside noise, slick stage), executing the show despite nervousness, working in costumes, communication of feelings to an audience, involving the crowd, a sense of where teammates are, smile through stress/mistakes, memory of steps and sequences, rhythm of movement with the music, flexibly when things go wrong. Invigorate tired routines, adaptation
-Take one aspect of getting ready to dance (fixing the hair, doing the makeup, putting together & polishing the shoes, costume fittings, traveling with costumes, staying in hotels) and detail it as symbolism for what characteristics I exemplify through dancing.
-Talk about one practice session, what we did, how long it took, and what characteristics I took from it.
-Preparing for competitions–>Dedication, listening, democratic process, technique (maximize showmanship) responsibility, rigorous practice (in heat, outside, for long spans, freq), exacting movements, counting, agility, working with a team, learning things quickly (the time I was put in at the last min), travel, dancing while fatigued, sportsmanship, grace under pressure.
-Compare performing dance to performing at a job. Include professional conduct, communication, reading other people, concentration, keeping emotions in check.
-Don’t mention clogging until the end, and just talk about things that had to be given up, hard choices, and discipline of succeeding. Exp: Talk about a popular TV show I never saw, the family dinner around the table there wasn’t time for, or other sports/activities I wasn’t in. Then, say why clogging was beneficial and the sacrifice was worth it in the end.
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Catty Remarks