Capstone has been a fun but challenging task.

In it I have learned how dance has

impacted the community around me. I knew it had helped me a lot, however I didn’t fully grasp
how it has helped others. I also learned how difficult choreographing and teaching can be.
Although it was quite easy to teach my group, I know it isn’t always that easy for other groups
and I praise my teachers for teaching hundreds of dances with a smile on their face. During this
capstone process I feel I have finally pushed through my creative block. I have felt for the
longest time stuck with creativity and it has drained me. However, this experience has made me
feel like myself again. Once again dance is what has helped save me. One last thing I have
learned is my patience. Usually, my patients can run quite thin, however, this project has shown
me how much can be accomplished by being patient and trusting the process. That is such a
valuable lesson for me, and I am beyond happy that I have started learning about it.
This project is relevant because of the message I wanted to bring to light. Abusive
relationships happen all the time and it's not just in intimate ones. Abuse of power can be with a
friend, teacher, parent, or anyone and it can affect someone's life drastically. Abuse and toxic
relationships have become such a common and normalized topic and it is incredibly
disheartening. Survivors have struggled and some are still stuck. It's time we started talking
about it and helping those who need it.
I have demonstrated the 6 core competencies many times throughout my capstone. I
was determined to finish this project to the best of my ability and advocate for myself when
things got hard. I had amazing relationships with all my students. I critiqued my work constantly
to make it better than before. I created a meaningful dance that brought a new perspective
about abuse. I listened to what my dancers needed or wanted throughout the process. And I
understood what my strengths were so that I could teach them to my students before I leave the
dance world.
My capstone impacted the students as well as the moms and whoever else watches. I
explained to the girls what my project meant and how the song connected to it. When I brought
up the fact that this song was about a man being abused by his girlfriend and he felt powerless
to leave, they had their brains working. I think the realization set in about how anyone could be
abused by anyone. They also realized it's not a 1 in 100 kind of situation. It could be happening
in their life or a friend's life, or their parents' life and they just don't realize it. One other lesson I
taught that had impacted them is how much you can rely on dance. Nowadays, it can be
frowned upon to seek help and as much as advice to seek outside help, if someone is ready or
willing to talk about it, dance will always be there to help them through their situations. They
won’t ever be alone and that can mean life and death.

What I am most proud of this project is how I was able to not only choreograph but
produce it while editing all on my own. I used a program that I've never used before and with a
little help from my dad with some basics, I was able to edit multiple clips together, add
transitions, and cut music over the entire video. Although it’s not directly related to the project, I
am so proud of the fact I created a product that I love, all by myself.
 The biggest difficulty that I encountered was having to cancel a crucial 1 ½ practice due
to the snowstorm. This was very valuable time for the group, and I needed to perfect this
routine. It made it more frustrating by the fact it wasn’t something I could have controlled or
predicted. The night before almost all the snow had cleared, and it was looking promising. That
was until I woke up the next morning and I immediately knew that there was no other option
than to cancel. Health and safety take priority and so I made a call I still stand by today.
One thing about my finished product that I would have changed, is to have booked an
extra day of practice. Although it would have cost more, this dance could have been cleaned to
look like a cohesive piece. I should have taken into consideration the extreme fluctuations of
weather and booked that extra day just in case.
Advice I would give to students completing their capstones next year is to do something
you genuinely love doing. Don’t do something just to make yourself look good because you will
feel unmotivated and it's going to feel like a burden to complete. When you find something that
you really want to do, you’ll become so excited to start. Thus, giving you more time to complete
it to the best of your ability and enjoy the entire process.
For this project I didn’t use any resources for the reasons being mentors that have been
teaching longer than I've been alive that I could reach out for help if needed, as well as I knew
all the dancers incredibly well who I'd be working with. Thus, there would be no site that could
tell me something I didn’t already know now or reach out for help with.
My approach to this project was to first get an idea of the formations and choreo without
confirming with the moms and kids that they could actually do it. This had led me to needing to
re-do formations and choreo that could have easily been prevented. Other than that, I feel I
have made the best of this project and I am so happy with how it turned out. I would not change
the intention, the dancers, or the lessons I taught because those things were the best parts.