A Step Towards The Future - Task 1a Professional Profile

So here I am embarking on a new and exciting adventure.  Who would of thought at my age I would still be a student, but I now know that in the Dance profession you will

NEVER stop learning.

 

My Name is Alexandria Blake Jacks, I am twenty seven years of age, I started off in a little Dance school in Gibraltar studying the RAD Ballet Syllabus. It was always a dream of mine from a very young age to become a ballerina (but hey what little girl in ballet class doesn't have that dream?)  As the years went on I could say, (without sounding big headed) I was the best in the class and it felt like my dream would one day come true. Unfortunately after moving up into high school I went off the rails, got caught up in my social life and was on a downwards spiral.  I started to miss ballet classes because I was too interested in what my friends were doing after school.  All my teachers both academic and dance had lost faith in me and even said to my mother I would never make anything of my self.  Those words are what turned my life around before it was too late.

 

At the age of eighteen my mother and I flew over to Manchester to audition for The Northern Ballet School. To be honest I can't remember much of the day except for feeling very intimidated in the jazz section of the audition.....I had never done anything like this before and all the girls around me all looked so strong throwing their bodies into every movement, and there was me stiff as a plank, still in my ballet tights trying to keep up.

 

After landing back in Gibraltar I received the all important telephone call. I had been Accepted!

This was one of the best moments in my life but still I didn't feel I got full support from my dance teachers, it was not enough to instil the faith they had lost.  Unfortunately this lead to me loosing contact with my teachers who had taught me for over fifteen years.

 

Never the less this was a new journey, moving away from all my family and friends in Gibraltar to live in the heart of Manchester.  I was very fortunate to have amazing flat mates, one who was also at NBS and another who was studying musical theatre at Arden College. We became the best of friends and decided to stay together for the whole 3 years of training. Wow we had some fantastic times!

 

NBS on the other hand was a struggle for me, I found my self surrounded by all these amazingly talented dancers who were all at least intermediate standard in Ballet Tap and Modern. I was only grade 7 RAD Ballet, and had never even put a pair of tap shoes on my feet, not because I had chosen not to but because no one offered tap classes in Gibraltar..... and still don't to this day.

I was at the bottom of the class in every genre which made me not want to be there. I must admit back then I was a defeatist, I was immature but I persisted and pushed my self (not as much as could of done) but I got there and graduated in 2010 with a National Trinity Diploma in Professional Dance.

 

In my final year my aunty became very ill and lost most of her mobility. I became her carer and moved to the outskirts of Manchester.  During this tough time I lost my way a little, I did travel down to London for a few auditions but it became to expensive, so I had to get a full time "normal" job, which then inhibited my travel to auditions. I thought that was it, I had finally lost sight of my dream.

 

Sadly my aunty passed away early 2013 this was a great shock to all the family, I was now over here completely on my own.  I think everybody expected me to just pack up and move back to Gibraltar to live a normal life and get a normal job but I decided to stay in Manchester.  The lost of a loved one made me realise so much and pushed me to continue with my dance.

 

Shortly after I got accepted onto a ISTD Teachers course at Centre Pointe Vocational College, where I was also offered a job as administrator.  My goal then became clear, I was going to become the best teacher I could be and take back all my knowledge to Gibraltar and help anyone who was in the same position I was in when I first to the jump into vocational training. 

 

And here I am, I am due to be completing my DDE in Imperial Ballet this year and I am now a full time freelance dance teacher. The joy I felt when I got the first lot of exam results and all my students had passed with Merit, was like no other. I am finally finding my own personality through choreographing on my talented students. I love what I do. 

 

So the BA Honours Degree in Professional Practise is my next step to better myself and my knowledge as well as finding new methods of teaching and organisation skills. I was very apprehensive at the start of the course but after writing my first blog I must say I feel more at ease and even excited.  I can only imagine how much this course is going to help me to become a true professional.

 

I would love to hear from you, thank you for taking the time to read my first blog, please feel free to comment below.