Super Success

Photo(kennysia.com)

I had a great induction day today. Initially when arriving on campus I found It slightly daunting, as I did not know fully what to expect. I was put at ease when I was visually able to connect faces to the names of tutors and meet them in person. I found the induction on a whole very insightful, and I met some great students who are starting the course with me. I look forward to blogging with them.
While carrying out group tasks, I was able to observed and make one on one interaction with other students. They all had valuable experiences and different perspectives, which was great because although we are from similar creative art forms, we all have diverse backgrounds. One of the main exercises that stood out for me, and I found particular beneficial was when Paula Nottingham http://paulanottingham.blogspot.com/ a BAPP tutor, asked the group to think about what our "idea of success was". It was thought provoking and nice to take the time out to reflect. I believe that we currently live in such a high-speed age with various instant messenger communication devices. This results in us acting more on impulse and less on reflection, as society demands us to produce quicker results in shorter periods as a consequence.  

In the early 90’s when I was growing up, all I wanted to do was be able to perform a dance split and impress everyone with my dance skills. As a result I joined a high school that taught performing arts. Success for me was reaching my peak as a performer by dancing in two hit musicals, Cats and Fame. There was something about jumping of that yellow taxi that just beckoned to me.

In the late 90's when I was training, the educators from the learning institute where I studied indirectly defined success as working in a top dance company or dancing in the West End in a theatre production. Dance jobs in hotels, holiday parks and cruise ships were frowned upon. E.g. it was only deemed acceptable and revered to leave college early if you were lucky enough to receive employment from a West End theatrical production company, but not on a cruise ship.

The belief that was held from a large majority was that in order to be successful at your craft, you had to transfer from show to show, never staying in one contract for longer than two years. If you did, it was believed to be detrimental as you would be typecast or casting directors would view you as a one trick pony. These theories soon became redundant when along came the recession….       Photo(nanquiroga.blogspot.com)

In 2005 while performing in a show, a company was holding auditions for a new musical in London. Members of my cast frantically contacted their agents so they could be seen for this “flavour of the month musical”. The people who had not been contacted by their agents anxiously awaited calls with hopes of inclusion. Everyone was swept up in the world wind frenzy of song and dance; including me. I had not received an audition slot as yet and so I began to panic. I sat back and made a self-analysis of myself. I began to evaluate why my emotions were on such edge. I then realised it was the people I was surrounded by, my piers projected insecurities. This influenza of success went air bound.

My present definition of success is to obtain a BA honors in Professional Practice and skills, which will equip me to work on the other side of an audition table as part of the management or the creative team.

Upon reflection and observation, I have learnt that a large majority of people want to be successful; they define success as various things. The people that you keep company with can often subconsciously influence and shape your perception of success, and jumping off a taxi is not all its cracked out to be.

Photo(Kobal collection)

Although my goal post of success seems to change with time, due to experiences, situations and environments, the one theme that has always re occurred is happiness. So being able to do something that brings me happiness is my definition of success. 

Real success is finding your lifework in the work that you love.

David McCullough (1933 - )