First Draft
WBS3730
Part 1
Task 1a: Professional Profile
I had a very kind and sensitive dance teacher. I passed my first ballet grade exams with the RAD. Ballet was very challenging, not being able to communicate in English because my first language was Italian, I mimicked the moves to start with. I continued with ISTD syllabus and added Tap Dance and Modern. My parents realised my love dance and I realised that I had natural rhythm. I was an introverted child but wanted to keep learning new things. I started playing the Piano Forte, and attained grade five (Trinity College of Music) by the age of 12 years. I played the small organ in church, I wasn’t happy with that but did my duty. I started to formalise my Italian language studies through a teacher from the Italian consulate and attained a valid Italian certificate for study up to Year 6 (age 11). I passed all my dance exams and attended ‘The Guildford School of Acting’ where I enrolled on a three year Dance Teacher Training Course and attained; Associate and Advanced exams in Greek Dance (Ruby Ginner), Associate and Advanced in National Dance. I found Cecchetti Ballet challenging and attained Elementary grade. Other dance styles covered were; Contemporary (Martha Graham), and Jazz Dance. I was delighted to have won ‘The best progressive dance teacher’ award in my first year. I loved choreography. I would auditioning my peers and enter them for competitions. I was asked to teach Tap Dance to all the students as I was the only one that was working on Elementary syllabus. We studied and took Speech and Drama exams with LAMDA. During my first year I also studied ‘O’ Level Music. I was invited to join the Musical Theatre course on their tour production for extra experience and to gain confidence in performing. We studied child psychology. This was of great interest to me. ~After graduating in 1979 with a ‘Diploma’ I toured North Africa with a small modern dance troupe.
In 1982 I set up ‘The Corinda Hall School of Dance’, I delivered ballet, tap dance and modern classes for children and adults and enter them for exams. I persuaded and encouraged the students to perform for Arts festivals, events, and charity shows.
I wanted to take dance into the community and started promoting Dance in local school and colleges. This was very welcomed and supported enthusiastically by Head teachers, parents, the local council and the current mayor of my town. I introduced after school dance clubs. The feed back was positive and realisation of the beneficial contribution dance makes to students emotionally, physically and in some cases psychologically. At this time, I was contracted to teach key stages 1 & 2 in at St. Bede’s and St. Anne’s Junior School and key stage 4 at Bishop Challoner School where I devised and delivered my own topic.
I would collaborate with ‘Arts’ Organisations such as ‘Hampshire Dance Trust’, Eastleigh Arts’ and BT Dance’96. Organisations such as these gave community dance groups a platform to perform with other groups in the UK .
I would suggest to local theatres, The Anvil and Haymarket, with funding from local council to arrange master classes for local dance students with the professional performers from the show
In 1995 I was contracted for three years to teach dance at ‘The Vyne School’ at key stage 3. I was given a budget, this was a wonderful opportunity to bring in out reach workers for different styles of dance to stimulate and influence the students with different styles. Street dance was especially successful for the boys with male professional dance teachers. End of term performances were arranged in collaboration with the Music, Drama and Art departments. I was delighted to have contributed and helped this school to achieve ‘Performing Arts’ status.
I would regularly produce, direct and choreograph shows but in 1997 I secured lottery funding for a community dance project. I produced, directed and choreographed a musical show on a larger scale with 200 performers. All the administration, legal contracts, designing of costumes, theatre management, technicians, scenery, licenses, music, professional guest artistes contracts, marketing and advertising with local and national media was on a bigger scale. I realised after that I should have asked for more people to help with this project. It was after this I retired from teaching due to burn out. Along side my teaching I had a regular life with two sons and a Professional husband to look after.
In 1999 I made the decision to work for a corporate company to help finance our sons University Education. I joined the Telecoms industry through my husband’s company. I progressed from Customer Services to Sales & Marketing Manager through to Product Manager. I was motivated and determined to succeed in this new career path that I endured for several years. There were challenges of learning new skills, such as Microsoft word, excel, power point, the world wide web, at intermediate level and understanding the commercial world of Data and Telecoms Industry.
The last company I worked for was Virgin Media as Support Account Manager.
My duties included; Management and Coordination of all Ethernet & CPC
provisioning, quotations, orders and billing, presentation of financial analysis and
the management of the Business Tracker and a shared target with my account
manager for revenue for Business of £10 million. I Co-organised the
‘Three Peaks Challenge’. My previous employments were in similar industries.
During that time I studied the Latin Dances socially. I started to teach beginners
as a guest teacher and I concentrated on my technique. Three years ago I started
Middle Eastern Dance and am now studying the music and culture.
In June 2010 I became a free lance dance teacher.
My web site is; www.corinda.co.uk I am currently teaching Dance in Education
in Primary, Junior & Secondary Schools,
I am a choreographer for First Dance UK , (wedding dances). I love the challenge
of working in collaboration with non dance couples to produce a dance
performance for their wedding. The process is immensely satisfying and my
instincts and intuition are at their highest. I have had walk on parts in a
Bollywood Film (Tezz) and had the experience on a film set with Anil Kapoor,
Ajay Davgan, Kangana and Zaheed Khan. Director;Priya Darshan
I danced in a video shoot with 'Smokey Bastards' band with Face TV
I danced in a video shoot with 'Smokey Bastards' band with Face TV
(www.facetv.co.uk)
My long term career plan is as Lecturer in Dance. BAPP in Arts conversion course came at
the right time. It will be challenging, engaging and will give me the opportunity to pursue
my continuing passion for the Art of dance.
I have tons of experience but haven’t had the opportunity to reflect, analyse
or internalise my skills. I am self motivated, eager, determined, and enthusiastic.
I value the opportunity to further my education as a mature student and discover
skills needed to become successful in my future career, as Dance Lecturer.
Hi Corinda,
ReplyDeleteWow that's a lot of information to try and take in!
You've clearly done a great deal of varied work in your career, and that's impressive, but I think in order for the piece to work as a professional profile you're going to have to think about how to slim it right down.
Maybe try changing the style completely to something more resembling a list of work? Either that, or really cut down on the detail, because the sheer length of the text can be intimidating to the reader.
Hope you find this helpful!
Hi Liam
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment. It is helpful..
I will definatley cut down the detail as I think a list may resemble similar to a CV. I know the norm is to keep some information back to discuss further and at lengths at interview stages..
And yes, looking at it if i were to receive a profile from someone similar to this, it does look intimidating..
May be I should start writting novels!!
Hi Corinda
ReplyDeleteJust looking at this conversation with Liam as its has helped me with my profile. I like your newer clipped version. Although I agree shortening it almost does us a disservice as we work so hard to get the credits that cutting them can feel awful. Still, a profile has a job to do and thats to highlight what we do...
HI Ahmet, Liam was right, there is too much information there. We can always expand on our experiences at the interview...
ReplyDelete