BALLET FOLKLORICO CRITIQUES How to critique like a

BALLET FOLKLORICO CRITIQUES How to critique like a star!

PERDON LA FALTA DE ACCENTOS Este programa no me deja poner accentos mientras escribo directamente en las hojas de Power. Point.

WHY CRITIQUES? POR QUE CRITICAS? Critiques allow you to prove that you understand the regions and what is unique about them. Knowing that you will have to write them, force the dancer to pay closer attention and develop a “critical eye” for dance, which will in turn help you improve your own dancing. Las criticas permite a uno probar que entienda las regions y sus caracteristicas unicas. Saber que uno tiene que escribirlas, oblige al balerin a prestar atencion mas a cerca a los de detalles y desarrollar un “ojo critico” para la danza que en turno lo ayuda a mejorar su proprio tecnica.

AND…Y… o Critiques are worth 50% of your final exam grade each semester. o Las criticas valen 50% de su examen final cada semestre.

WATCH YOUR NUMBER GRADES! CUIDADO CON SUS CALAFICACIONES! If your director tells you flat out there ARE NO FIVES in this show and there will be only a few in May, do NOT give FIVES! / Si tu directora te dice claramente que NO HAY CINCOS en esta presentacion y que solamente habran unos pocos en mayo, NO DE CINCOS! If you make only good commentary in your justification, you need to give a high score. If you say only negative things you need to give a negative score. /Si haces solamente comentarios buenos en su justificacion, hay que dar una calificacion alta. Si haces solamente comentarios negativos, hay que dar una calificacion baja.

NOTES AND DIRECTIONS!/APUNTES Y DIRECCIONES The directions and the ideas listed to help you on the front of the critique are always the same. Learn them! Las dirrecciones y ideas apuntadas en la frente de la critica son siempre las mismas. Aprendanlas!

NOTES AND DIRECTIONS!/APUNTES Y DIRECCIONES All ratings must be fully justified. Please be as specific as possible. There should be very few fives. Whatever number you circle, I should be able to understand your choice by the comments underneath. When we critique work, we are not being nice nor are we being mean. We are being objective and finding ways to improve. This is business. Only honesty is helpful here. Your critique should demonstrate that you understand what you watched and/or what you danced. Footwork, posture, skirt work and other elements are NOT the same from one region to another. What is acceptable in one region may not be in the next. Your critique should be specific. Do not say things like: good, pretty, bad or beautiful without very specific support. Examples of positive words that actually something are: confident, joyful, graceful, energetic, accurate, clean and synchronized…. Examples of negative words that mean something are tentative, disorganized, nervous, inaccurate, chaotic, messy…. Footwork: When you analyze footwork, you need to think about everything from the sound to the point of the toes or the flex of the toes. Think about the heel work. Think about leg height on kicks. Address individual dancers and the synchronization of the whole. Choreography: Was it well executed? Did dancers look confident in it? Were lines straight? Were circles really circles? Was proper spacing and center maintained? Body position: Consider posture, movement or lack of movement of the hips, shoulders and so forth. Think about the arch in the back for the girls in many regions. Arm positions are important in some regions. Look for SPOTTING on turns. Skirt work: This should be done specifically to the region. Think, too, about individual dancers as compared to the whole. Was everyone synchronized? Did everyone have the same energy and/or grace in the skirt? Prop work: Look for consistency and correct use of fans, sombreros, machetes, palicates or rebosos. Energy Level and Character: Was the energy sustained throughout the dance? Did some dancers have more energy than others? Did all the dancers maintain the character of the dance? Did they seem to understand their role and portray that? How were the facial expressions and smiles? Overall impression: How did all the elements come together? Any additional points-- positive or negative—can be addressed here? If you noticed gum, weird faces or anything that distracted your attention—it can also be addressed here.

CHOREOGRAPHY/COREOGRAFIA DO critique how well we executed/performed the choreography— DO NOT critique the original design. You don’t have to like the ideas. You need to recognize if we made the right shapes correctly at the right time and if our spacing was correct. Critique como conseguimos hacer la coreografia—NO el diseno del coreografia original. No importa si te gustan las ideas. Necesitas reconocer si hicimos las formas correctas al tiempo cierto y si manteniamos los espacios correctos.

EXCELLENT CHOREOGRAPHY CRITIQUES/ CRITICAS EXCELENTES DE COREOGRAFIA Hidalgo: 2: The circle made was very small and transitions from one place to another were sloppy and choppy and not smooth at all. Lines were no always straight and spacing was off at times. Hidalgo: 2: El circulo hecho era demasiado pequeno y las transiciones de un lugar a otro no eran limpios y faltaba fluidez. Las lineas no eran siempre rectas y los espacios no eran siempre iguales.

EXCELLENT CHOREOGRAPHY CRITIQUES/ CRITICAS EXCELENTES DE COREOGRAFIA 2 Veracruz Jarocho: 2: The beginning of Colas was good and the diagonal was good, but afterwards, spacing was off. The shapes were off center for Colas and Coco. Bamba—spacing was okay. Veracruz Jarocho: 2: En el principio de Colas estaba bien y el diagonal se formo bien, pero despues habian problemas con el uso de espacio. Las formas no estaba centradas en Colas ni Coco. En Bamba no habia problemas con el espacio.

EXCELLENT CHOREOGRAPHY CRITIQUES/ CRITICAS EXCELENTES DE COREOGRAFIA 3 Jalisco: 3: The strongest choreography among the corps was “Guaco”. They had good lines and the messiest thing was the diagonal in the beginning. Overall, the Jalisco region was good especially w/ having so many beginners. Things to fix are spacing and cleaner lines/shapes. We must move as a unit. Jalisco: 3: La coreografia mas fuerte entre las bandas era la de “Guaco”. Tenian buenas lineas y la cosa menos limpio era el diagonal al principio. Por lo general, la region de Jalisco era buena por tener tantos principiantes. Las cosas que tenemos que mejorar son los espacios y lineas/formas limpias. Tenemos movernos como una unidad.

EXCELLENT FOOTWORK CRITIQUE EXAMPLES-ZAPATEADO Hidalgo: 3: No ibamos al ritmo de la cancion y no habia sincronizacion entre todos los que estaban bailando y mejorar los pasos al cambio de ritmo. Hidalgo: 3: We were matching the rhythm of the song and we were not synchronized between ourselves. And improve the steps at the rhythm changes.

EXCELLENT FOOTWORK CRITIQUE EXAMPLES —ZAPATEADO 2 Jalisco: 3: The footwork in the corps dances was very minimal and it could barely be heard. Footwork was clear in Negra, but the tornillo step was not executed properly. In Jarabe, kicks needed to be higher and more evident. Jalisco: 3: El zapateado en los bailes de las bandas era minimo y no se escuchaba bien. El zapateado era muy limpio en “la Negra” pero el paso de tornillo no era correcto. En Jarabe, las apatadas tienen que ser mas altas y mas evidentes.

EXCELLENT FOOTWORK CRITIQUE EXAMPLES —ZAPATEADO 3 Jalisco: 3: Los pasos de tornillo tienen que verse mucho mas y las vueltas con mas personalidad y escuchar la musica para el cambio de step. Jalisco: 3: The tornillo steps have to be more obvious and more “personality” (energy) in the turns and listen to the music for the step change.

EXCELLENT EXAMPLES OF BODY POSITION CRITIQUES: POSICION DE CUERPO Hidalgo: 2: The guys looked timid and kind of hunched over. The girls’ arm height and movement was not together at all times, girls were not doing arm movement and looked rigid. Hidalgo: 2: Los hombres parecian timidos y medio encorvados. La altura y el movimiento de los brazos de las chicas no eran siempre igual, las chicas no hacian el movimiento de brazos y parecian rigidas.

EXCELLENT EXAMPLES OF BODY POSITION CRITIQUES: POSICION DE CUERPO 2 Nuevo Leon: 3 -4: Stood tall, but shoulders for girls could have been rolled back move their shoulders more. At times we looked down and we must always look up/forward. Nuevo Leon: 3 -4: Rectos, pero los hombros de las chicas debian estar mas atras, deben mover los hombros mas. A veces miramos al suelo y debemos siempre mirar para arriba/frente.

EXCELLENT EXAMPLES OF BODY POSITION CRITIQUES: POSICION DE CUERPO 3 Jalisco: 3: Dudes tienen que sacar mas el pecho y abrir un poco las piernas. Mujeres con la falda— levantada y al final las ninas un poco mas…que se note que se doblan. Jalisco: 3: Dudes have to put their chest out more and open their legs some. Ladies with your skirts raised and at the and ladies, a little more… you notice they are folded.

EXCELLENT EXAMPLES OF BODY POSITION CRITIQUES: POSICION DE CUERPO Jalisco: 3: Need to roll shoulders back and look up. Girls arms should extend outwards when doing skirt work and firmly planted in fist on your hips when not doing skirt work. Boys also must keep the charro stance, which is a strong form, chest out and hands placed firmly on your back. If not, you look small on stage. Jalisco: 3: Necesitan poner los hombros mas atras y mirar para arriba. Chicas los brazos deben extenderse al hacer el faldeo y plantarse en punos en las caderas cuando no. Chicos deben mantener la postura del charro, lo que es fuerte con el pecho adelante y las manos fuertemente puestos atras. Si no, se miran pequenos en el escenario.

EXCELLENT EXAMPLES OF SKIRT WORK CRITIQUES: FALDEO Veracruz Jarocho: 2: Skirts were held well at the beginning such as in Colas and Coco, but at times when the girls were supposed to hold their skirt straight they were slightly moving (this was evident in Bamba, as well. ) Also in Bamba, not all the skirts were together and looked choppy. Also girls were, at times, just holding their skirt, and weren’t flipping it up. Veracruz Jarocho: 2: Las faldas fueron agarradas correctamente al principio de Colas y de Coco pero a veces las chicas debieron haber mantenido la falda recta pero se movian un poco (tambien en Bamba). Tambien en Bamba, no todas las faldas estaban juntas y faltaban fluidez. Tambien, a veces, las chicas simplesmente agarraron las faldas en vez de enrollarlas.

EXCELLENT EXAMPLES OF SKIRT WORK CRITIQUES: FALDEO 2 Jalisco: 3: For beginners skirt work was good for the little amount of time they had to practice. The skirt work was off time and speeds were different among dancers. Needs to be “flowy” and it should be more shoulders and wrists that move, not just elbows b/c then it looks small and not “flowy. Jalisco: 3: Por ser principiantes con poco tiempo para practicar el faldeo era bueno. El faldeo no era a tiempo y la velocidad varia entre bailarinas. Debe ser mas fluido y usar mas los hombros y munecas, no solamente los codo p/q se mira pequena y sin fluidez.

EXCELLENT EXAMPLES OF PROP WORK CRITIQUES: ACCESORIA Veracruz Jarocho: 2: The use of the fans was not always together, as some girls were fanning too fast, too slow or not at all. What happened to one of the bows? Veracruz Jarocho: 2: El uso de los abanicos no iba siempre junto, unas los usaban demasiado rapido, demasiado lento o ni los usaban. Que paso a uno de los monos?

EXCELLENT EXAMPLES OF PROP WORK CRITIQUES: ACCESORIA 2 Jalisco: 3: Hats went down at same time even though Jose threw his. Boys in culebra were not together. Making the basket was kind of sloppy and we looked as if we panicked to get it done quickly. Jalisco: 3: Los sombreros se cayeron al mismo tiempo aunque Jose tiro el suyo. Los chicos en culebra no iban juntos. La formacion de la canasta era un poco feo y pareciamos en panico para hacerlo rapidamente.

EXCELLENT EXAMPLES OF CHARACTER AND ENERGY CRITIQUES: PERSONAJE Y ENERGIA Nuevo Leon: 3 -4: Girls needed to have more sass, roll shoulders back for boys and girls. There was chemistry among dancers shown by gritos, clapping and cheering each other on. It did look like we had fun doing it, yet in the end we did look tired. Nuevo Leon: 3 -4: Las chicas necesitaban tener mas “actitud”, poner los hombros atras para chicos y chicas. Habia quimica entre los bailarines— evidente en los gritos y aplausos para animarse. Parecia que nos divertimos pero al final pareciamos cansados.

EXCELLENT EXAMPLES OF CHARACTER AND ENERGY CRITIQUES: PERSONAJE Y ENERGIA 2 Veracruz Jarocho: 1: There was very low energy and girls and guys did not look nor dance very confidently. There was no character and boys did not have much energy in Bamba. They did not look very happy to be married and movements were mechanical. Veracruz Jarocho: 1: Habia muy baja energia y ni las chicas ni los chicos se miraban ni bailaban confianza. No habia un “personaje” y los chicos no se miraban felices de casarse y los movimientos eran mecanicos.

EXCELLENT EXAMPLES OF COMPARISON OF DANCES: COMPARACION DE BAILES Nuevo Leon: I think Pavido was stronger because it was more clean and we knew the choreography. Nuevo Leon: Pienso que Pavido era mas fuerte porque era mas limpio y sabiamos la coreografia.

EXCELLENT EXAMPLES OF COMPARISON OF DANCES: COMPARACION DE BAILES 2 Nuevo Leon: Both Lucero and Pavido Navido seem to be equal in quality. Pavido Navido had the cleanest footwork while Lucero had a lot of energy with a lot of yells. Both dances could have stronger characters. For example, the changing of parts is to show off and see who is the best. Nuevo Leon is the rich, fancy cowboy! Nuevo Leon: Lucero y Pavido Navido parecian de la misma calidad. Pavido Navido tenia el zapateado mas limpio pero Lucero tenia mucha energia y muchos gritos. Los dos pudieran haber tenido caracter mas fuerte. Por ejemplo, el cambio de “papeles” es para presumir y ver quien baila major. Nuevo Leon es del vaquero rico y adornado.

EXCELLENT EXAMPLES OF COMPARISON OF DANCES: COMPARACION DE BAILES 3 Jalisco: I think Jarabe was the strongest. There was a lot of good energy and skirts were together most of the time. Choreography was well executed and footwork could be heard more than in the others. Jalisco: Pienso que Jarabe era lo mas fuerte. Habia muy Buena energia y las faldas se movian juntas casi siempre. La coreografia salio correctamente y se escuchaba el zapateado mas que el los demas bailes.

EXCELLENT EXAMPLES OF OVERALL IMPRESSION: IMPRESION GENERAL Hidalgo: 2: There was very low energy in both boys and girls and footwork was ahead of the music and everyone had different arm positions and some were holding their skirts while other weren’t. Hidalgo: 2: Habia energia muy baja en los chicos y en las chicas y el zapateado iba mas rapido que la musica y todos tenian posiciones de brazos diferentes y unas seguraban sus faldas mientras otras no.

EXCELLENT EXAMPLES OF OVERALL IMPRESSION: IMPRESION GENERAL 2 Veracruz Jarocho: 2: Choreography overall was messy and not clean. Footwork was sloppy and there was too much bouncing in this region. There was barely energy and no character, at all, so this region in total appeared dull and sad. Veracruz Jarocho: 2: La coreografia por lo general era confusa y no limpia. El zapateado era confuso y los bailarines brincaban demasiado. Casi no habia energia y faltaba “personalidad”. Entonces esta region por lo general parecia aburrida y triste.