This dance film experience allowed me to expand my toolkit as a dance practitioner, educator and artist. The process of having to spearhead my own dance film independently was invaluable and would not have been possible to learn on campus. I had to look for my own videographer and photographer who were interested in this project, have meetings to show them what dance films are and collaborate to brainstorm ideas that created this film. I was able to learn the skills of hunting down and identifying skilled photographers and videographers who were proficient in their craft, pitch my ideas in a way that sparked their interest, and conduct meetings that were efficient in communicating ideas.

As a dance education major who will be graduating in April 2023, having this experience to choreograph, perform and collaborate in the filming and editing process of this dance film has given me new skillsets to teach students. If another pandemic arises and dance performances have to go remote, I will know quickly how to prepare and produce dance films in replace of live performances. It also increased my ability to learn how to choreograph outdoors and make adaptations to movement on the job. I had to react quickly and adapt my choreography to the environment. This exposure to choreography and taking ownership of my own choreography and learning to make compromise with collaborators makes me confident that when such situations arise in other performance settings, I will be able to think on my feet and make effective changes. It also gave me experience to pitching my ideas which is valuable in the arts where grants and funding are always needed in projects.

This experience has given me new insight as to how I can spread goodness through dance. This dance choreography was based on the concept of the power of light and how we need to take time to experience light - spiritually, physically, and emotionally. Before this dance film I was skeptical as to how a film could convey the same message as successfully as a live performance, but with this newly gained experience with dance films, I have a better sense of how dance films can be effective in evoking emotions and conveying messages to audience. As dance films can reach more people at a much faster rate as compared to live performances, I will be more likely to invest time and skill in picking up skills outside of dance, e.g. photography, videography and film editing could also create new opportunities in my future career in the film industry. Honing my skill in creating dance films that is effective in conveying meaning will also give me more opportunities in my career as a dance artist and allow me the headspace to create works that will continue to challenge me in my career. This new invested interest in dance film has spurred me to expand my creativity and artistry throughout my career.