Ballet IV
Pointe I
Fall 2019
The pictures above are beginning measurements from the beginning of semester #1 en pointe. Besides a brief year in high school (that ended with a metatarsal injury), this is my first serious class en pointe! These pictures in different foundational positions mark the beginning of my long journey of building confidence in my pointe work.
In addition to my aesthetic work in Pointe I, there were written reflections on my own technique as well as personal reviews on performances. Attached on each button is a copy of my academic work.
At the end of the semester, we had an Informance piece. It was recorded by Sarita Connelly during the dress rehearsal, and there is a picture of the class in uniform after the show! Below, there is an image and a video of both.
Modern II - Humphrey
Fall 2019
Although there are few pictures and videos, thes course was imperative for my transition into Modern dance and into Loyola's dance program. Aside from the technique of Humphrey, I learned the philosophy behind Humphrey's though process. Professor Goodman had us write a paper connecting the philosophy to my own experience with the movement. Below, there are two papers from Fall and Spring of my freshman year exploring these ideas.
Spring 2020
As we transitioned into an online format, Professor Goodman assigned creative choreographic assignments using the movements learned in class. I also recorded time-lapse videos of our center-floor exercises. Below, there are videos of this work from my spring semester.
Modern III - Graham
Fall 2020
In the fall semester, I begun my first class in the Graham technique. This is also my first class with Professor Mei. In Graham, I explored the unfamiliar technique with an open mind. I wrote an essay on Martha Graham and her impact on social justice during My biggest takeaway from this course was my new awareness of contraction as a form of initiation for movement. In Mei's class, I enjoyed there time. he consistent conditioning work outs as well as improv sessions and learning combinations throughout the weeks. Although I do not have many videos from this time, below are some of my pictures, brief videos, and an essay from the course.
Fall 2021
Upon returning to in-person classes in the Fall of 2021, Director Sandra Kaufmann worked diligently to arranged Blakely White McGuire to
Jazz II
Fall 2020
During this semester, I took my first Jazz class at Loyola with Mari Jo. I really enjoyed this class, and I have felt the most confident in this class since starting at Loyola. Mari Jo did a great job balancing work on technique and having fun with combinations. Her class was one I always looked forward to no matter how my day went previously. As I move forward in jazz, I will continue to apply my corrections from Ballet while maintaining the confidence I have in this style of dance. I wrote a paper for this course and took a few videos for memorization. The media is below.
Ballet V
Spring and Fall 2022
In the second half of my junior year, I moved to Ballet V. Although it had been a long journey in Ballet IV, I felt my artistry needed a change in environment and a different challenge. The focus of Ballet V is to grow your artistry while maintaining your technical foundations. The class has contemporary ballet practices embedded in the curriculum of the course. I have videos of my informance piece last spring and other videos from in-class, and assignments throughout the course!
