Puleng Marutle

April 20th 2015

Blog #11- My experience has not been as rewarding as I wanted it to be, but I have made it worthwhile. I have been able to meet a lot of different artists and community leaders, but I have not necessarily networked with them. It was more of an introduction. Although I did enjoy their company for small amount of time we were near each other.

One of my goals were to learn more about dance and other artist and I was I was able to do so. For their shows and programs, such as Dance Africa and their summer institution, they bring in many different dancers from around the world. I made sure to always read about the artists and in doing so I have learned more about different dance types. And those who have made an impact in the dance world.

Being an intern at CPRD allowed me to go to the different types of dance classes. I was able to go to some Ballet and African dance classes. I have always enjoyed African dancing while I was growing up and even now.Ballet is my least favorite form of dance, but is necessary when wanting to be a well- rounded dancer. Participating in these classes have pushed me to improve my skills.

For the future interns of CPRD participating in the Goodwill program, I urge you to make sure they see your skills. If you really want to be apart of a show just ask. I was a little shy to ask because I was not sure what answer I would get, but you never know until you ask.

April 27th 2015

Blog #10-

April 6th 2015

Blog #9- Most of the time while interning I am in the office, so I do not see the dancers very often. Normally they come up to say hello or I go down to the studio to watch them rehearse. Whenever I get the chance to watch them it amazes me every time. Their dedication and passion for dance is seen. Before their spring showcase “A Place Between” I was able to drop in to a couple of their rehearsals. There were two new pieces that had never been seen before by the public and one older piece that told the story of Cleo’s life growing up in the five pints in Denver.They danced to not just music, but words and stories. That kind of gave me some inspiration to how I could tell my story through dance using words and not just music.The stories are what inspired me the most because I could relate to some and I know some people who relate to other stories. And even if I could not relate to one of the stories, I could understand it because the dancers conveyed the emotions so skillfully. Being a dancer is also being an actor. The two go hand in hand. This experience has made me reflect on my own journey of “storytelling” and how I have come along way. When I first started dancing in elementary school I did it for the love of dancing and moving my body. Over the years the more I have improved the more opportunities I have had to convey a story. This year i get the chance to show who I am through dance. With the experiences that i have had at CPRD and throughout my dance career, I am slowly figuring out what story i want to show.

March 23rd 2015

Blog #8- Art projects and creative business are two separate ideas when it comes to who they are for.Whenever I paint or dance alone or for myself, that is an art project. It is more personal because you do not have to have a specific concept  and it is for you. It is not meant to impress anybody. It is a form of self expression that sometimes showcases your own talent or ideas. The meaning and audience could be different each time. There is not always a common thread between the different art projects.On the other hand, creative business is more like an organization just like Cleo Parker Robinson Dance or the Art Museum. There is common goal or meaning that the business is trying to show through their work. The business wants to put themselves out there at every chance they get in order to sustain and keep a lasting experience. Just like art projects, creative businesses work can have a different meaning for each piece. Most of the time they want to reach various audiences to further spread their message. Working in the creative business I have learned that time is money. There are people who are paid to create and there are others who are paid to convey a message. Just like the ensemble at CPRD, the dancers jobs are to display Cleo’s or another choreographers message. You could either be paid to perform someone else’s concepts or create your own, but in the creative business most of the time you start from the beginning. some of the former dancers started off at Cleo’s as an ensemble member then later moved on and went out on their own to display their own concepts and ideas. In the creative business you really have to put yourself out there otherwise no one else will.

March 16th 2015

Blog#7- In the workplace I am the youngest worker by many years but that does not change the way my colleagues treat me. The age gap does not modify our behavior towards one another. They treat me as if I am their own, as if I have been working there longer than I have been. The environment is very open and welcoming. The dancers mostly friendly. I get along best with the younger dancers who are apart of the youth ensemble because they are closest to my age. But that does not mean I do not get along with the first company who are in their early twenties.Around the workplace it is all about getting work done and meeting deadlines. They know I always get my task done in a very timely matter. Sometimes faster than they anticipated. I feel appreciated for the little things that i do for them because they acknowledge my efforts to do whatever they need me to do. Every time i come or go they greet me and that lets me know that they care for my well being even if they do not know me very well. All is well and i enjoy my colleagues and the other community members that i see here and there. There is no mistreatment or neglect from my colleagues. If I were there more often than I am I would probably have a stronger relationship with them. I really enjoy the environment and hope to be around it more after my internship.

March 8th 2015

Blog #6- My main contribution to my work site would be creating invoices and helping communicate with the outreach schools in Adams and Jefferson County. I also help with the small tasks that need to be done while my co-workers perform bigger tasks that need to be done immediately. The environment is always busy and they are always planning for the events that are years from now. My contributions bring a  lighter feeling to the workplace. I am willing to do almost anything and I make sure it is done in a timely fashion. Most of the time when I am assigned a task I get it done very fast. It doesn’t take me long to get things done because I want to finish and start a new project. Every project I am given is always different from the next so I get a wide range of duties that sometimes require different skills. The different duties keep me on my toes and allow me to move around in the workplace. I am proud of my contributions because it makes a difference even if it is small. My willingness has shown to my coworkers my motivation to work. Although I sometimes want to do more. I think once it is show season, which is coming up, I will have a lot more to do compared to now. My contributions will be even bigger than before. It is time for me to do more dancing which is one of the reasons why I am there. That does not mean I do not like what I am doing, I just feel like I can do more. I am confident that it will only get better.

March 2nd 2015

Blog #5- So far my internship has been slow and steady because the company is in their tour season so they are not there most of the time. Because there are not any performances I do not have too much to do. Normally I help with invoices. Just the other day I was able to sit down and watch the dance ensemble learn a new piece. Watching the process of professional dancers learn new choreography is exciting because they go through the same process as I do in dance class. Even though it is a slow season I still encounter small exciting tasks. The community really is welcoming and they always make a point of knowing my name as I am still learning theirs. Cleo is also warm and welcoming of me and she makes me feel like I have already been there for years. When they had the shoot last monday I got the chance of meeting amazing artists. Even the photographer was welcoming and patient. I think in order for me to feel more comfortable with myself in this environment I must engage and spend more time taking the classes they have to offer. So far I am enjoying the experience ever so slowly day by day. I have yet to meet the other intern which I am excited about because we can work together as well. Overall I think within the next few months I will be able to become even more comfortable with the community and also go on more dancing adventures. They have yet to see my dancing skills and I should show them soon not later.

February 24th 2015

Blog #4- In the workplace I am responsible for many different tasks that they offer me at the moment. Most of the time I am doing invoices. Each day there is always something different to do. I normally just ask what can be done and I get right on it. I make sure I ask specific questions about the task so I do not leave anything out. I am solely responsible for things that need to be done at the moment when no one else can. Just the other day the supervisor was busy and needed me to record the dancers in their rehearsal for a new piece. The recordings were going to be used as a reference for the dancers when they would need to practice later. My small contributions make a big difference because every little task can affect something big. On Monday there was a photo shoot for the dancers and one asked me to dry their outfit for their next shoot. If I would not have  fixed the wrinkle in their clothing they would not been ready and they would have put the whole company behind schedule. Whatever help they need I am there to assist and get things done. I hop on the task fast and eagerly and get things done. I also bring a positive attitude do the work environment so that my co workers are willing to work with me and give me any responsibility.

 

February 19th 2015.

Blog #3- I am getting to know more of the members and community slowly and slowly.In the workplace I do various amount of duties that always helps the company. Normally I come into to work and just do whatever they need me to do without any hesitation. My efficiency helps get other work done without having to stress about the little things. I am always on my toes for the next task . Whenever the company is busy I am able to do the tasks that may have not been done if it were not for me in the meantime. I constantly make sure I am performing at task that helps the others get more important things done. My do not really have the biggest impact on my internship so far. They do most of the very tedious tasks such as; purchasing tickets, booking events, etc. The environment is very busy, so I make sure that I also have something to do the contributes the company. Any help is helpful and they all fully appreciate the willingness that I being to the table. Even when I do something simple such as order them lunch and coffee that is what allows them to continue their work and get it done. The more work that they do the less I have to do so it helps when they assign some of their easier tasks to me. The internship is very versatile so I could be doing office work one moment then dancing the next.

February 2nd 2015.

Blog #2- This week was I felt more comfortable than I did with the staff and community members that I met. I finally got to kind of get my feet on the ground with my tasks. So far all I have done is data entry and started to train at the front desk. I sort of had to jump into the position at the moment but I did not mind because it was the perfect time to train then. It was sort of like my current job with the transactions so I started to get the hang of it. Luckily I had another person there who was my age that knew what she was doing. Her name was Monica and she was in the same grade as me. I was glad to have been able to relate with her. At the very beginning of the training I had a few more people who were there for my support and help. They made me feel welcomed and I really enjoyed that. Even as the customers came in they also made me feel welcome as I did for them. It was as if I was back at work again. The environment was warm, physically cold, and enjoyable. The best thing that happened last week was the finally getting to work part. They have a lot to do in the office so it was hard for them to determine what I should do. The feeling of contributing to whatever they needed me to do made me feel like I had a purpose in their community.

January  26th 2015

Blog # 1- On my first day of interning at Cleo Parker Robinson Dance studio I learned quiet a bit. They are a very very busy company always having different projects going on at the same time. There is always something to do. CPRD has many different classes throughout the week. The company does a lot  for the community to help expose children and adults to the arts. They are trying non-stop to bring the arts to the Denver community. In order for that to happen the education director, Janelle Ayon, reaches out to schools and offers master classes. Those classes are fun for the children and are  great learning experiences. I am actually surprised that not too many people in the Denver community know about the company given the great amount of years they existed. Their shows are magnificent and she be shown to the Denver community as well as the rest of the nation. On my first day interning I met a lovely lady volunteer whose name is Lisa. She was very welcoming and had a lot to share with me though she had just started volunteering about two weeks ago. Lisa mentioned she wasn’t a dancer but when she started two weeks ago she felt welcomed. She also helped me feel welcomed as I sat and waited for my intern sponsor. With the fast pace and always busy staff they still manage to help one another and be friendly. I can already say that I will have a lot to do and will not get bored or tired.