Physie favourites - melodies for beginning instrumentalists

If you or your child are lucky enough to have an instrument over the holidays, here's some sheet music for four of the melodies featured in this year's junior syllabus.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Band instruments:
Flute, Oboe
Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Trumpet
Alto Clarinet
Alto Saxophone
Tenor Saxophone
Horn in F
Trombone, Euphonium, Bassoon 
Tuba 
Glockenspiel/Mallets 

String instruments:
Violin
Viola
Cello
Double Bass

Piano 

Recorder 

Audio:
Audio: band (wind, brass, mallets) 
Audio: strings
Audio: recorder
Audio: piano

Each of the 4 instrument families are only compatible with other instruments in their family i.e. all band instruments play the same sounding notes. However, a band instrument will play different notes to a string instrument.

Season's greetings

125 leotards form the quasquicentennial physie tree

Zone championships (part 5)

We marched along the blue taped box on the sports floor. As the marching music progressed, the gap between me and the lady in front increased. It was the luck of the draw. The lady with the shortest strides might go first. This was a fairer system than at some interclubs where taller ladies might be continually assigned to march first.

The tape on the ground had changed. Three different colours were available forming a left lane, right lane and middle staggered lane. I ended up in the middle lane which meant that I had many ladies in my peripheral vision. Since starting physie, I've improved at not looking at my competition; however, this innate habit still exists.

I danced remembering most of the corrections that I had written down the week before after watching a clip of myself at my club competition. For example, I remembered to not spread my legs so far for the final pose of warm-up and to lead with my hips instead of chest when marching.

My heat was over and it was time to hear the songs re-looped another four times before the announcement of the finalists. In the marshalling room, all novice ladies sat in their heats again. Numbers were called out starting from heat one. They'd already moved onto the heat after my one. Clearly, I had not made the cut and therefore no semi-finals for me this year. Bring on 2018!

Zone championships (part 4)

We huddled in the marshalling room where the process of organising the heats began. I had already forgotten this process since last year but soon relearnt it.

1. Line up with our club
2. Headcount to decide how many heats
3. Number off, split off into heats (standing in club lines ensures members are spread)
4. Once in heats, draw playing cards to determine marching order

I had overheard that two years ago my zone did not have a separate beginner ladies' section. This year there were three beginner heats and seven novice heats! I had at least 30 minutes to spare, so I went snacking.

Crackers, a fruit plate, chocolate slices and dips lined our club's table, enough physie fuel to last well into the night. Then came the decision whether to go to the bathroom or not. Being in a leotard and fishnet stockings was hard enough, but with a stiff competitor's number already pinned on, I decided that it was better to wait until after my heat. Not long afterwards, my heat was finally called...

Zone championships (part 3)

At the presentation of the teams' competition, we sat in columns. Each team nominated one representative to collect the prizes if they'd received a place or an honourable mention. No place for my team but I am incredibly proud to have danced with these fabulous ladies.

It was just past 11 am by this stage and we lined up for the change rooms. Luckily, I had already predicted the situation and got changed swiftly after the presentation.
"Beginner, novice and intermediate ladies to registration!"
An unprecedented number of novice ladies lined to put their name down for the heats. There were so many of us [novice ladies] that the organisers ran out of competitors' numbers initially.

Ladies donned leotards in various colours and styles. Sleeved designs also made a comeback. Time dragged on and the changeover afforded us enough time to have lunch. The first heat did not commence until noon.

Zone championships (part 2)

At 9 am the team events began. Thick white tape drew eight crosses on the floor. The taped makers were in a configuration of 3 - 2 - 3 (front, middle, back). I'm not sure if the arrangement can be changed to 4 - 4 or if there were different markers that I was oblivious to.

When it was time to dance, direct and peripheral vision - affectionately known as 'team eyes' - set in. Unlike my club's hall, this venue had lined floors which amplified the problem of spacing if we weren't in line with our teammates in front, side or diagonally. Luckily, our team eyes allowed for quick, subtle adjustments to set us back in clean, straight lines.  

From my limited team experience, I've concluded that the first 32 counts of warm-up must include travelling steps so team members can move from a starting formation to the set configuration.

Throughout the routines, I felt that time slowed down. Perhaps this was the result of having an impressive venue, sound took longer to reverberate from the walls.

The get-on and get-off allows for creative choreography usually set by the teacher (I've heard that these components are not judged). My novice ladies' team had a comparatively straightforward get-off. Other teams had fancy, cabaret-esque, theatrical moves with half the members in alternating positions, for example, four with hands up and four with hands down. Mexican waves were also popular among well-rehearsed teams.

Zone championships (part 1)

It's a tradition at my club to have a pre-competition gathering at one lady's home. At this occasion, we do each others' hair and physie daughters play with each other. Styling hair the night before makes me wonder if I'd ever fall asleep. The concoction of hairspray and volumising powder as I sleep is not a scent that I prefer. Amazingly, once you fall asleep you do not realise the scent nor the pain until you are woken up by stabbing bobby pins and hair being stretched.

I would like to thank P for your hospitality, welcoming us to your home every year, and K for making my hair look physie.

In the morning, I was woken up by my phone's alarm. The hair survived the night. I ate some breakfast, put on some makeup sans lipstick and headed off to the venue. Upon arrival I found my club's area. Some other clubs' areas were left vacant as they did not have novice or intermediate teams which were the first events of the day.

I checked out the hair accessories. Team events are the only time that BjP allows ladies to wear headbands, ribbons, flowers and other decorations in our hair. Some clubs used club coloured flowers and scrunchies which I thought were very clever. 

With the draw order up on the walls, I realised that there were quite a few more intermediate teams than novice. Two floors ran simultaneously and the same club never competed at the same time allowing teachers and supporters to give their full attention when one of their teams were performing. 

School's out!

2017 Interclub competitions

In my opinion, this year's interclubs went by very quickly and now classes are focusing on synchronicity for the team competition. As per BjP guidelines, clubs may only compete in two interclubs per year, I entered in both. Over two consecutive Saturdays, I travelled to school halls about an hour's drive from my residency.

Interclub #1 

As with last year's interclubs, the beginner and novice sections were scheduled as the last events of the day. The sun was setting as I looked beyond the louvres of the hall. This interclub consisted of fairly local dancers. We were treated with a generous warm-up space and provided with plentiful parking which took a lot of the stress away. I was able to practise in a mirrored room to music which accompanied previous ladies' sections. During marching, I gauged that grip on this particular floor was smoother than that of my usual venue's. Also, the music was louder than my usual setting's, I had to adjust to these differences. It was time for me to dance! I discovered that I had forgotten to focus on my five words and let my mind drift away until about the third routine. I had a great time doing my best physie. Eventually it was quite dark outside as ladies and their supporters headed towards the car park. 

Interclub #2

I was impressed with the dedication of the families who flew in especially for this competition. Unlike Interclub #1, the host had welcomed clubs from three different states. The school hall was packed with girls, ladies and their supporters resulting in a lot of standing audience members. After marshalling, we were seated for about one and a half sections (about 15 minutes). I've never experienced this before, even at zones we were able to actively stand up and keep our blood flowing. On the floor, I found the problem of comparing myself to others which meant I couldn't give my full attention on physie-ing. I will try to focus on my own dancing rather than watching others in my peripheral vision at the zone competition. As we marched off, I realised that strategically positioned sideways-facing chairs created a barricade so that dancers could have an aisle to exit. 

Overall, I was very pleased with my performances. I am glad that I had the opportunity to experience how different clubs run their events and to explore different venues. 

Practise performing

It is important to practise performing in low-stress situations such as practice competitions run by your club (affectionately known as lollipop/chocolate competitions) where you have the opportunity to perform in a familiar environment and with people you know. There are noticeable differences between dancing in lessons, at mock competitions, interclubs, zone and intra-club competitions. I once read that clubs cannot use their normal class venues to host an interclub. This provides a level playing field for all physie girls and ladies as competitors will not have had a chance to regularly dance at the venue. However, girls/ladies may have danced at the venue before for a biennial interclub or participate in other fitness activities at the chosen venue.

What's the difference between class and competition?

• time of day
• audience
• dancing with others (not from your own club) can be off-putting when they perform moves at a slower/faster pace
• expectations
• grooming
• venue and environment
• anxiety
• louder music (I only realised this last week at an interclub)
• the material of the hall floor (I also only just realised the impact of this on foot grip)
• harder to access drinking water & bathroom facilities especially when you're in a leotard

How can we create our own opportunities to mimic a performance/competition?

• wear competition attire to class (leotard, hair)
• perform in front of family and friends
• participate in opportunities given by the club (fete performances, showcases)
• participate in practice competitions
• enter yourself into a [talent] show (especially for girls in school)

For more tips check out Practice Makes Progress.

5 words for 5 routines

Two weeks to go until my first interclub for the year and for me that means only two lessons to go. By now routines are memorised and I do not have to think of what the next count is. With that being said, I still have to make sure that I maintain technique such as posture and pointed toes.

In this self-improvement post, I want to share with you how I will be simplifying my approach, dancing five routines with five memorable words. For several weeks, I asked myself what expression or message I wanted to convey with each routine. Now I have one word to focus on for each routine that will hopefully bring out my best dancing. This simple approach clears your mind so that you can be in the zone to dance. I highly encourage you to try this activity.

BjP 125

It only happens once every 25 years !!! Congratulations to all the performers, zone leaders, volunteers, families, supporters, archivists and event staff. Even though I didn't go to the show, the photos of the event looked marvellous. My personal favourite was the lighting display during the finale when the characters "BJP 125" were made by the arrangement of torch lights. What a beautiful example of how each person's contribution is integral in making something amazing and worthwhile.


Here are some links to media coverage focusing on BjP's rich history and the event:

Physie marks 125 years | photos (Newcastle Herald)

Wow, some of these photographs are truly a blast from the past! 

Combined celebration for physie at 125 (Tenterfield Star)


Weekend Breakfast ABC News 24

Interview: First practice competition

Last month at my club's practice competition, I had the opportunity to interview one of the new ladies in my class. K, began physie at the beginning of this year and after a few short weeks she's here doing her first physie competition. Way to go!

Me: How are you feeling ... pre-dance?

K: Slightly nervous and slightly excited as well.

M: What inspired you to come to ladies' class?

K: My daughter, watching her dance. I danced when I was younger and I thought I'd take it up again and it'll be good exercise ... and a good opportunity to meet people as well.

M: How have you found learning the syllabus?

K: Tricky, but I think once you start to come twice a week you start to consolidate a bit more, a bit easier to remember.

M: Are you looking forward to dancing today?

K: Yes! I'd give it a go. You can only do your best.  

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M: How did that go? How did you feel?

K: I was so nervous, way more nervous than I thought I would be. But it was good, it was good to finish.

Thank you K for sharing your experience.

Not long to go!

Only 1 more day until the whole cast rehearsal and 2 more days until the Spectacular! How exciting is that?

The BjP teddy bear has been named 'Tassie' after Tasmania where physie all started. Also suggested by a few people was the name Quasquicentennial, meaning the 125th anniversary, what an impressive word.

Registrations for performers opened last September and huge surge of eager dancers trying to get onto the site caused a bit of a delay. Yes, this event is as big and important as the Aussie '16 census. Fast forward 6 months and most zones had begun their rehearsals (late March - early April). Now it's June and 2000 physie girls and ladies are ready to portray the story of physie history to thousands of audience members.

This is what I've gathered from overhearing conversations during our drink breaks:

• Transitions roughly every 50 seconds and due to this performers can be running around to get to their next formation. 
• 50 cm box of personal space.
• Each zone (or combined zone) represents a decade in history, not just for physie but they have music, props and costumes pertaining to their relevant era.
• The finale of the show will be all performers doing the current BjPop dance.
• If in doubt just do the arms.

Watching the stars 2017

The new DVDs have arrived and practice competitions are underway! Each year the School of Physical Culture compiles a DVD of the syllabus featuring the age/category champions of their respective sections. Check out last year's post for more explanation.

It is a wonderful practice tool for practising between classes as both front (mirrored) and back views are shown. You can put on your own physie workouts in your lounge room! Usually in a class setting you would be simultaneously mimicking your teacher's moves which leaves little time to take in all the nuances. Viewing the DVD gives you a chance to sit back and analyse the champions' nuances. The performers are stars, they are role models within their club. I wonder how they felt when they were announced as champions and syllabus demonstrators.

After the DVD filming at the Foxtel Studios in Sydney, many become idols for the physie community and continue to inspire their fans. It is a noticeable trend that some go on to perform on the syllabus biennially (when they advance to the next age group bracket). Perhaps, learning the syllabus by the April filming date sets them on the path to perfecting the syllabus for the current year's championships thus propelling them into perpetual success.





Now, a bit about my observations on this year's DVD:

• A lot of flexibility - bendy backs, splits (excluding ladies), kicks 
• Strength - planks, V sits 
• Feet gripping on floor after splits/astride sit
• Nicole and Carly both presented the ladies' choreography with their own flair
• Special bloopers reel - pulling out wedgies 
• Nine beautiful performers. Is Carly missing from the cover?
• Spectacular physie from all the performers

1 month to go. Physie birthday celebrations!

The countdown clock has finally ticked down the last month before the BjP 125 Year Spectacular!

The Spectacular is a mass display telling the story of the Bjelke-Petersen School of Physical Culture's rich and evolving history. It can be likened to the Sydney 2000 Olympics display but this time instead of 800 performers there's 2000! Over 30 choreographers, and an army of behind-the-scenes helpers have created a 2 hour show capturing the talent and strength of physie performers. 

Girls and ladies from 16 zones across Australia are taking part in this great event (not to mention the families and supporters). They've dedicated their weekends to practices, learning new moves on top of their regular syllabus. Most zones have scheduled five compulsory rehearsals in the lead up to this event and the final dress rehearsal is the day before the performance.

However, getting 2000 girls from across Australia to Sydney for the Spectacular comes at a cost. To the teachers, parents and supporters who are volunteering their time and all the clubs helping to fund-raise to get their girls to Sydney, your efforts are truly appreciated. Thank you for giving the physie community a once-in-a-lifetime experience. While I am not participating, I have heard wonderful stories from my physie classmates and their daughters who are performing in this grand event. 

Catch all the action on Saturday June 24, 7:30pm at the Qudos Bank Arena (Sydney SuperDome). With a seating capacity of over 18000, it's not too late to get your tickets. Also, BjP (partnered with Cooper Teamwear) has a line of limited edition active-wear and merchandise for its 125th year birthday celebrations. 

Crossword fun

Hi physie girls (and ladies), I've created a crossword for you to beat holiday boredom. See how many you can get right or learn something new about physie.

Crossword activity

Crossword answers

Tracking your progress

Here I'll share some tips on tracking your progress as part of the self-improvement blog series. Keeping a record of progress can be hard due to the fact that it is difficult to calculate or measure. Some achievements show quantifiable progress while other developments are not quantifiable. For example, you can measure how high you can kick but you cannot measure how well you dance. That raises the question of, "How do I know if I've improved?"

Sometimes it is frustrating to see little improvement on a week-to-week basis. So here's advice that can help you improve in the long run.

• Remind yourself of the bigger picture, the physie year is around 40 weeks.
• If you are relatively new to physie, look back at how far you've come in a short period of time.
• Listen to praise and feedback from your teacher and peers. Believe it when they tell you that you're doing well (seriously you are) and trust that they will guide your further progress.
• Video yourself so that you can be your own audience and critic (but don't be too harsh on yourself). At the end of the year video yourself again and see the difference.
• Practice diary - Write your thoughts, questions, goals and achievements ... I can now touch my toes ... Tonight I learnt the last 16 counts of swing ... You can even doodle/sketch your routine.

Start now! Competition season is just around the corner.

Physie in the media

Welcome back! My second year of physie begins. This year BjP Physie has a lot to celebrate with the 125 year celebrations held at the Qudos Bank Arena (Sydney Superdome) in June. In the meantime, please enjoy physie entertainment with these insightful media clips below.


Physie 101 for dads - a series of short videos exploring physie from a different perspective

Physie: Discover a uniquely Australian sport - featuring a newcomer's experience of physie and the 2016 syllabus.

Physie attracting new fans - a special segment about physie on ABC's 7:30.