Reasons to enter physie competitions

 

5 tips guaranteed to help your holiday physie practice!

Read the original post here: Practice makes progress

2020 club competition

This year's club competition was unforgettable! The event aligned with 2020's theme of expecting the unexpected. We, the novice/intermediate ladies, were just about to finish our floordrill routine when the blackout started. Some ladies joked that we could use this to our advantage as the judges would miss fine details. 

Family members were allowed to watch the show which was held in a large arena venue. However, the march past with our sashes and the men's marching challenge were cancelled. These two proceedings are a crowd favourite each year. 

I love how the annual club competition gives the club community a yearly gathering to watch and celebrate girls and ladies flourishing at physie. Thank you teachers, volunteers, supporters, venue staff, and my clubmates for making this year's event so special. 

Read more:

2018 Club competition

2016 Club competition 

Learning the BJPop 2020 in 10 days

This August I am going to learn the 2020 BjPop dance. It's a special dance choreographed for all ages to be used as a display rather than competitive routine. 

Usually the juniors learn it during a holiday workshop and one year the ladies did it during a lesson. At my club's annual competition, physie girls and ladies are invited to do a mass display of the BjPop. Ladies stand at the back during club competition and follow the girls, because we often don't know it off by heart. 

This year, I am going to learn it properly and then memorise the BJPop using the SMART principle.

Read about the SMART method of goal setting applied to my 2016 goal here. 

Specific - BjPop 2020.
Measurable - End result = memorised the dance. 
Achievable/Actionable- Spend 10 minutes a day for 10 days.
Realistic - Yes, I can set aside time each day.

Timely - Sat 1st Aug - 10th July

Watching the stars 2020

This year's DVD was a little bit different. Nevertheless, it was an important resource for learning physie at home while face-to-face classes were temporarily suspended. Travel restrictions and closed borders meant that DVD performers did not have the opportunity to film in a professional studio this year, but the end result was still very professional. Well done to Eloise, Hayley, Samantha, Georgie, Ava, Tara, Ashleigh, Peta and Sally. 

For the juniors mermaid print was a popular choice and for the older girls and ladies, performance wear options were embraced. Physie dolls resembling the performers also made it on screen. 

For me, the DVD was valuable for learning the nuances in each routine. The DVD provided clarity on small gestures that I was unable to pick up in asynchronous online modules and live online classes. Watching the difference in style such as how long to execute a position also impacted my choice of style. 

Special features:

• Marching routine - My class learnt some of this before we moved online. The routine looks so cool. Don't you agree? Although, it was a little awkward seeing the part where Peta and Sally were meant to connect their hands but couldn't due to social distancing.
  

• BjPop dance - Performers demonstrated this at different locations around Australia! 
  

• Walk throughs - Each year there are walk throughs of the senior routines. This year there are 'extension' parts for junior ages as well, I wonder how you qualify to get the extension? 
  

• Behind the scenes - This year's behind the scenes included Zoom meetings and home practices, unlike exploring the TV studios and dressing rooms in previous years' DVDs. 
  

• Bloopers - These are a tradition. 
  

DVD performers

Check out previous "Watching the Stars":

Watching the stars (2016)

Watching the stars 2017

Watching the stars 2018

Getting better at physie during isolation

It has been a while since I wrote my article for the self-improvement blog series, so I thought I'd share some activities I've been doing during isolation to improve physie. I have been doing a bit of cross training in similar disciplines to boost my overall fitness and flexibility. There are so many great video resources by inspiring and qualified teachers. 

Physie: Watch the training videos and other resources from your association and club. Have a look at other girls/ladies outside of your age/category and learn something from them. Are there extra resources/online sessions delivered by your club or association? If so, why not join in?

Ballet: Pointed toes, balancing, lengthening limbs and control are transferable skills to physie. 

Pilates: Core strength and control can help with balances and floor exercises. 

Yoga: Mental wellbeing, breathing, strength and flexibility can help you become a well-rounded physie girl/lady. 

Check out my other self-improvement blogs here.

2019 Competitions: Champion lady @ Zone (part 3/3)

Following the team competitions, the beginner, novice and intermediate ladies registered for the individual Champion Lady heats and received a participation medal. Grouping the heats was done in the usual process of lining up with our clubmates, then splitting off into equal heats. Initially, the Intermediate Ladies were grouped into 5 heats. However, we had to re-group into 4 heats of around 17 ladies in each! Once in our heats we drew playing cards for the marching order, but because each heat had more participants than anticipated, I missed out on a card and marched towards the back of the line.

That afternoon, I made it to the semi-finals. I was excited to hear my number selected since I hadn't made the semi-finals since 2016 as a beginner lady where I placed. I was in the front row for the Exercises routine in both heats and semi-finals. Luckily, I was most confident with Exercises so when we turned to the corner and no one was in my peripheral vision, I did not hesitate.

After the semi-finals, I didn't progress further. I ate more snacks and headed to the grandstands to watch the finals. What a spectacular day of physie! Well done to all the dancers, teachers, volunteers and supporters!


You may also like:

Part 1: The lead-up
Part 2: Teams

2019 Competitions: Zone championships - teams (part 2/3)

The night before the team competition, the ladies class had a gathering for hair styling and nibbles. On the day we added a shiny hair accessory, put on our team leotard, applied matching lipstick and were ready for our final run through.

We walked on to the floor ready to start the routine on our team spots. Two floors were running simultaneously. Initially, I’d thought that the other floor was empty but then realised they must’ve choreographed a more elaborate walk-on. As always, the first 16 counts of the warm up includes walking/directional steps allowing teams to omit the original choreography for getting to their spots. Our team started on our spots and kept the choreography as if we were doing it individually.

This year, I was not in the front for the first time. It definitely was a different role in the back, attentively watching the whole team and aligning with the lady directly in front. After performing our five routines, we showcased a finale that one of the open ladies choreographed for our novice and intermediate teams. This was special since I’d only marched off in previous years with the team.


Read part 1 here

2019 medal collection

2019 competitions: The lead-up to the zone championships (part 1/3)

This year, my club entered 2 ladies teams: novice and intermediate. Most ladies were experienced in team competitions but we had a few new ladies joining physie or a team for the first time this year. Some ladies even gave the individual performance at club competition a go to prepare them for the team event.

In the month leading up to the team event, our club had the attendance sticker chart. Every time that we had a full team, we got a smiley face sticker to add to our tally. The older girls are usually the ones who win the attendace award, they did again this year. My team had 4 full practices. 

As usual, the ladies class had their gathering the night before the Zone competition for hair styling, nibbles and some bubbles too. It was a great way to calm our nerves before the big day.


Stay tuned for
2019 competitions: Team competition (part 2/3)
2019 competitions: Champion Lady (part 3/3)

My New Leotard

Long-awaited garment (it has been 3 years since my last leotard order)
Eye-catching colours fill the floor
Options to wear non-leotards
Tight and form-fitting
Arrived just in time for interclubs
Remember my physie face
Dance to my heart's content

Physie leotards from different associations

The countdown is on!

The 2019 competition season is approaching. I've attended around 19 lessons this year and the practice competition at my club. This year is my fourth year of physie and I have advanced to the 'intermediate' category after 1 year as a 'beginner' and 2 as a 'novice'. The routines are the same as the novice category, but I am closer to becoming an 'open' which requires more balances and extension work. 







Competition countdown:

3-4 weeks until my new leotard arrives
5 weeks until Interclub #1
6 weeks until Interclub #2
14 weeks until Club Competition
16 weeks until Zone Competition

Read about my previous competitions here:

2018 Competitions: Zone competition
Club competition 2016 
2018 interclubs
Interclub #1 2016 (my very first interclub competition)

2018 Competitions: Zone competition

This year, my zone event was held a little differently. The location, format and scheduling were all changed since last year. We had two weeks more to prepare for the district event but I felt that it neither helped nor hindered improvement. The schedule for the day also changed. The open teams were first followed by the novice and intermediate teams. Previously, novice/intermediate teams preceded the novice/intermediate champion lady event, then the opens had teams and championships in the late afternoon. 

The format this year also changed and we performed to a front-facing audience. Fortunately, I had the chance to practise to an onlooking audience at the club competition. The experience for the audience was better this way and it was educational in the sense that onlookers could watch from judges’ perspectives. 

Medal with "curly" edges

After watching the open teams’ remarkable performances, the floors were reset with crosses on the ground for the novice and intermediate teams. Since there are marked spaces for the eight dancers in a team, novice teams weren’t able to creatively use other formations. Considering the amount of memory already needed for reconvening on our spots, I am glad to keep it simple. My team placed and I am very proud of everyone for achieving this feat. One of the ladies mentioned that awards at this level had 'curly' edges, it's been very special to our team. 

The individual competition affectionately known as "champion lady" ran from noon to night. By the time the novice/beginner ladies marshalled it was already early evening. No semi-finals for me this year but it was a tough section with 6 heats and over 80 competitors. My friends from my club achieved personal bests from competing in a team for the first time to qualifying for nationals in Sydney, well done! Popular leotard colours this year were red and fluoro orange. Next year I am moving up to the 'intermediate' category and it'll be my fourth year of physie.


Read an in-depth description of zone proceedings and recounts of the 2017 championships below:
2017 Zones Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

Competitor's number

2018 competitions: Club competition

A rainy afternoon set the scene for my club’s annual competition. Despite the weather, enthusiastic dancers and supporters welcomed the dazzling display of physie. The late afternoon to early evening event showcased the talents of girls from preschoolers to ladies. This year the ladies’ class had over 20 members with most participating in this event leading up to teams and champion lady the following weekend.

I enjoyed watching each age groups’ routines and seeing the girls grow up each year. This year also introduced a front facing audience. Although last year’s club competition had the audience to the front, they were seated well above eye level. With the audience in direct sight this year, it took a few moments to settle and focus at times. Little did I know that this was preparation for the following week’s zone competition also with an audience at the front. The club event had the annual men’s marching challenge where male friends and family participated in a round of marching. Their siblings, partners or family members made great instructors, teaching their men how to have nice pointed feet and stride to the music. This year I also had a go at the BjPop which is the association's leisure dance for all ages. Since the ladies had not learnt the choreography in class, a few of us stood in the back row and followed along. It was amusing and in a few moments we'd struck our end poses.

The annual march past where all girls and ladies wore a sash displaying the medals received during their physie careers was held during this day. My sash was embellished with eleven shiny medals and I would earn one more the following weekend with my novice team. As usual, I had labelled my medals with a sticker at the back. Afterwards, the club photo was taken. The evening ended with awards presented to age champions, best performances, marching champions and the overall club champion. Congratulations to all the girls and ladies who danced on the day.

Read about my previous competitions here:

Club competition 2016 
2018 interclubs
Interclub #1 2016 (my very first interclub competition)

2018 Competitions: Interclubs

On two consecutive weekends during August, I competed in interclub competitions and was awarded second place in both. Both of the events I attended were multiday competitions due to the ever-increasing popularity of physie and competition participation.

2 x 2nd place

On the first weekend, I competed in an interclub hosted by my own club. It was professionally set in an arena that I'd previously danced in. However, the last time I'd physied there, spectators were allowed to view from the front as it was not part of an interclub and therefore had different guidelines. Interstate competitors came from afar to take part in this event. It's amazing to see how physie brings people together.

The next competition was just six days afterwards hosted by another local club. We were seated on the side of the dance floor after our marshalling. While waiting and watching, I noticed that the first marker in the middle lane was deliberately closer to the judges compared to the other lines. For the last routine, I was dancing on this marker which made it feel like a solo as I had no others in my peripheral vision. Blue leotards were popular at this occasion. I'm now looking forward to my Annual Club Competition.


You may also like to read:
My lesson journal: May/June
Interclub #2 & Club Competition 2016
2017 Interclub competitions 

Labelling physie keepsakes

By this time of year, you may have already accumulated a few medals, certificates and numbers from competitions. At my club's annual competition, we have a march-past where we wear our sashes accessorised with our colourful medals. With similar-looking badges from year to year, it can be hard to pinpoint the exact competition when it was earnt. This is why I label my keepsakes. This is also a good measure to prevent lost badges. In the case that it gets unlatched, you will be able to identify your handwriting.

Medal:

• Date
• Interclub host/ type of competition

Number:

• Date/day
• Interclub host/ type of competition
• Placing (if applicable)
• Age group/ category
  At the moment, I don't label my category but I keep the program booklets to follow what level I'm in.

I keep my certificates, numbers and programs in a display folder. The medals with lanyards are hung up on a bookshelf until it is time to attach them to my sash.

Labelling the back of my number and medal.

Watching the stars 2018

Welcome to the third instalment of Watching the stars, my annual review on the BjP syllabus training DVD distributed for girls and women around Australia to practise in their own homes. This year marks the start of web-streaming so you can view it from a range of devices. However, I do miss the lovely cover printed DVDs as memorabilia. The routines' names were watermarked in the corner which I found very helpful as the video was in one block of about eight minutes. Marching was also a special feature in this resource.

The ladies had two Melissas demonstrating the routines. Melissa R, the winner of the 2017 Open Over 33 section and Ladies Overall Champion performed the beginner-intermediate routine while Melissa D, last year's Elite Champion showcased the Open section. A few of the other girls on the DVD returned to filming after having previously appeared on it. Some have already gathered years of filming experience which I assume is quite different to a real physie competition - multiple takes, changing leotards, fuller makeup, learning everything in a few months and it's essentially a solo. Well done to all the performers on this year's DVD.

Interclub competitions have just started for the BjP School of Physical Culture and I'm sure other codes of physie are having their's too. With my first competition in a week's time, these final days leading up will be scheduled with several sessions of following the stars. In 'advanced' I feel a little bit awkward with the transference of weight in some transitional steps, but Melissa beautifully executed the routine with connection and smoothness throughout. Let's see if I can get the awkwardness out of my routines.

2018 BjP Syllabus DVD Performers

If you've enjoyed this blog post, you may also like:
Watching the stars 2017
Watching the stars 2016

Learning routines

By June or July the whole set of routines will be learnt. While not necessarily memorised or polished, many clubs opt to hold a lollipop/chocolate competition for members to showcase their new moves.

It's April and we're still in the learning phase of the physie season, here are my top tips:

1. Counts of 16. Learn each set of 16 solidly, then join each section up. Use the last few counts of one set to segue into the next, for example [previous set] 13, 14, 15, 16 [current set] 1-16. I think of this as a 'jigsaw puzzle' piece as the ends join together to form a seamless picture.

2. Count out loud - just like how your teacher does in class. Do you find yourself counting in your head or perhaps hearing your teacher's voice?

3 . Repetition or Opposites
Repetition can occur identically - facing the same way, maybe even the melody is the same. Repetition can also alter factors like direction, music (the part of the song) and transitional/ending pose. For the opposite/mirror image, instead of right/left think front/back. This makes it easier when repeating on opposite sides.

4. Just watching and not doing it at the same time. You might pick up on a detail from your teacher/DVD performer. 

5. Word painting - build a story with movement through the music and lyrics. Add some dramatic meaning with facial expressions and gestures. Your nuances make your style unique. 

6. Go with what your body knows - maybe this sequence is a popular one (eg. the grapevine) or the next move comes naturally without deliberately thinking of which foot steps next. 

7. Visually - I have drawn stick figures to remind myself of the moves corresponding to each count. Maybe you're lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the written syllabus.

8. Resources - Most associations provide their members with training resources such as DVDs and CDs. I'm already practising with BjP's practice music download. It's been very helpful between classes for triggering my memory. 

For more tips and exercises on goal setting, progress tracking, learning routines and inspiration, check out the self-improvement blog series.

Spell it out: BjP's newest challenge

Physie girls and ladies from the Bjelke-Petersen School of Physical Culture may have seen the latest workout challenge. Basically, you spell your name/club and each letter has a corresponding task. It takes about 2 minutes of preparation time to write the letters and their corresponding 'challenge', then you are ready to exercise.  

Last Sunday, I spelt my name out. I endured:

• 80 squats 
• 50 jumping jacks (star jumps)
• at least 3 minutes of wall sit 
• & a few more challenges

On Wednesday, I spelt "physical":

• 80 star jumps
• 30 burpees 
• 10 crunches 
• arm circles, squats, wall sit

Yesterday, I spelt "culture":

• 3 minutes of wall sit
• 15 push-ups
• squats (inevitably) 
• arm circles

All these challenges took me no longer than 20 minutes, but ensure you are adequately warmed up beforehand. I found that the arm circles helped my shoulder flexibility and was part of the 'swing' routine. Many of the challenges also improved my core strength. I'm going to continue this week with the same sets of exercises and then adding an extra day by spelling my club's name.

Other blog posts you may enjoy: Tracking your progress | Practice makes progress | SMART goals

Years from now: Goal setting

Having a goal journal means seeing your ambitions listed in black and white. Goal setting is a tool for life!

The physie year is starting soon so it's a great time to write out your goals for 2018 and beyond. Goals that are closer to now should follow the SMART principle which I've written about here in an older post. Also, check out my other posts from the self-improvement blog series.

Long-term goals (5 years and beyond)
I hope I'll maintain my strength, flexibility and stamina ... (and fit in my current leotard).

Mid-term goals (1-5 years)
Achieve seniors (possibly join a class and compete). For non-physie readers, 'seniors' is the syllabus for young ladies. It is more fast paced than the ladies and junior syllabi.

Short-term goals (this year)

• Try learning from DVD
• Hold planks, splits, balances, back bend/impulse
• Learn moves such as fan kicks, half pirouettes and leaps
• Do the best I can with the current ladies syllabus

This month's goals (will ultimately contribute to short/mid/long term goals)

• Continue to stretch achieving both splits
• Increase the time held for balances/planks by a few seconds each month

Let's apply my mid-term goal to the SMART principle:

Specific - Learn a complete seniors' syllabus.
Measurable - When I finish learning, memorise and execute the moves.
Achievable - Yes, I will work very hard.
Realistic - Should be, I'm progressing.
Timely - In a year or two.

It's simple to start your own journal or list of goals. If you already list your goals, good on you, or if you don't, why not start now?

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.