When the Curtain Goes Up free essay sample

When the Curtain Goes Up I was probably 8 years old. And now as I stood behind the curtain the weeks of preparation finally made sense. The hairspray coma and the fury of lipstick made sense. The changing and re-sizing of my â€Å"oh so adorable† gun holsters that swayed in time with my frayed cowgirl skirt when we did the coveted gun twirl†¦ All. Made. Sense. â€Å"Two minutes to stage!† The syllables bellowed from stage manager to stage manager in the backstage while we were shuffled into our places. â€Å"What if I mess up?† I had asked my mom on the car ride to the show. â€Å"No matter how you do tonight daddy we’ll still be very proud of you,† she had said. Those words had to be in a parent handbook somewhere. â€Å"One minute to stage!† Now my stomach was churning at a supersonic speed. The Voorhees Theatre Company’s production of Annie Get Your Gun seemed to be the cornerstone of my young life. We will write a custom essay sample on When the Curtain Goes Up or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The crawling in my stomach got stronger with. All the cowgirls had been arranged in a semi circle around Annie. The instructions seemed simple, but now with the curtain about to rise I wasn’t so sure. When Annie exited from stage left, the first cowgirl was to kick her toy gun up with her right heel and swing it with her left arm onto her shoulder. One swift movement. And this would continue until the end of the semi circle, passing from cowgirl to cowgirl. Of course I had been placed dead center because of my overactive pituitary gland. â€Å"30 seconds to stage! Good luck girls!† I stood dead center stage with my stomach bugs and my cowgirl fray and the confidence I had over weeks of rehearsal melted off of my body. The cowgirl on the left and on the right, they might be fine. But me, I was terrified. But then something happened. The glow of camcorders and the opening notes of the song told my feet what to do. My head was still around the corner, but as my body moved with the music my confidence began to build back up. â€Å"GO ALEXA!† my dad yelled from the back of the auditorium, treating my show like a basketball game, just a little quieter. Usually the embarrassment would have crippled me, but my feet liked the compliment and went a little faster. When the gun twirl began, it wasn’t a question of whether or not I could do it, or if left cowgirl or right cowgirl could; it was a question of if this cowgirl could. And when left cowgirl got nervous and was unable to make her swift kick, this cowgirl kept on going. Because when the curtain we nt up on my face the nerves turned into grace. The weeks of rehearsal, choppy and annoying, and sometimes ending in tears, were converted into movement that swayed with ease from limb to limb. The words to â€Å"show business† were mechanical in my mouth, later but at the same time, left a magical aftertaste making me hungry for me. When the curtain went up, I wasn’t Alexa anymore; I was that little cowgirl dancer. The lipstick and the hairspray and the fray all formed into one single cowgirl. To me, acting isn’t just a hobby; it isn’t a way to kill time. Acting liberated me from the girl I once was into the women I am today. The all night rehearsals, the memorization, the commitment. Not only have I learned to organize myself, but I have learned to value every second I get to do what I love. That gun twirl has followed me throughout my life, proving to me that I can handle a little bit of mayhem if it’s thrown at me; that being scared of my next move won’t move me forward. When the curtain went up on me that first time it taught me that a stage without me on it, well that just wouldn’t make sense. That 8 year old girl only six years of dance and some fray to cling onto, she has grown up to see that life without a little drama isn’t a life she wants at all. When the curtain went up on that little girl and the lights bore into skin she realized that all she’s ever wanted was on that stage with her.

Hall, Stuart. Introduction Who Needs Identity Questions of Cultural Identity.

Hall, Stuart. Introduction Who Needs Identity Questions of Cultural Identity. Stuart Hall focuses on a very important issue concerning identity. The issue has been considered by many thinkers and there is no single answer to the question raised by Hall: who does need ‘Identity’? Hall claims that to answer this question it is necessary to analyze such notion as â€Å"identification† (2).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Hall, Stuart. â€Å"Introduction: Who Needs ‘Identity’?† Questions of Cultural Identity. specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Hall states that identification is people’s ability to recognize â€Å"some common origin or shared characteristics with another person or group† (2). The author also mentions that this process is quite subjective and it is nearly impossible to find a perfect fit. Nonetheless, the concept of identification perfectly fits the concept of identity. Hall also claims that identity is subjected to many changes th at take place in the course of time. Therefore, it is essential to analyze identities with respect to historical development of societies (Hall 4). Thus, the researcher defines identities as people’s positions which they choose trying to fit the group, though they understand that there can be no perfect match and it is fine to differ somehow (Hall 6). Hall also analyzes several points of view and focuses on Foucault viewpoint. Hall claims that Foucault’s explanation of identity is too narrow (13). Hall states that it is important to theorize the notion of identity to make it more applicable. Thus, the researcher refers to Butler’s ideas concerning identity (Hall 15). Hall stresses that Butler developed her understanding of identity in terms of feminism, sexuality and self-identity. Nonetheless, Hall claims that Butler’s idea that identity is based on exclusion is not delusive as some could think. Hall also states that issues concerning identity and theori zing identity are yet to be solved. To sum up, Hall reveals the importance of theorizing ‘identity’ which will lead to deeper understanding of the processes and factors that affect identities. Major arguments As has been mentioned above, Hall provides a definition of identity and focuses on theoretical issues concerning identity. However, Hall still claims that it is important to understand what identity (or identification) is. Hall also articulates the importance of identities in the contemporary world. Likewise, such authors as Nakayama, Tanno or Hedge claim that the notion of identity is one of the most important in the modern world (Gonzalez et al.). It goes without saying that the authors mentioned above focus on the practical side.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More They focus on people’s attempts to find their places in this world. However, the major point of works by Hall, Nakayama, Tanno or Hedge is as follows: issues concerning identity should be analyzed so that people could easily find the most suitable positions. Admittedly, this idea is very important in terms of Communication Studies. The study concentrates on people’s communication. Diversity is one of the most important issues in this respect. Obviously, it is important to understand what factors influence people’s identities. It is essential to know which positions people tend to occupy and why. It is necessary to understand how people identify themselves. All this will help researchers to understand how people interact and communicate with others. Gonzalez, Alberto, Marsha Houston, and Victoria Chen. Our Voices: Essays in Culture, Ethnicity, and Communication. New York, NY: Roxbury Publishing Company, 2003. Print. Hall, Stuart. â€Å"Introduction: Who Needs ‘Identity’?† Questions of Cultural Identity. Eds. Stuart Hall and Paul du Gay. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Ltd., 1996. 1-17. Print.

Critique of a report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Critique of a report - Assignment Example The author makes a good use of past health records collected from a vast resource base to help paint the picture of the present health problem. He even speculates future unfolding giving an impression of the gruesome implications if proper measures are not taken to support the growth of support workers. Analysis of the present political climate, gives the author a strong ground to rules out the possibility of having a good financial investment to fight the obesity problem. The report makes use of information from a wide range of sources, both electronic and peer reviews, a factor that makes the message carried readily available for all persons wishing to find out more. Following the seriousness of the diabetes issue, this report suggests the need to not only support workers but also all other concerned professionals so as to embrace knowledge relating to the public health. This is to help combat existing health problems, starting with diabetes and other related and prevalent health