I chose to watch the documentary, "Food Inc." I had been wanting to watch this one for a long time and am glad I finally got to. I learned so much about our food industry and things I really had no idea about. Honestly, it was really disgusting seeing some of the things the animals go through, like their living conditions. There are so many problems within the industry that should be known by everyone because otherwise people are eating food and have no idea where it's actually coming from. Since I have already finished and presented my documentary, I was definitely more aware of everything going on in this documentary. For example, the type of music played in the background, the different interviews that were shown, and the text that the audience had to read on the screen. I felt that it was a very well put together documentary, and I would definitely recommend that people watch it to gain more knowledge on the food industry and know where their food really comes from.

As a whole I think this class has helped me a lot with my writing. We have had to write a lot of different things like short reflection paragraphs to blogs to storyboards explaining each and every detail of our documentaries. What surprised me was how even though the research for our documentary and that whole process was long and time consuming, it didn't seem like work because I was doing it about something I care a lot about. I learned that I really enjoy making movies and putting all of my ideas together to make a great project. It feels good to work long and hard on something and then feel confident about the final product. I think at first I found the blogs to be a bit challenging because I never had to really write in a blog before. But once I got the hang of it, it came pretty easy to me. Overall, I am pleased with what I have learned in this class and will use this knowledge for other things in my future.

Sierra Goldfarb

Jennifer Hudgens

WRD 110

11 November 2015

Dance: Judged On and Off the Stage

            For my opening scene in my documentary I want to start with a short interview with my cousin, Devon. I would like him to be sitting in a chair against a wall talking to me with his focus on the camera. If I can I would like to have text at the bottom of the screen saying, “Devon McClea” so the audience knows who he is, otherwise I will have him say his name in the very beginning. He is a dancer and I will ask him for a short overview introducing the problem of judgments he has received as a male dancer. I want the judgments of male dancing and how it is not only a sport for girls to be the main focus in my documentary and I want to inform people that it is a relevant problem today in the dance community. In the background of this interview I will play the instrumental version of the song, “Cigarette Daydreams” by Cage the Elephant at a very low volume. I chose this song because the melody is uplifting and simple. I want it to sound more lighthearted and informative rather than dark and too serious.  I will make the song sound louder after the interview comes to a stop, and show the title screen that will read, “Dance: Judged On and Off the Stage” over a black screen. This very first scene to my documentary will introduce the problem in my community and will be explained from someone who has experienced it which makes it more personal for the audience and I think will help inform them better.

For the next scene I will show footage from outside of the studio where Devon dances. I want to get this footage while driving in a car past the studio with either my voice or his voice over it telling how long he has been dancing and information about that. Since the very first scene introduced the problem more than Devon, this is where I will have him be introduced and tell more about his background in dance.  I want that scene to fade out and then go into a clip of Devon dancing with the music still in the background and text underneath explaining when this was taken and what he is dancing to. I want this scene to last maybe close to thirty to forty seconds at most, just so the audience can see him actually dancing and not just talking about it. I won’t show the whole thing because I might use some of it later in the documentary. I chose another song to play in this scene, so the song I have playing in the first scene will fade out and into this next one. I want the song, Brother by Mat Corby to be playing at a regular volume and then towards the end of that clip I will soften it because my voice will come back over it. I chose this song because the video I am showing of Devon dancing is his solo and this is the song he dances to. I haven’t decided if I want it to be the instrumental or the normal version yet. I’m leaning more towards the original version because it gives more of a full effect of the song and dance together rather than just the instrumental. This will then bring us to the next scene which will be more of the interview with Devon face to face.

Going into the next scene I want to return to the original interview from the opening scene of this documentary. In the beginning, all that was brought up was the problem itself so the audience knew what they were about to watch a documentary on. I want to ask Devon more questions about his experiences with dealing with stereotypes and judgment. The questions I will ask him will either be shown by text put up on a black screen and then show him talking or just have him talk to the camera and answer in a way that the audience will know what the question was. I still want the interview set up like in the first scene where the camera is just on Devon and even though I will be the one interviewing him I want his focus to be on the camera. I want there to still be music playing in the background of this but at a very soft volume so Devon can still be heard. The song will still be, Brother by Mat Corby because it is the song that will be playing in the scene before and I want it to continue for this one as well.

The scene following this one will show photos from different dance competitions and still shots from videos I have taken of Devon. He is playing such a big role in my documentary because his experiences helped me decide this is the community I wanted to choose. Not only his experiences with judgment and stereotypes but also because

dance is what he loves most and I know it is what he wants to do for the rest of his life. I love supporting him through that. The first two pictures I will show are ones that I have taken at past competitions. Devon is in all of them along with his friends he was dancing with at the time and coaches he has had. I want each picture to fade in and out going along with the song, Brother that I was playing before. I want it to be the same song because it will be familiar to the audience. I think the pictures will give the audience a good representation of the dance community. Some of the photos are from a few years ago, like the ones I will show first. I want to start with the ones that are of Devon when he is younger and then finish with ones where he is older and more experienced in his style of dance. The last few pictures I will show are screenshots from videos I have taken from Devon’s solo performances. Those are the most recent which are either from last year or this year. They’re mostly just still shots of him doing his dance, so they look like different poses he is doing from his dance.

This next scene I will be showing my first secondary sources which will be an article from the library’s website. This one is called, “Barre None” by Harriet Barovick. This article was very helpful to my documentary and research process because it is about how boys are getting more involved in dance. I want the same song, Brother, to continue playing for this scene and the next one while I am explaining my secondary sources. I might choose to pick a different song because the audience will have heard a lot of this one but I will decide that later on while editing. The way I will introduce this article is having a little amount of text written on the screen for the audience to read, but not too much that they are overwhelmed with reading it. And over that I will have my voice explaining pieces from the article. For example, one of the things I will be saying is, “One of the places this article focused on was a public school in Pikesville, Maryland. Twice a week boys ages 7-10 take a ballet class from a former professional dancer named, Tim Fox. He gives the boys instructions on what to do but doesn’t inform them that they are different ballet positions, they just see it as a fun activity” (Barovick 1). While explaining this part of the article I will have a video of Devon showing some of the positions the boys in the class may be doing. This way the audience can hear but also see what I am explaining.

I want to go right into another one of the secondary sources which is another article. This one is called, Men in Tights Fight Stereotype by Anthony Davis. I want the title of this article to appear on a black screen so the audience is aware of what I will be talking about. This article is about the misconceptions that men have about other male dancers. When the title screen fades out I want to show a couple pictures of male dancers in a class and have my voice over it. I will say, “In this article the author explains how since there are already so many stereotypes on male dancers other men feel that they are all weak or gay. However, there is a certain athleticism that is connected to ballet and that has helped men feel more strongly about joining the sport” (Davis 1). This article shows both an example of the stereotypes but also how people are getting more into it and overlooking the judgments.

This next scene will include my last secondary source which is another article called, On Education, by Rhee Gold. I want each article I am talking about to flow together, one right into the next since they are all pretty much talking about the same topic. This article is about boys and girls participating in dance and the responsibilities of the educators. I show the title of this article and then have that fade into footage I will take of a couple people acting like they are stretching and talking with each other. My voice will be over this and I will say, “Research has shown that boys and girls who share the same interest in dance and interact and talk is the best and most effective way for them to overcome harsh stereotypes and build strong relationships within the community” (Gold 1). I want to play the instrumental version of the song, Better Together by Jack Johnson in the background of this scene as well. I might start this song when I start talking about my secondary sources but I haven’t decided yet. I think it would be a good song because its lighthearted like the first song that will be playing and won’t be distracting while my voice is over it.

This next scene will be transitioning from the secondary sources back to the main problem. I want to show an interview with one of my family members. I will ask my aunt Judi to talk about how the bullying and stereotypes have effected Devon in the past and tell how he has overcome them. I want this interview set up the same as the one with Devon in the first scene. So I will have my Aunt sitting in a chair while talking to the camera with her focus on me. I will show the question in text before she starts answering so the audience knows what the question is. I haven’t decided if I want music in the background of this interview or not. I think I will choose to because that is what I have been doing throughout the documentary so far. If I decide to I’m not sure if I want to use the same song I’ve been using or change it to a different one. I’ll make this decision while I am actually taking the footage and see which one fits best with this scene. After she is done explaining how Devon has dealt with the problems I will have her comment on how much time and hard work he puts in to dance every week. I want to end this scene that way because for the next one I will be talking to Devon again.

For the next scene I want Devon to share how he recently auditioned for a dance position at Kings Island, an amusement park in Cincinnati, Ohio and for multiple colleges for next year. I want him to share more about the job at Kings Island because he has heard they don’t really hire males to be dancers there. I want him to share how that made him feel before and after he auditioned and whether it effected his thoughts of working there.  I want this scene to end with the camera on Devon and then fade out into more of the video of his solo that I shared in one of the first couple scenes. I want to show more of it because it’s a strong dance and really shows the audience that he loves what he does. I will have my voice over it and say, “No matter the stereotypes or judgments he gets he should never stop doing what he’s most passionate about. That should go for everyone doing what they love, don’t listen to the negativity because that can only hold you back.”

This will be my last full scene where I will conclude my documentary. By now the audience has a clear understanding of the problem in my community and are informed of the things people go through. For this last scene I will conclude the interview with Devon. Maybe ending on a question like, “Why is dance so important to you?” or “Would you like to continue with dance as a career?” and have him answer those. While he is answering these question I want to show a clip that I will take of him walking along the sidewalk with headphones on listening to music. I might have him start dancing on the sidewalk still with his voice in the background answering the questions. I don’t think I want any music to play, I just want his voice over it. I might change this idea as I am recording but for now this is how I want to end my documentary. It seems like it will be a good last scene but I will decide later on. I’ll show him dancing on the sidewalk and have that fade out into the very last scene with the credits. I am using Devon so much in this documentary because he has dealt with the problem first hand and was my inspiration for this topic in my community.

For my very last scene where I will have my credits rolling I want to show Devon dancing in the background. I’m going to play the song, Brother again because the beat is strong and I think it will help end my documentary on a solid note. Plus, the song is what Devon’s solo is to so even though it’s a strong song it also has a bit of meaning behind it. It’s Devon’s last year dancing at his studio because he is a senior in high school. So after this dance season he wont perform this solo again. Not only will my documentary end on a solid strong note but so will Devon with this season. I hope that people understand that this is a real issue today and can realize that making judgment on people can hurt and might even stop them from doing something they love.

Works Cited

Barovick, Harriet. "Barre None." University of Kentucky Libraries. Time International, 02 July 2012. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.

http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?sid=4f330ceb-332a-438e-acc6-e6e350c5c7da%40sessionmgr4005&vid=0&hid=4202&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=77355797&db=a9h

"Cigarette Daydreams (Instrumental Version)." YouTube. YouTube, 11 Feb. 2011. Web. 17 Nov. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKnSADzP17E>.

Davis, Anthony. "Men in Tights Fight Stereotype." University of Kentucky Libraries. Rogers Publishing Limited, 30 Apr. 2012. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.

http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uky.edu/ehost/detail/detail?sid=c9026b93-035d-4689-adb9-9ea5a4872b2f%40sessionmgr198&vid=0&hid=127&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=74602312&db=a9h

Goldfarb Sierra, 25 January. 2012

Goldfarb Sierra, 12 March. 2014

Goldfarb Sierra, 23 October. 2015

Goldfarb Sierra, 23 October 2015

Lozza, Gian Paul. Barre None. 2012. Pikesville, Maryland. TIme. Web. 17 Nov. 2015. <http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2117235,00.html>.

"Matt Corby- Brother." YouTube. YouTube, 3 Oct. 2011. Web. 17 Nov. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpFG7DdjTbo>.

Warburton, Edward C. "Of Boys and Girls." University of Kentucky Libraries. Research in Dance Education, June 2009. Web. 16 Nov. 2015. <http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?sid=44edae28-8328-41b5-aee1-1e0773110ac2%40sessionmgr115&vid=0&hid=111&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=42868860&db=a9h>.

So far, the process for my documentary is a little chaotic. Since I am not home and unable to interview the people I need for my documentary I haven't gotten a chance to get that footage. It is definitely a harder process than I thought it would be. The biggest challenge is probably not being able to use the people you need for it when you want. It is definitely a bigger challenge when you're not in the same state as them. I have learned to be more organized about the process and stay patient. I have learned that since both sides to this project are very busy it is hard to find time to record and make it happen. I know it will all work out and in the end I will have the documentary I need.

I chose this article because it shows a different side to a subject similar to the one in my community. This article is about how conditions related to stereotypes can affect academic performance along with motor skills. A study was done to research how stereotypical threats influenced women in learning a certain skill in a sport. After running the experiment and testing the women, the results showed that stereotypical threats do in fact have an influence in their motor skills. This topic is very different than the one I've been talking about, but I thought it would be good to see a different perspective on women in sports instead of boys who dance. It just shows that no matter what gender you are, there will always be some kind of discrimination or stereotypes that you have to overcome to do what you love.



Heidrich, Caroline. "Stereotype Threat Affects the Learning of Sport Motor Skills." N.p., May 2015. Web.   Oct. 2015. <http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uky.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=21&sid=fadd00f5-    6191-417b-ada1-        6f83acea624f%40sessionmgr4001&hid=4108&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#    db=a9h&AN=101343264>.


Heidrich, Caroline. "Stereotype Threat Affects the Learning of Sport Motor Skills." N.p., May 2015. Web. Oct. 2015. <http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uky.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=21&sid=fadd00f5-6191-417b-ada1-6f83acea624f%40sessionmgr4001&hid=4108&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=a9h&AN=101343264>.

I found this article through the library and it is on a topic concerning my community. This article is about how men feel about dancing and different misconceptions they have towards other men dancing. In the article the author explains how since there are already so many stereotypes towards male dancers, men assume that the guys that dance are all gay or weak which is definitely not true. This source is useful for my project because it discusses the exact problem I am focusing on in my community. It is good to read different articles that explain the problem and that relate really well to my community.


Davis, Anthony. "Men in Tights Fight Stereotype." N.p., 30 Apr. 2012. Web. 19 Oct. 2015.            <http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uky.edu/ehost/detail/detail?sid=781f0252-0ebc-4b24-a1e9-      922c36e3f022%40sessionmgr4005&vid=7&hid=4108&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29   wZT1zaXRl#AN=74602312&db=a9h>.


http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uky.edu/ehost/detail/detail?sid=781f0252-0ebc-4b24-a1e9-922c36e3f022%40sessionmgr4005&vid=7&hid=4108&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=74602312&db=a9h

The community I have chosen is the dance community, but specifically the problems and stereotypes boy dancers face. I chose this community because I did competitive dance for five years with my cousin, Devon. He is so passionate about it and really loves what he does. All of the pictures I have chosen to write about are from different competitions we have been to.

This picture is from a dance competition a couple years back and works really well with my community. I was competing at this competition, but was there for my cousin Devon before he went on stage. In this picture from left to right is Devon, his coach, Shannon, and his duet partner, Megan.  They were getting ready to perform but wanted a picture all together, and since I was there with them I took the picture.  Devon and Megan worked really well together and were always so in sync during their performances. Shannon was not only a good coach for them, but also a great friend. When Devon experienced some of the stereotypes and bullying from boys at school Shannon was always there for him to talk to and give advice. Some people were confused as to how he was the only boy in the whole studio, but I think he really loved it. Not just because he was surrounded by girls all the time, but it allowed Devon to be in a lot of dances. He was a great asset to a lot of the teams. 

I took this photo at a different dance competition two years ago. This year Devon did two duets with two different girls, along with many other team dances. The girl in this picture with Devon is Hannah. The two of them started the year competing this dance, but about half way through Hannah injured her ankle and another girl had to take her place. Both girls are Devon’s best friends to this day and really have been with him from almost the start. Hannah had left the original studio we all started at a few years back and started dancing at another one. When I quit, Devon decided to switch to the studio Hannah was at because it seemed like a better fit for him. He is still the only boy there but has made so many new friends. Hannah has definitely helped Devon through  everything and I know they will stay friends for a very long time.

I took this video at one of the smaller competitions we went to. This was just last year, so I had already quit and Devon was dancing at the new studio. This was his first year doing a solo, which he was pretty nervous about, but did really well. He scored high at most of the competitions and he was very pleasantly surprised by that. His friends at the studio were very supportive and helped him be able to perform the best he could. At competitions there really aren't many boys that are there dancing, but everyone that is competing, no matter what gender, are usually very nice and are fun to be around. Since Devon is so busy with dance and school work it’s good he has some of his best friends at the studio that he gets to be with all the time. He’s had some guy friends in the past that knew he danced and didn't really care or think that it was weird, but there have also been a couple that have judged him for it which is never a good quality in a friend. I think the biggest problem he has faced is other guys thinking that dancing is a sport more for girls which is definitely not true. No matter what gender you are, people should be able to play any sport or be involved in whatever they want to do.  

My first secondary source is an article I found on the University’s library website. It’s called , “Barre None” by Harriet Barovick. It is about how more boys are starting to take ballet classes and how a bunch of these ballet programs are starting across the country. There is a public middle school in Pikesville, Maryland were boys take a ballet class twice a week. Their teacher and former professional dancer, Tim Fox, does not share with the boys that they are actually doing ballet. They run around and follow his instructions but just see it as something fun to do. He also teaches a class for boys ages 11 to 14 and one of the sophomores, Tres McMichael is very serious about a career in dance. In the article he says, “Do I get teased? Of course! But the girls in high school think guy dancers are very cool” (Barovick, pg. 1). I like this quote because it really is what I am trying to show about my community. In the article, another place that is helping the boys in this community is The American Ballet Theatre in New York City started offering classes just for boys about a year ago and so many have signed up since. A lot more than they had expected. I really enjoyed reading this article because it shows how a lot of places around the country are helping to get boys more involved in this sport. 

http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?sid=65b6cb5c-64ad-49aa-a5e2-830c49eadf86%40sessionmgr113&crlhashurl=login.aspx%253fdirect%253dtrue%2526db%253da9h%2526AN%253d77355797%2526site%253dehost-live%2526scope%253dsite&hid=127&vid=0&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=77355797&db=a9h

My last source is another article I came across on the university’s library website. This one is called, “On Education” by Rhee Gold. It is mostly about how to get boys more interested in dance. He writes about how most studios attract girls because of how they are decorated and that the instructors are mostly female. Gold writes, “As a former dancer who had to overcome male stereotyping in the dance world, I’m often asked how teachers might attract more boys to their classes or schools” (Gold pg. 1). This part really stuck out to me because it’s personal to him and he experienced the stereotypes first hand.  

http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?sid=4bb76073-c8f5-430e-b776-4a4c1d486278%40sessionmgr4002&crlhashurl=login.aspx%253fdirect%253dtrue%2526db%253da9h%2526AN%253d42868860%2526site%253dehost-live%2526scope%253dsite&hid=4211&vid=0&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=42868860&db=a9h

 I am very pleased with the sources I have used because each one shows a side of my community that some people that don't know much about it can learn. Overall, I think this is still a big issue in this particular community, and hope that people can overlook the stereotypes and accept others for what they love to do.

                                                                     Bibliography

Barovick, Harriet. "Barre None." N.p., 02 July 2012. Web. 12 Oct. 2015. <http://                                  eds.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?sid=1521a271-4f16-4d22-87bc-    ed13fbd70192%40sessionmgr4002&vid=1&hid=4211&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl

  2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=77355797&db=a9h>.

Gold, Rhee. "On Education." N.p., 2003. Web. 2015.    <http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=ad1a9c6d-e495-430b-a5d3-      d1d65f5bc334%40sessionmgr4005&vid=11&hid=4211

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