The benefits of full-time study: Brooke Monaghan

The current issue of Dance Australia includes our Full-Time Studies Guide. In this year's guide we've talked to a variety of graduates about the benefits of full-time training. One of these was dance teacher and Bloch sales assistant Brooke Monaghan.

Studies
I completed my full-time studies at Brent Street in 2015, after completing Year 11 & 12 alongside part time dancing at Brent Street Academy.

What were your ambitions at the start of your studies?
A few months before I started my studies at Brent Street Academy I had made a very tough decision to change my focus from ballet training and start focusing on a wider range of styles, so when I commenced Year 11 at Brent Street in 2013, I was still struggling with these thoughts of not really knowing which path to choose. During my first two years at Brent Street, while I was in Year 11 and 12, I was still very unsure what career path I wanted to focus on. When I was much younger, I had studied other styles of dance but when it is a decision regarding your career, its a lot harder to make, so it took me time to build confidence in those other genres again. Not wanting to waste the time deciding, I used this period to enhance my versatility and throw myself 100 percent into everything Brent Street had to offer such as tap, jazz, musical theatre, contemporary/lyrical and hip hop. I felt then, that I would be able to make a more informed decision about where my interests and love truly were once I’d given everything a good go. Even at the start of the full-time course two years later, my ambitions were still very undecided. All I knew is that I wanted to perform whether it be commercial, musical theatre or contemporary dancing.

Did your ambitions change during the course of your studies?
Yes. During my first term full time, I fell in love with musical theatre. This style in particular really inspired me and made me realise it was the career path I wanted to pursue. I found a real passion for all aspects of musical theatre and also realised very quickly that my classical ballet training and the various styles I’d studied had given me a great foundation for this genre. I found confidence in myself again and was lucky enough to have had amazing and extremely influential teachers who inspired me every week to work hard and develop the skills required to follow this career path and my dream of performing in musicals. 

Apart from your career skills, what else did you gain from your full-time studies?
I gained a lot from my full-time studies, not only things that assisted this particular career path, but things that would help in any career I decided to go into. I realised that determination, commitment and perseverance is what is required to excel. You need to push yourself in every class, every week to see improvement. Its about knowing your limits and always striving to push beyond those limits. I learnt that its so important to apply every correction given by a teacher and to see those corrections as positive and helpful. When you're having a difficult day, it is so easy to take everything negatively and let these criticisms defeat you, but it is important to always remember these corrections are what will make you a better performer. Personally, I also feel I gained a lot more self confidence. I began so unsure of where I was heading or even wanted to go, and finished knowing exactly where I wanted my focus to be.

Is there anything else you would like to add?
A full time course can be very demanding both physically and mentally, but you have to work through it if you want to follow your dream. There will always be tough days and in those times it is essential to remember why we love what we do and that the hard work and bad days will all be worth it in the end. It's about walking in the studio the next day ready to push yourself even harder than the day before. That is how you can better yourself not only as a performer, but as an artist. Thanks to my studies I feel as though I found a confidence within myself and discovered a passion that I’ve left full-time studies ready to pursue.

You can read more profiles like this one in the current issue of Dance Australia. Don’t miss out! Buy it from your favourite magazine retailer or subscribe here, or purchase an online copy via the Dance Australia app.