Relearning and Reinforcing Body Integration

About a month ago I pinched a nerve in my neck. OUCH! Even though the experience was less than ideal, I was able to tune into my body and learn or, I should say, re-learn some very important body lessons. As a firm believer in learning through our kinesthetic experiences, this strengthened my educational philosophy and excited my teacher self, even with ice packs pressed firmly on my neck.

The nerve I pinched was on the right side of my neck, which caused major pain down my right arm. As a right handed person, this affected everything from brushing my teeth to buttoning my pants. It was so interesting to observe how heavily right handed I am and how hard it was for me to switch gears and use my left arm more. it has an affect how I move my body in general as well as my balance. The quote “practice what you preach came to mind” and since I am now practicing using both sides of my body more in my life, I feel I can now preach more effectively, so hear goes!

Coordinating the Body

A balanced and integrated body is necessary for movement mastery. To explain, I am going to break down the various ways we can organize and coordinate our body. Explore these concepts with your students and see what you discover! These concepts are heavily influenced by Laban/Bartenieff Fundamentals.

Upper/Lower Body

You can break down movement into utilizing the upper half of your body (torso, arms, shoulders, back and head) and the lower half (hips, legs, knees, and feet.) This is something we do all the time when we teach. First we teach steps with the feet and then we add the choreography for the arms.

Are your students aware that they have a lower and upper half and that they are doing a great job coordinating the two? You might ask why this is important and the answer is for body awareness and ultimately better execution of technique.

Play a game where they are only allowed to use the lower half of their bodies. They can run, skip jump, bend, tap, wiggle – but only from the hips down. Then they can only use their upper halves: torso, back, ribs, shoulders, neck and head. Next, tell them to put the two together. See if it is easier for them to use both the top and bottom of their bodies with this new understanding that they achieved from their kinesthetic exploration. It is one thing to be told how your body works and it is another thing to explore it and learn for yourself.

When kids play leap frog they are illustrating this upper body/lower body concept beautifully (otherwise known as homologous movements). Reaching out with the arms, pulling the upper body forward and then jumping with their legs is a perfect homologous movement or in kid terms a frog jump. See if you can think of other ways we might move in an upper/lower way.

When I teach mommy and me classes I teach these concepts and share with the parents what we are doing and why. I feel this helps the parents become knowledgeable about the importance of the activities and helps them to reinforce the movements at home. (It also helps them in their own body awareness.)

Right Side/Left Side

It is fun to play with the right and left sides of the body.  We can move in a homolateral way, meaning right side (right arm, right leg) or in a contralateral way, meaning left arm, right leg. Naturally when we crawl or walk we move contralaterally. You might notice that when you teach a step like a leap kids and adults will over think the step and leap stretching out the same arm and leg. They turn the step into a homolateral one.

I teach kids how to connect to the right side or left side  (otherwise known as body half) by doing an exercise lying on the floor in an “x”position. Which literally means that you should look like an “x;” arms overhead and spread out, and legs spread out making the bottom of the “x.” I ask them to bring their right elbow to their right knee by bending both their knee and elbow so they meet. Then they should go back to the “x” position and do the other side. Kids love moving and exploring in all sorts of different ways and I always hear sounds of glee as they discover this fun new way of moving. (This exercise is taken directly from my Barteniff Studies.)

To understand how moving the right side independent of the left and vice versa helps dancers perform various skills, all you have to do is analyze a pique turn or chanines turns. When you are performing a pique turn to the right, the right leg steps up and the left side comes around. I can’t count how many times my ballet teacher used to tell me to bring my left side around. I now understand this concept on an entirely new level.

See if you can discover other ways we move homolaterally.

Contralateral movement

Contralateral movement might be easier to analyze because this is how we move all the time. We move this way every time we walk. But some kids need extra work in this area, and it will not only help them in dance but in their everyday lives. Think about when you throw a ball. You step with your left and throw with you right. You are using the natural spiral in your body for power. If a child is does not have the contralateral connection, this will be amazingly difficult.

Movement is a layered experience. We develop movement patterns and then continue to relearn them as we get older. Babies learn to crawl, developing the spiral and then relearn and master it as they walk and then run.

When I teach my mommy and me classes, I always crawl as an activity. The parents are usually puzzled at first because their kids know how to do this. I explain the more practice the better! The kids can continue to develop these contalateral movement patterns and the parents can take the time to re-learn these patterns as well. The parents all get a new appreciation of the movement because their children are so much faster then they are!!

Body Integration in Class

As you continue to teach, see if you can bring a new awareness to body integration. For teachers with little ones, can you create activities to help your students build these important connections? And for teachers with older students, see if your students can demonstrate homologous, homolateral and contralateral movements. Who knows what they will develop and learn about their bodies, all by tuning in to their bodies.

I would love to hear what you and your students discover. As for me, I am off to ice my neck with my left hand. I love re-learning through my experiences, hopefully next time it will be a little less painful!

Top 10 List: Reasons Teachers Should Continue their Education

Is the expense to attend a teacher training or summer seminar worth it?

Particularly when money and times are tight, dance educators wrestle with this question. It seems we find it hard to justify spending money or attention on our own development, though we would encourage it for our students. Below is my top ten list of reasons you would want to seriously consider some continuing ed for yourself this year.

1. New Classroom Tools

Teacher workshops directly provide curriculum, music, or methods for your use. As a participant  in technique class, there is opportunity to experience new ways of combining steps, of structuring a class, of delivering a concept. Take notes throughout your experience, borrowing the best from your observations.

2. Remembering What It’s Like

Students feel pressure to do well, they get nervous, they are sometimes afraid to try something new, they struggle with physical or psychological challenges. The occasional reminder of what it feels like to be a student, to push oneself through challenges, to risk and take on something new will bring added depth and understanding to your teaching.

3. Physical Exercise

If you are a teacher, you probably recognize that the physical demands of instructing students is very different from actual dancing. You spend time moving but not as you would as a class participant or performer. A challenging program or class can help keep you in shape.

4. Mental Exercise

Ditto on giving your brain a workout. Teaching can become routine and repetitive. Demanding more of your brain is stimulating and refreshing.

5. Creative Input/Output

Teachers do a lot of giving. Choreography, class exercises, working with students – these things require creativity. However, consistent output without refilling the well of creativity can cause the source to dry up. And creativity does breed creativity. Sometimes even taking the opportunity to create something for your own pleasure (an art class, a writing workshop, crafting, even a choreography workshop) can replenish your reserves.

6. Improved Business

Each new experience adds credibility. Parents and students will appreciate that you’ve made an effort to improve your teaching, expand your repertoire, study and grow. The more diverse your education, the more marketable you become as a teacher. You want to be able to share what you did over summer vacation, too!

7. Networking

A dance-related conference or seminar offers the chance to interact with other teachers and professionals from all over the country or world. Making these contacts strengthens your ties to the dance world beyond your studio, creating opportunities for you and your students. Events in your own backyard can still add benefit. You may develop friendships or connect with those that are willing to donate, offer sponsorship, or collaborate on a project. You just never know.

8. Validation

If you ever feel like others in your life (husbands/wives, friends, relatives) don’t understand your passion and commitment to dance and teaching, here is a chance to be among others that get it! Not only is sharing your thoughts and ideas with these folks restorative but the affirmation you receive among comrades can sustain you through the coming year.

9. Personal Growth

Address your own need for development. Mastery and accomplishment serve to increase self-confidence in your pupils and will do the same for you. And, this could be a separate point but, your willingness to grow and learn will inspire the same in your students!

10. Staying Ahead of Change

The quote below, really says it all. New theories and practices in physiological science are changing the ways dance teachers teach. Dance training, though rooted in tradition, is a vast field – there will always be something new to learn and discover. Staying on top of your game will benefit you and your students.

“In a time of drastic change, it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned usually find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists.” — Eric Hoffer, US philosopher

Though it is a great idea to set aside some funds for you and/or your teachers to attend workshops or summits, I want to emphasize that growth experiences do not have to be pricey or far away. In fact, they may not even have to be dance-related! There is much to be gained from observing teachers who specialize in other disciplines, from opening yourself to new experiences, from simply taking time to create or learn something just for you.

Do you have a reasons or benefits you’d like to add to the list?

What are some experiences you’d recommend to other teachers?

What inexpensive or even non-dance activities have informed and supported your teaching or helped you through the year?

Mustering their Motivation: Strategies for Engaging and Inspiring Students

What do you do with an unmotivated student?

Ignore them and hope they’ll go away?

Scream or threaten until you’re blue in the face?

Let’s face it. These students have a way of either zapping or absorbing much of your time and spirit. It can be hard to want to pour more of yourself into inspiring these lackluster learners. But, as a teacher, you feel compelled to instill a passion for dance. So, how can you motivate students in a way that won’t deplete your energy reserves?

1. Build Confidence

Frequently, when kids start refusing or resisting something it is because they believe or are afraid they can’t do it (no matter what kind of attitude or brave face they put on). Do your best not to skip over essential building blocks in technique, performance, and artistry and don’t hesitate to take a step or two backward if necessary. Taking things apart or breaking them down into parts allows students to put the puzzle together one piece at a time, slowly building their confidence through things they can do.

2. Just Ask

Sometimes just changing your approach to students can make a difference. Try asking, in a genuine manner, what you can do to make class better for them – “I’ve noticed you don’t seem to like barre very much. Is there something I can do that will make it more fun?” Their ideas may surprise you! Maybe they’d like more upbeat music, maybe they get tired of doing the same exercises all the time, maybe they get frustrated with too many corrections. Consider also offering choices: “Would you like to do pirouettes or jumps today?” Be willing to compromise and open the lines of communication in a non-threatening and inclusive way.

3. Go Figure

Generally if a student is in your class they like something about dance! Make an attempt to discover what that one thing is. This may or may not be directly dance-related. Perhaps it is a portion of class, maybe it is the thrill of performing, it might even be socializing with friends.

• If there is a portion of class the student enjoys, give him/her positive attention and feedback, especially during this part of class.
• If the enjoyment does not come directly from movement, try to remind yourself  that not everyone will feel as you do about dance, and then find ways to allow your student(s) to enjoy the aspects of dance they are most fond of.
  • For instance, if it is socializing they want, make it a point to encourage socializing outside of class if possible (dance studio slumber parties, pizza parties when students earn enough points for behavior in class, etc.)
  • Or, occasionally in class (quiz days where the students can work together on a vocabulary game, 5 minutes to socialize at the end of a productive class, etc.).

Be Crystal Clear

Be clear when giving instructions and be explicit and firm about what you expect from students. Let students know exactly what you are looking for and/or why you are doing certain exercises. If you expect them to get through a class without leaning lazily on the barre then say so when you set your ground rules. If you expect them to work hard for the 60 – 90 minutes they are in class, discuss the rewards for doing so.

Be dependable so that students know what to expect from you. If they are not meeting your expectations, be consistent about not letting them compete, or perform, or remain in class for the day. If you are not sure you have the power as a teacher to enforce these things, talk it over with the studio owner.

Encourage Critical Thinking

Instead of presenting students with conclusions and then offering examples to back it up, try presenting the examples first and let your students draw their own conclusions. “We have a dress code which requires you to wear a leotard, tights, and proper shoes. Why do you think we ask you to adhere to this code?” Or, “I know practicing the same exercises each week can seem boring. Why do you think we do it?” This engages students and allows them to feel like a participant rather than one who is being lectured. As a bonus, this encourages analysis and synthesis skills.

Make Class Sensational

Dance may seem like it is already a very sensory activity, however, watching videos, looking at diagrams of important bone and muscles, manipulating objects that increase students’ understanding of certain concepts or images, using touch or auditory cues — these things make the class interesting and can ignite curiosity and a desire to learn.

Emphasize Mastery of Skills

Designing a method or methods of assessing skills helps students to set goals for improvement. When these goals are focused on clear levels of mastery, students feel less personal risk throughout the learning process. Their self-worth is at stake when their sole measurement is based upon placement in the front row of a dance, medals at a competition, or comparison to others. Many students will give up before risking making a mistake if they feel their value is dependent on these external evaluations of their abilities. Skill-based assessment encourages self-evaluation and motivates from within. (Click here for more on encouraging self-evaluation)

Perhaps you are thinking. Wait a minute, this sounds like an awful lot of work!

Yes, I suppose if you suddenly tried to do all of these things at once it would be. What’s great about all of these approaches to learning and encouragement is that there is no right or wrong way to get started. Change occurs with gradual steps in the right direction. I often have to remind myself of these core philosophies when dealing with uninspired students. Have patience with yourself. Pick one to try with your classes and take note of how students respond.

Shouldn’t students just do things the way I want them to?

Sometimes I think teachers are inclined to believe that changing tactics for certain students or classes is akin to “caving” or “letting them win.” However, these strategies do not require that you relinquish your principles. In fact, they often allow students to see more clearly the reasons certain standards and ethics are important.

Meeting students where they are is much more efficient than wasting your energy trying to drag them along with you. Though these strategies do take effort, they won’t drain your energy, they may even invigorate you! And in the long run, you may find you no longer need to beat your head against a wall, go hoarse from yelling, or waste time threatening or bribing unmotivated students. Class will be easier for you and your students – you’ll all enjoy the process a lot more!

A Note on Playing Detective in Severe Cases

Sometimes lack of motivation can be a product of even deeper issues than lack of confidence. In severe cases, I try to play detective and get a sense for what is going on. Different tactics work for different kids. Sometimes a talk with the parents is needed. Maybe a one-on-one chat with the student. Perhaps it requires comparing notes with other teachers. Occasionally it’s all of the above.

Find out what they’re afraid of or insecure about and try to remove or alleviate the fear factor. Are they feeling bullied by other students? (yes, girls bully too) Are parents putting pressure on them “from the sidelines?” (also see our life as a dance mom guest post – friend or fanatic?) Are they comparing themselves to other students?

Obviously, as a teacher, you may be limited in your ability to help. Sometimes, accepting that there is nothing you can do and suggesting that a negative or severely unmotivated student move on or try another activity is the best thing you can do for yourself, and for others around them.

7 Ways Dance is Like Learning the ABC’s

When you were a young child, before you even understood the concept of reading, you probably learned the letters of the alphabet and the sounds they made. They are the building blocks Legos of Language! How is dance like learning the ABC’s?

Just as letters are put together to form words, the basics of dance are put together to form more complicated movements. You’ll never perform a great jump, for instance, without a plié or quality bend of the knees. A grand battement is just a kick without a tendue. A time step would be nothing without shuffles and flaps.

When learning to recognize letters, it is usually just the way the shape looks that becomes familiar initially. Later we begin to understand that each letter has sounds associated with it, we learn the rules about how the letter sounds in a certain instance, we learn to guess how that letter may be used in spelling a word, etc. Gradually we find and understand that letters are more complex than lines on a page and learn to master these complexities. We learn movement in a similar fashion. At first we see and copy how it looks. Only gradually and with practice and experience do we begin to see basic movements as having multiple components and uses in movement. The more we learn about the basics the smarter we are about dancing in general.

If you never learned to recognize or remember the sounds of each letter, reading entire words and sentences would be very difficult. Because letters give you a clue as to the sound and pronunciation of the word, it would be quite challenging to make guesses or inferences about  a word. Without familiarity of the alphabet, you might need to learn every new word individually. Coming across a word you haven’t seen before would almost be like starting from scratch and if you memorized it incorrectly you might not be able to catch the mistake on your own. Learning advanced movements before having a good understanding of the basics is just as inefficient. When you have a strong handle on the basics, you are able to guess and infer using muscle memory and apply your knowledge to a new step even if you’ve never tried it before. A student attempting advanced skills before mastering the basics is practically starting from scratch each time something new is introduced and he/she is more likely to form bad habits that will take time to go back and correct.

Before we learn to write in a fluid, cursive style, we are first taught to print – separating each stroke of our pencil to create a clean and clear letter. To build strong technique, it is helpful to break down movement in the same way. Beginners often learn to make clean and clear arm movements while standing still before they add locomotion. They practice balancing in a pose before trying to turn a pose. They learn the steps before they add the style. Gradually, a student is able to connect the dots without this process, movements are absorbed and executed as fluidly as cursive letters on a page.

When we learn to write letters we are asked to reproduce the standard version of a letter, making a Q much like all of the other students is a valued skill. We are also typically given extra lines on a page to support the replicating of the letters. As we gain experience we need these extra lines less and will gradually adopt our own unique penmanship. However, we needed to practice the standard version to help ensure that our writing began as legibly and neatly as possible before we started “messing” with it. In dance we often use the support of the barre and are asked to practice movements in a certain way so that we have a strong foundation. In this way our technique can remain clear and strong even when, eventually, we are able or encouraged to bend the rules and add our own unique style.

But, Nichelle, what about creativity? Before we ever learn to write letters, it is VERY important to spend a lot of time scribbling, not only to get used to holding a writing instrument but also to express oneself. No matter how much time we spend learning the technique of making letters, drawing, scribbling, and creating is typically encouraged (or should be) throughout childhood and beyond. In fact the benefits are reciprocal. Creativity inspires the desire to improve technique and as technique gets better, creativity and artistry has the freedom to advance to a higher level. For this very reason, I try to always encourage students to move, improvise, and create not only as young students (before true technical study) but as advancing students who are in the process of learning technical skills.

Gee! There’s nothing here! I promised seven ways dance is like learning the ABC’s but only delivered six. That’s because I’d like to challenge you to come up with number seven. I know your creative little minds are going to produce some great analogies that will appeal to other students or teachers. I look forward to reading them in the comments below!

A Dancer’s Guide: Tips for College (Part II)

Tips for College Part I dealt with what to expect in technique classes and performance rehearsals, as well as some tips for success in these areas. In continuation of the series, I will highlight two aspects of dance in higher education with which many incoming students have little experience.

Improvisation

Improvisation may be an entirely new concept for some of you (if we’re not counting the off-the-cuff choreography you’ve performed in front of your bedroom mirror). I count myself very lucky to have had early experience in creative dance and improvisation at my hometown studio. At the time, I did not realize it was a rarity. However, it was not long into my first year as a dance major that a professor introduced the concept of improvisational movement and began leading the class in some beginning exercises. I could feel tension among the students. Some were nervous to appear so vulnerable in front of their peers and instructor and others had no idea how to start or what to do. A few that had before been asked to move as they’d like in a dance studio class had perhaps had no guidance and had always used the moments to re-hash their favorite moves or try something they’d seen the older kids do. It seemed likely that this was not what the professor was looking for. Fear suddenly paralyzed some of the most talented dancers in the class. If you are an experienced improviser, your background will serve you well in the college environment. If you are in the other group, don’t panic! Improvisation, just like technique, takes practice to move comfortably and confidently. And you will get plenty of practice now that you are entering this new phase in your study of dance. So…

• Tip #5: Don’t be afraid to just take a deep breath and go for it. You may feel like a fool, but the only people that looked foolish that day in my class were those that were too afraid or insecure to make the most of the opportunity. They giggled, marked their movement, or froze altogether rather than bravely being willing to appear awkward or even unsophisticated.

Modern Dance, Contemporary Concepts

Modern dance may be new to many of you as well. It is a very important part of many dance programs because it was within academic establishments that Modern techniques were developed and the art form found its foothold in America. Despite its prominence at universities, few dance studios offer Modern Dance techniques in their curriculum. Some of you may compete in (or witness) Modern at competitions. However, often only some of those that compete in this category are studying modern dance techniques and usually even less are utilizing the choreographic processes typical of Modern Dance. If you are one of the few, kudos to your dance school.

The art form of Modern Dance (and Contemporary dance forms in general) is more than just performing the techniques and steps with which it is associated. That is the “how” but Modern Dance also asks “why.” Without the process or investigation of this question, a dancer or choreographer is offering their interpretation of Modern Dance. In other words, a dance may look expressive or emotive, contain un-balletic poses or rolling on the floor, and be accompanied by unconventional music choices, but can lack the artistic intent of contemporary dance forms that you will be asked to explore in college and beyond. I believe I’m safe to assume that many of you will find what is expected of you in your study of Modern Dance (and perhaps other dance forms as well) in a university setting to be very different from your studio at home. There will be more emphasis on dancing with an understanding of how the body functions and how something feels (as opposed to how it looks), on working apart from or even against the music as you dance, on presenting abstract meaning or intent through movement, and on discovering ways of moving that are new or even unflattering. With all of that in mind…

• Tip #6: Embrace the task at hand. Focus simply on the task your teacher, who is guiding you in your exploration, has charged. When you are uncertain or just learning, solving one problem at a time will keep you from getting wrapped up in trying to make something spectacular instead of discovering something spectacular. A direction as simple as “dance with one elbow attached to the ground” or “let your breath guide each movement” may seem silly at first and you may be tempted to think that you don’t need this exercise to be a good dancer. But, don’t think, just try it, because these silly little exercises will help you grow from someone who makes dance into someone who can express themselves through dance.

Filling in the Gaps

There may be a point during your college career that someone may imply that there have been gaps in your dance education and you are faced with breaking old habits or learning something in a different way. If or when this occurs, I encourage you to resist becoming indignant. Refer back to Part I and learn to trust your new instructors, letting go of any assumptions that you “already know how to do” whatever they are asking you to do. As a college instructor, it was often frustrating for me to see talented students holding on so tightly to what their teachers “back home” had told them that their progress in my class stalled. In fact, the students who improved most rapidly in my beginning level classes were those who had little to no dance experience because they held no preconceived notions and could absorb all that I offered them. I encountered students with 14 years or so of studio experience which had yielded many bad habits from repetition of poor technique. Unfortunately in some cases, these “experienced” students seemed unsatisfied with re-examining the basics after having been considered “advanced” dancers at home. It would have benefited these students to remember that even professionals consistently work to better understand and perform the basics of their technique.

I hope that my wording in this post has not made anyone feel that their instruction up to this point has not been worthwhile. While it is wonderful when dance schools for young students take steps to provide an understanding of the more creative or artistic side of dance (and as you may know, I highly encourage this), I realize that teaching students to execute dance is the primary function of a studio. You should not feel shortchanged if your school has provided you with a solid technical foundation and performance experience. You have plenty of time to dig deeper in your understanding of movement and to mature as an artist.

Read on to Part III…