Madison Janke
Introduction
Ballet can be an uplifting art form and a sport that promotes an ideal body type, values a certain level athleticism, and fosters competition among differently skilled dancers. As a teacher, I hope to highlight the beauty and technique that is found in this art form. I plan to instill joy, passion, and a love of ballet through shifting the focus from extrinsic, to intrinsic motivation (Jackson 29). Evaluating each dancer on her own physical terms, not comparing students to each other, and promoting self-discipline could be ways that I would hope to create this motivation shift. I believe that if teachers were successful in articulating the beauty of the art form, students would develop an appreciation and desire to dance. The phrase, “gotta dance” is an excellent example of the mindset of an intrinsically motivated dancer. My personal observations have led me to believe that if many students echoed this phrase, ballet would not have as many dancers dropping out of class at a young age.
I. Who I am
As a teacher of young students, I would use the command style in tandem with the practice style. At a young age, students are not as self-disciplined, they are less focused, and they need the extra authoritative presence. If I were to teach older students, who had experience with the ballet foundations, I would use the practice and reciprocal style. This would give them time to continue their exploration of corrections and apply observations of others to their own dance experience. I believe that some of the most beneficial growth occurs when students observe each other dancing, applying the things they like and disregarding the things that don’t appeal to them. To illustrate quality discernment, I would highlight and point out something another student has done in a combination, applying an observation that I personally had. For my students, I will do my best to highlight and promote the importance of observing their classmates during each combination
I hope to be a teacher who has an authoritative demeanor; establishing discipline, while still being kind and empathetic. I know that I personally find it difficult to be assertive, so I hope to portray a confident attitude, with a clear voice and an enthusiastic energy. I want my students to feel safe, respected and motivated. I would like to create a positive atmosphere, where my students have the best opportunity to learn. Through recognizing discipline and praising hard work, I’d hope to provide a place where the individuals can thrive and are intrinsically motivated. I’d like to instill my students with a passion to dance, an intrinsic motivation to learn, and a joy and a love of the art. I would do this by encouraging, positively affirming their motivated drive, enthusiastically sharing my knowledge of dance and by modeling my own passion for the art.
I want to correct students as individuals, taking the time to tailor corrections to their personal capabilities. I value the insights one can gain from an anatomical understanding. Knowing the individual anatomical limitations and strengths of my students, gives me the ability to provide applicable corrections. From personal experience, I can see the powerful influence teachers have on their students. It is daunting how a degrading, negative remark can unravel and reverse the positive effects that a teacher may have had. I do not want to limit my dancers based on an ideal body type, having them strive toward a vague standard of perfection (Jackson 32). I see the value in what different body types can contribute. I want to foster an appreciation, in my students, for their own bodies so they are not comparing themselves to an unrealistic ideal. Building a partnership with their body allows them push themselves toward their own personal ideal.
Dance can be an activity that causes stress in a student’s life (Hanna 173). Comparing oneself to other students, being constantly given corrections and feedback, and dealing with the physical limitations that one might have, can cause stress. While I believe competition can result in fostering growth and developing personal skill, I do think that it causes more extrinsic instead of intrinsic motivation. Limiting the amount of comparisons should keep dancers from becoming unmotivated and disillusioned. As a teacher, I would want to channel the stress to benefit my students. A student’s self-induced stress could be beneficial if she is channeling it to drive herself to improve and if she is trying to best herself. If a student is able to improve their technique through discipline and hard work, I would encourage this self-induced stress. However, I believe that many students leave dance early because they lose the joy that they had once found in the art. I would hope to find the balance between positive reinforcement and a student’s own self-discipline. I want to provide an atmosphere of joy and passion, encouraging an intrinsic motivation approach to dance. With a student only comparing herself, against herself, she has a better chance of becoming intrinsically motivated to improve than when she is competing against others. She also has a better chance of finding joy in dance, with this focus off competition, because she is only focusing on improving herself, against herself.
II. What students can expect
I expect my students to come to class prepared, and I expect that of myself as well. Students should warm themselves up beforehand so they do not have to rely on plié to warm their bodies. If the focus, at the start of class, is not solely on warming the body, then other things, like alignment, can be discussed. I also expect my students to come with an open mind, ready to apply and attempt to maintain corrections. As for myself, I will be prepared with combinations that thread together smoothly and point toward a main idea. I will also not give corrections that are vague, need interpreting, and are not anatomically accurate. For example, “pull up” or “raise your chest” (Grieg 114-115).
I also expect my students to be respectful, self-motivated and disciplined. If my students give me their best, I am able to invest fully because they work hard and are willing to apply my feedback. As for myself, I will commit to not play favorites among students but I will treat each individual equally.
III. What I know
As a teacher, I believe that it is important to not drill my dancers with information, in order to fit them into a specific, stylized ideal. Instead, I would approach dance as an opportunity to educate and teach my students (Jackson 32). There are many things a teacher has in mind when they approach dance education. As Alwin Nikolais says, “The teacher stands at the crossroad of the dancer’s world: One rein on the creative, one rein on the technical, one rein on the aesthetics, one rein on the living process, one rein on the future, one on the past, and all of them straining at the same time” (Mertz 111). In addition to this difficulty, teachers usually do not have the instant gratification of seeing their students improve. As a result, patience, perseverance and commitment are important qualities that should be strengthened (Mertz 110). As a teacher, I will approach dance as an educational opportunity, not getting disappointed if I do not see immediate improvement in my students.
When it comes to creating a class, I believe that it is important to create concepts that thread cohesively throughout its entirety. Dancers are then given an overarching idea to focus on during each combination. If I chose to highlight isolation as my concept, I would point out areas in class where they could focus on this. For example, in rond de jambe, dancers could feel the isolation of the working leg in the hip socket. I feel that this is a helpful way of approaching a class because there is an actual purpose and everything points towards one main idea.
Another important aspect of teaching is having a solid anatomical understanding. Without this knowledge, teachers could push students into shapes and positions that they physically cannot manage, demanding more from them than their body can actually give. For example, if an instructor does not know that the shape of the spine has specific curves that balance the body’s weight and function as shock absorbers, an inexperienced teacher might see the curves as misalignment. Or if they do not know that each section of the spine has a different method of moving, then they might ask a student to do something that is not physically possible (Grieg 18-19). Knowing the anatomy of a student can give a teacher the opportunity to hone in on each individual student’s needs. When a student has more flexibility and not enough strength, being anatomically informed allows the teacher to know which muscles need strengthening (Paskevska 113-114). It makes them more informed; causing them to make better decisions, not make uninformed corrections, and organize a class in a method that is beneficial and not harmful. I have personally experienced being pushed past my body’s warning of its limitations and have been put in a place where I could easily injure myself. As a teacher, I will continue to educate myself in anatomy. I will also pay attention to my student’s bodies, recognizing their strengths, their areas of weakness, their capabilities and their limitations.
As a student, I recognize the importance of a teacher who physically demonstrates their combinations. Demonstrating allows students to observe and gather visual information about how the exercises should be performed. I believe that physical demonstration should be paired with auditory vocalization of the counts and steps. While students are observing, they should be doing the combination along with the teacher, so as to enter into the information in a kinesthetic manner. I believe that students are able to fully obtain the information being given when they are observing the physical demonstration, listening to the auditory cuing, and exploring the movement in their own bodies. Recognizing the important role of demonstrating, I will give a combination full out, emphasizing the artistry, and vocalizing the counts and steps.
Imagery can be used to apply and approach feedback in a different manner, as well as a way to visualize success and refine movement (Grieg 13). I have found imagery to be a useful tool while giving feedback, however, the success of the feedback through imagery relies on the students’ inclination, exploration, and application of the image. Students who are visual learners tend to find this form of cuing very helpful. I would, hopefully, know my students well enough to discern whether they would find imagery helpful but if I am not familiar with a class, I can always ask how they best understand information. Regardless, I will use imagery to provide a different way of approaching repetitive feedback, in order to shine a light and unlock a new understanding for my students.
Feedback, as a tool, should be given as constructive criticism. I also think that positive re-enforcement should go hand-and-hand with feedback. Providing the encouragement allows students to receive confirmation that they interpreted the information correctly.
When it comes to cueing, I will approach it through tactile, vocal and visual methods. I believe that incorporating all three gives the dancer the best chance to gather the information that I offer. Dancers also have different learning styles so through using kinesthetic, auditory and visual communication, I can cater to each approach to learning.
Another useful tool for gaining information is observation. Through observing other students, dancers can recognize positive things that they like, and they can apply it to their own dancing. It also fosters intrinsic motivation because students have to want the desire to improve. While I do not want all of my dancers to look the same, I do believe that observing a fundamental or aesthetic change and adapting it to their own interpretation, can have many benefits.
The last important tool I would emphasize using is musicality. Dance would not be the same without music and musicality is vitally important as a dancer. It plays a part in making dance visually appealing and it causes ballet to be atheistically pleasing. Musicality is a strength of mine, and I believe it plays an important role in ballet, so I will work to build a musically inclined ear in all of my students. One of the ways to build this inclination is through changing counts so students do not rely on predictable phrasing. Another way is to have the dancers stop, and count the music before they begin the combination. In addition, emphasizing the counts with the steps, during the demonstration, allows the students to become familiar with how the steps will match the musical cues.
Conclusion
Throughout my classes as a student, I have valued when my teachers have a solid anatomical understanding and give corrections through that lens. Without it, teachers ask for the impossible, give uninformed corrections, and put dancers in a position where they could easily get injured. I hope to bring forward a body friendly class that is full of applicable corrections. Additionally, I have valued when a teacher uses visual and auditory methods of presenting the material and feedback. It also helps when they highlight the importance of observation and invite students to invest in a kinesthetic manner. As a teacher, I want to incorporate this three method approach to presenting information because I believe that it offers the most success for a student’s learning. I also feel that the motivation that it takes to apply observations to one’s own body allows an intrinsic desire to improve, an opportunity to develop. Lastly, I value when a teacher spends time and energy organizing a class that points towards a main concept. I believe that it is helpful to focus on one overarching idea, in addition to paying attention to the detailed feedback. If the class follows a logical path, students are not confused by an unorganized and unrelated class. As a teacher, I would hope to thread my classes so they flow towards a main concept.
Works Cited
Grieg, Valerie. Inside Ballet Technique. Princeton Book, Publishers, 1994. Print.
Hanna, Judith Lynne. Partnering Dance and Education: Intelligent Moves for Changing times.
Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 1999
Mertz, Annelise. The Body Can Speak: Essays on Creative Movement Education with Emphasis
on Dance and Drama. Carbondale: Southern Illinois UP, 2002. Print.
Paskevska, Anna. Ballet beyond Tradition. New York: Routledge, 2005. Print.