THOUGHTS ON ADULT BALLET CLASS

Last night I taught my first adult ballet class.  When I was asked to give this class I accepted the opportunity with concerns.  I was told this was a big group of students with diverse abilities and aged from 18 to 81! 

EXPLORING COLOR THROUGH MOVEMENT

Picasso's 'The Dream'

I am always trying to add depth and value to my classes.  Perhaps then one day while sitting in science class one of my dance students will be able to recall data from dance class!!  Yesterday's post got me thinking about how effectively the color spectrum can be explored through movement.  Different colors vibrate at different speeds and travel at different wavelengths.  Tempo can be used to illustrate the different velocities of each color.  Blue vibrates faster than yellow which moves at a faster speed than red.  Wavelengths can be explored through short and long non-locomotor and locomotor movements and/or movement sequences.  Any other ideas on how to represent color in movement and dance?

TEACHING ART AND ARTISTS THROUGH CREATIVE MOVEMENT

I become very excited when I find books that I can use to add value to my dance classes.  "Pablo Picasso - Art for Children" by Ernest Raboff (1982) not only includes vivid pictures of the artists work by also interpretations of each piece.  I cannot wait to use them, especially this one on "The Rooster".  Here are some ideas I have...First explore movement dynamics using concrete images, such as the strong rooster vs a bird that conjures images of grace and gentleness like a swan perhaps.  Select music that reflects these movements and aids the students to use different space, rhythm and energy.  Secondly the shape and forms in the drawing can be interpreted through dance.  The zig-zag and sharp lines of the roosters crown and beak can be shaped in the body as well as in locomotor movements (skips or running and stopping abruptly).  The rounded belly and soft curves of the tail also allows for contrast between linear and round, sharp and soft.  Thirdly there is opportunity to explore dance through color.  How would you move if you were the red crown as opposed to the blue body or the yellow tail? 

This kind of lesson is both fun and educational.  Dancers end up interpreting and internalising Picasso's work kinesthetically. Have you used this type of teaching in your dance classes?  Do you have any other ideas on incorporating this into your teaching?

DALI'S "HOMAGE TO TERPSICHORE"

During my recent visit to Paris I went to the Dali museum with a friend of mine.  Dali's perception of the world had me engrossed as I viewed his soft watches, elephants, eggs and secret drawers.  I was more than delighted to stumble upon a sculpture named "Homage to Terpsichore".  This is what is written underneath the sculpture:

"Terpsichore is one of the famed nine Mythological muses.  In creating his version of the muse of dance Terpsichore, Dali uses a reflected image, seeing the soft, carnal muse against the hardened statue one.  The lack of definition in both faces clearly underlines the purely symbolic significance of these uses.  The dancer with the smooth and classical form represents the ever-growing and chaotic rhythm of modern life.  Both figures dance side by side in everyone"

Date:  conceived in 1977, first cast in 1984

Material:  bronze

Technique:  lost wax process

CHILDREN WHO HAPPEN TO DANCE

I have a new student who is all smiles when she is in class.  Her excitement and enthusiasm is exhilirating!  She is focussed, attentive and keen to learn.  Of course, these types of students make teaching and training a much easier and joyful experience for us.  But it should be our goal as dance teachers to inspire and light a passion within each and every student.  I wonder what percentage of dance students go on to professional dance careers?  What happens to all those other tens of thousands of dance students?  Do we neglect to give them value for their thousands of dollars spent and hundreds of hours in dance practice.  I hope not.  I hope we ensure that the value of dance does not lie in its movement alone otherwise these students could gain just as much from soccer practice or tennis (and have spent alot less money).  No, the value of dance lies in its status as an art and in its diversity as an educational and therapeutic tool.  Think about how you can improve the value of your teaching by not just looking at each child as a dancer, but by looking at each child as a human being (physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual) who happens to dance.

BAND ON THE RUN

Pain is something all runners and dancers deal with occasionally and certain injuries are common to both these activities  A friend of mine told me she suffers from Iliotibial Band Syndrome, and this is one such injury that runners and dancers have in common.  This condition causes pain along the outside of the knee (where the inflammation is likely to occur) and makes flexion and extension of the knee painful.  Because this ligament is attached to the tensor fascia latae (TFL) as well as the gluteus medius it is advisable to focus on all of these areas to 'cover all your bases'.



WHAT IS THE ILIOTIBIAL BAND?

The iliotibial band (ITB) is the thickened tissue of the fascia latae and runs along the outside of your leg, stretching from the hip down to the knee.  It is attached to the TFL and gluteus medius.  The purpose of the iliotibial band is support the TFL and gluteus medius with abduction of the leg.  It is also used along with the gluteus medius for rotation of the leg.  



HOW DOES IT BECOME IRRITATED?

If the TFL and glutes are weak, the ITB becomes overworked. It can also become irritated by continuous rubbing across the femoral condyle.  Other factors that can contribute to ITB syndrome are pronation of the feet, rotation in the legs / feet and bow legs



WHAT CAN I DO TO FACILITATE THE HEALING PROCESS?

Both stretching and strengthening of the hip abductors will help decrease the work load given to the ITB.  Also deep tissue massage (with a pinky ball / tennis ball or foam roller) will release tension in the ITB, further facilitating the healing process.  For today I want to deal with deep tissue massage.  Deep tissue massage helps to release muscle tension, knots and break up scar tissues which can affect the lengthening ability of the muscle.  Don't forget to breath during the sessions and to really try to relax.  The density of the equipment is really important.  If the balls or foam rollers are too dense (hard) they could hurt you, so try find ones that have a little give (I use tennis and foam ballistic balls).

Pinky Ball / Tennis Ball Massage

Place the ball over the affected area and apply as much or as little pressure as you slowly roll it.  Initially it may be very sensitive, so ease up on the pressure.  What you are trying to achieve is to slowly release the tension in the tissue.  Remember to avoid bruised or swollen areas, and do do no more than 2 - 3 minutes at a time.  The best time to perform this is in the afternoon or at night when your hormones are at their highest level making stretching and relaxing more efficient.  Also  after a warm bath, when the muscles and tissues are warm.  You can also place the ball between yourself  and the wall (standing) and slowly roll it along and around the ITB that way.

Now move the ball to the surrounding muscles i.e. the gluteus and TFL and continue slowly massaging and releasing any tension in those areas.  The more you do this the more relief you will experience in these areas.  Should you wish to take this further, you can perform these same massages prior to your running or dancing activity to prevent soreness.

Foam Roller Massage

Lie on the ground with the foam roll underneath the outside portion of your thigh. Places just under your hip bone.  You want to have three points of contact on the floor (see picture) by placing the same side elbow (or hand) and the opposite foot on the ground.  Press and roll back and forth over the outside portion of your thigh. Slowly working it down to just above the knee.  This may take several tries as it can be very painful.  So take is easy!  Roll for 30-60 seconds and then switch legs. To increase pressure, take your opposite leg off the floor and stack it on top of the opposite thigh (only one point of contact).

I hope this helps aid you in your recovery!  Good luck.

PLANNING AHEAD FOR DANCE CLASS

I have been spending the last few days planning for the new dance year and I am not even close to being finished.  At times it can be very intimidating and I want to fall into the easy pattern of just recording the steps that I feel each class should master before the year end.  However, this accomplishes very little as all they learn is to master the execution of the step/s and not the process or the understanding of the elements involved.  You know that saying "Give a man a fish and he eats for a day; teach a man to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime".  I can give dance students so much more in terms of training and teaching if I focus on the skills and elements they require in order to perfect the step/s.  In so doing I don't just give them dance, I teach them to dance (focusing the teaching objectives on process in order to perfect execution). 

 

There are three sections to focus on:  objectives, assessments and instruction.

• Objectives = what you want them to learn
• Assessment = how well they demonstrate the skill
• Instruction = how you teach them

 

Each section will start from a long-term plan (curricula) and end in short-term plans (individual lessons).  Perhaps you want to group individual lessons into an overall unit (semester) using a specific theme as a cohesive element.  All this preparation and planning makes training and teaching so much easier.  You will enter each class with an idea of what you want to accomplish during that lesson, and how it applies to the objectives for the year.  It may seem like alot of work but preparation is the key to success (both in and out of the studio).

 

Objectives should be SMART:

 

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Realistic
• Time Bound

This means that I will not use the example below for a class of 4-year olds!!

Let me give you an example:

Ballet 3

Long Term Objective
Demonstrate use of articulated footwork

Assessment
Demonstrate evidence of articulation during class through demi-pointe and pointe work.  Criteria would include relaxed metatarsals in demi-pointe, alignment of foot, use of intrinsic foot muscles evidenced in lengthening of metatarsals in pointe to name a few.  An initial assessment will be performed to assess each students range of motion in ankle and metatarsals.

Instruction
Discussion and worksheets to teach foot anatomy and what happens during weight bearing and non-weight bearing exercises.
Exercises using therabands, scarves and pinky balls to strengthen and relax intrinsic muscles
Specific commands during class to encourage awareness of articulation during barre and center exercises
Viewing of chosen clips from dances for students to observe and critique


Now that I have identified a long-term objective along with my assessments and instruction, I will break this down into units and then specific lesson plans.  I will also want to use different teaching methods to keep class interesting and reach all students.  Examples of methods include demonstration, practice, problem-solving, partnering and collaboration.  I will start though by using a few minutes from the first several lessons to conduct the individual assessments which will give a base line for each students range of motion.

All in all I have 10 objectives for this class.  You may have noticed that I did not include specific steps or movements for the objective.  I do have a list of movements / steps that I want them to be able to perform successfully by year-end (a measurable objective indeed).

I hope this makes some sense to you.  Sorry to rush this, but I have plenty of planning to do.....

"Good teaching connects creativity to technique and technique to creativity" (Chris Thomson)

 

 

References

Gough, M (1999) Knowing Dance:  A Guide of Creative Teaching.  Dance Books Ltd, London.

McCutchen, B (2006) Teaching Dance as Art in Education.  Human Kinestics, Champaign, Illinois.