Dance Technique Research Articles

Creating Cultures of Teaching and Learning: Conveying Dance and Somatic Education Pedagogy

ABSTRACTOften in teaching dance, methods of teaching and learning are silently embedded into dance classroom experiences. Unidentified and undisclosed pedagogic information has impacted the content of dance history; the perpetuation of authoritarian teaching practices within dance technique classes and in some dance classes deemed “somatics”; and the perception of the field of dance as “dance as art” or “dance as education”. This research illuminates a history of dance pedagogy in United States higher education. Dance pedagogy is aligned with current educational theory and practice, which reveals the impact of pedagogic choices on creating student-centered and teacher-centered cultures of teaching and learning. This article calls upon dance educators to be cognizant of the implications of pedagogic choices and to be transparent to students about pedagogy in their classrooms.

Kinematic analysis of sautés in barefoot and shod conditions.

Dancers are exposed to many landings from jumps during class and performance, and repetitive loading has been linked with an increased risk of injury. Little is known about the effect of different dance shoe types on jump landings, and with so many dance shoe designs available to choose from, a thorough exploration is warranted. Dance technique dictates that jump landings be "rolled through the foot," with a toe strike followed by controlled lowering of the ball of the foot and heel. For this study, 3D motion analysis was used to capture the movement of 16 female dancers performing sautés in second position. Lower limb joint kinematics were examined during the landings, both barefoot and in different jazz shoe designs. The results showed that all dancers executed the technique of "rolling through the foot." All jazz shoe designs increased knee and ankle sagittal ROM (p < 0.05) but reduced ankle frontal plane ROM and midfoot ROM in all three planes (p < 0.05). Chorus shoes increased maximum knee flexion by more than 5° during the plié. Jazz shoes restricted midfoot sagittal and transverse plane motion and MPJ sagittal motion compared to barefoot throughout stance phase (p < 0.05). These changes may translate to a reduced capacity to absorb impact or decreased propulsion. Dance jump landings in the jazz shoe designs tested may appear to be heavier due to the greater reliance on knee flexion to absorb impact and less push-off for subsequent jumps.

The Importance of the Collection of Oskar Kolberg for Contemporary Choreological Studies

Abstract The mainstream fields of Polish dance research were defined in 1818–1847 by Józef Elsner, Kazimierz Brodziński, Łukasz Gołębiowski and Karol Czerniawski, who broadly characterized some elements of the dances considered as national (the polonaise, mazur, krakowiak and kozak). Oskar Kolberg knew very well the works of all these authors and referred to them many times. However, he was unique in his extensive documentation of dance melodies, information about their geographic origin, and local terminology. He also characterized the dances with regard to their sequence in the traditional context and described the dance technique in an instructive manner. Oskar Kolberg’s documentation for quite a long time remained outside the scope of mainstream research and publications about dance in Poland. In the 1930s Polish representatives of the newly defined field of ethnochoreology were the first to include examples from Kolberg in their works on the ritual dances, regional dances and characteristic dance behaviour types and forms. Kolberg’s works increased in popularity after the World War II. Today the materials left by Oskar Kolberg allow us to establish to a large extent the geographic range and perspective on the changes of dance repertoire, both with regard to choreographic technique and dance types, or a more detailed and critical perspective on the problems of folk terminology in dance phenomena. It may also serve as the point of departure for wider retrospective or comparative studies – which may not be very fashionable today, but which have never been adequately conducted in Poland.

Beckett's Dances

Modern dance has been hugely influenced by the theatre, and to some extent prose, of Samuel Beckett. References to a ‘Beckettian aesthetic’ abound in dance criticism. However, critical examination of the relationship between Beckett and dance has thus far been fairly one-sided; the influence of dance on the work of Beckett is almost entirely unaccounted for. This article highlights how Beckett's plays provide unusually detailed verbal and pictographic instructions, which so meticulously prescribe the deportment and movement of the performers, that they appear to have been choreographed. Line is used in dance as a tool for notating movement and as a reflection of the linearity of the body; in Beckett, there is a clear interest in theline of limbs, and in the lines of movement. This interest in the linear is emphasized in a choreographic approach to writing that includes the use of line diagrams in the stage directions. This article interrogates the interest in highly specific movement that pervades Beckett's opus, and suggests how the plays might usefully be put in conversation with dance. The article suggests an approach to the plays that accounts for the influence of dance on Beckett's writing, and on how different types of dance and choreographic technique surface in Beckett. The article suggests how the reading, direction and performance of movement (or lack of) in Beckett's plays, might be better understood via a better understanding of dance and choreography.

Kinematic analysis of basic rhythmic movements of hip-hop dance: motion characteristics common to expert dancers.

In hip-hop dance contests, a procedure for evaluating performances has not been clearly defined, and objective criteria for evaluation are necessary. It is assumed that most hip-hop dance techniques have common motion characteristics by which judges determine the dancer's skill level. This study aimed to extract motion characteristics that may be linked to higher evaluations by judges. Ten expert and 12 nonexpert dancers performed basic rhythmic movements at a rate of 100 beats per minute. Their movements were captured using a motion capture system, and eight judges evaluated the performances. Four kinematic parameters, including the amplitude of the body motions and the phase delay, which indicates the phase difference between two joint angles, were calculated. The two groups showed no significant differences in terms of the amplitudes of the body motions. In contrast, the phase delay between the head motion and the other body parts' motions of expert dancers who received higher scores from the judges, which was approximately a quarter cycle, produced a loop-shaped motion of the head. It is suggested that this slight phase delay was related to the judges' evaluations and that these findings may help in constructing an objective evaluation system.

Naturaleza estética y pedagógica de las jams de danza Contact Improvisation en España

Contact Improvisation (CI), a dance technique that emerged from New York in the seventies, introduced new pedagogical and choreographic approaches, among them, the collective improvisation sessions called jams. The objective of this study was to define

Hallux valgus in dancers: a closer look at dance technique and its impact on dancers' feet.

Hallux valgus is a common deformity of the forefoot. There is no doubt that some dancers develop hallux valgus, but the question remains as to whether dancers are at greater risk than the general population for developing this deformity. Review of the literature reveals on-going debate regarding risk factors for hallux valgus, which may include increasing age, female gender, genetic predisposition, constrictive shoe wear, first ray hypermobility, foot architecture, tight Achilles tendon, and first metatarsal length. There is insufficient evidence to demonstrate conclusively that dancing, specifically pointe work, increases the prevalence or severity of hallux valgus; more research is needed. Treatment of hallux valgus in dancers should be conservative, with delay of surgical correction until retirement if possible.

Khon Lakhon Performances at Dance Colleges in Central Thailand

This is a qualitative investigation that aims to analyze the current state and problems of Khon Lakhon performances in educational institutions of Central Thailand. The investigation was conducted from 1 May 2011 to 30 September 2012. 150 individuals were purposively selected as respondents for the research from five purposively selected institutions. The results show that Khon performances have been inherited by general society and incorporated into the education system at specialist dance schools and colleges. The performers have inherited their dance technique and understanding from teachers at a variety of institutes nationwide and honed their skills under the supervision of qualified instructors.Khon productions must be performed by skilled students, who have been trained according to a set curriculum. There are some problems with the Khon performances because the numbers of suitable candidates for each role in each age group are not equal and performers with a mixture of different age and skill levels must be used to complete the cast. The costumes, music, staging and props used by the five sample groups are very similar because they follow the traditional khon customs of the royal courts. The performance costumes and props used by educational institutions are not complete sets and cause the production quality to suffer. There are two clear areas of Khon Lakhon production in educational institutions that require development: the performers and the components.

Voice and dance technique integration: triple threat or double trouble?

Musical theatre performers who are proficient in dance, singing and acting are regarded as “triple threat” artists. The integration of training for these three disciplinary skills has challenges as conflicting body alignment and muscle recruitment options arise that can pose multiple injury risks for the pre-professional singer-dancer-actor. The question is how to prepare young artists for all three areas of skills that the musical theatre profession requires. In reality, the current college musical theatre education programmes continue to offer separate skills training for each discipline. This chapter will focus on some of the key challenges and possible solutions for the integrated training of the three disciplines. I will describe the underlying anatomy and physiology involved in dancing and singing; specific body alignment and technique choices that support safe and effective technique integration; and strategies for cross-training protocols such as cardiovascular and proprioceptive training. This chapter is intended to provide a schema for creating a comprehensive, integrative musical theatre training programme.

Seeds of an anti-hierarchic ideal: summer training at Body Weather Farm

From 1986 until 2010, dancer/choreographer Min Tanaka led a series of experimental body workshops in the town of Hakushu, a small village approximately four hours west of Tokyo. The methodology employed in these training sessions was grounded in the ideology of Shintai Kisho (Body Weather), which conceives of the body as a force of nature: omni-centred, anti-hierarchic, and acutely sensitive to external stimuli. Emphatically resistant to the codification and commodification of dance technique, Tanaka (whose dance was admired by Michel Foucault and Felix Guattari), sees the establishment of any repeatable, reproducible form as a collusion with the various power structures that limit human agency by controlling the body. Ideologically opposed to formalised dance pedagogy where students imitate the movements of a master teacher, the training challenged workshop members to closely imitate any physical movement, even those of the least experienced member. In these summer training sessions, struggle was valued over technical virtuosity, and physical stimulation over the type of visual imagery emphasised in many butô workshops. This paper explores the pursuit of an omni-centred, anti-hierarchic body in Tanaka's summer workshops, using material gleaned from participant observation in the 1997–2000 workshops and in-depth interviews with Tanaka himself.

Experiencing Our Anatomy: Incorporating Human Biology Into Dance Class Via Imagery, Imagination, and Somatics

ABSTRACTThis article proposes a model for introducing biological perspectives into teaching dance as a means to encourage students toward deeper, healthier, and more personal relationships with their art form as well as appreciation for their physical and cognitive abilities, both inside and outside of the dance studio. It recommends that dance teachers provide students with information about body systems and processes that is in line with Western science’s anatomization of the body in the interest of inspiring students’ personal somatic exploration. It puts forth that this teaching strategy will enhance students’ clarity about the intent and mechanics of dance technique and their investment in it. The article also outlines a sample somatic-based class geared toward university students, which illustrates how the respiratory system can be introduced to dance students, thereby providing a teaching model for how dance educators can initiate the incorporation of biological topics into their classes.

Circassian circle: application of dance techniques for small group teaching

Circassian circle: application of dance techniques for small group teaching

Meeting Students on Their Own Ground: Best Practices in Teaching Dance Technique, Grades 9–12

Meeting Students on Their Own Ground: Best Practices in Teaching Dance Technique, Grades 9–12

Bodies in Times of War: A Comparison of Hijikata Tatsumi and Mary Wigman's Use of Dance as Political Statement

How does the representation of bodies change in times of war? How can dance be political activism? This paper considers the dances of Hijikata Tatsumi and Mary Wigman in relation to their experiences of war, and explores their use/representation of the body as a political statement. In both cases, these artists sought to use dance to rescue the body from its subjugated social standing.Mary Wigman's dance technique is influenced by Germankorperkultur, and had its birth in her work with Rudolph Laban and at the natural paradise of Hellerau. Wigman admired Nietzsche's desire to rescue the body from “despisers of the body,” who saw the physical body as an obstacle that must be denied in order for the soul to reach salvation. For Wigman, the “sensuous dancing body” that Nietzsche referred to inZarathustra“became the vehicle to an authentic life.”Hijikata's idea of dancers as “lethal weapons that dream” offered a view of bodies that were aware of personal agency and chose to step outside of usefulness for the elusive “advancement” of society. He explains, “in this sense my dance, based on human self-activation … can naturally be a protest against the ‘alienation of labor’ in capitalist society.” Douglass Slaymaker's writing on post-war Japanese literature frames Hijikata's sentiment in the time: images of body asnikutai[flesh] were considered counterhegemonic because they defied the notion that the individual body belonged to the national body. Hijikata redirected the body's sacrifice away from productivity and toward the creation of art.

Cotillion Dance as an Embodiment of Class

This paper suggests that social dance, specifically cotillion, teaches students to internalize and reflect ideas relevant to constructions of class. An examination of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century cotillion dance (also referred to as private balls, public balls, assemblies, and dance halls) shows a physical manifestation of class that can still be seen in the modern day dance world. This paper examines social dance in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. I use historical references, specifically Elizabeth Aldrich's From the Ballroom to Hell: Grace and Folly in Nineteenth-Century Dance, Linda Tomko's Dancing Class, Gender, Ethnicity, and Social Divides in American Dance, and the Library of Congress Web site to foreground this idea before turning to some modern day case studies. Employing historical as well as interview-based methodologies, the paper combines interviews from present day cotillion directors with my own experiences in the cotillion and professional ballet communities. The paper concludes that social dance in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries sets up a tradition still carried forth today—one that is more about classed aspirations and courtship and less about dance technique or physical ability.

Occupational accidents in professional dancers with regard to different professional dance styles

The term "professional dance" comprises various dance styles. There are no studies which investigated work related traumatic injuries with regard to five different dance styles. To define dance-style related differences of traumatic injuries. The basis for the evaluation were the occupational injuries of professional dancers of six theaters (n=1339; f: n=658, m: n=681) and one State Ballet School (n=612; f:n=421, m: n=191). Independent of the dance style, the lower extremity (leg and hip) is the most frequently injured anatomical region (p< 0.001). The more dancers move away from the classical dance technique, the more traumatic head/neck injuries increase (p<0.001). Injury patterns and injured structures also show differences subject to dance styles (p< 0.001). In classical dance the most commonly sustained injuries are due to intrinsic factors with the significance of extrinsic factors increasing the more dancers diverge from defined classical dance techniques. The results shown in the study clarify the enormous dance-style related differences in traumatic injuries sustained by dancers. These differences support the development of dance-style related injury prevention measures and suggest further investigations with the focus being placed on the influence of organizational structures (e.g. number of performances) as well as on the working environments.

Improvising with Material in the Higher Education Dance Technique Class: Exploration and Ownership

On her website, performer Katie Duck (2013) states, “Improvisation is not a subject with aims and objectives … it is pedagogy.” With reference to academic research and my own teaching practice, I w...

Iliopsoas Syndrome in Dancers.

Background:Coxa saltans refers to a constellation of diagnoses that cause snapping of the hip and is a major cause of anterior hip pain in dancers. When the internal type is accompanied by weakness or pain, it is referred to as iliopsoas syndrome. Iliopsoas syndrome is the result of repetitive active hip flexion in abduction and can be confused with other hip pathology, most commonly of labral etiology.Purpose:To report the incidence, clinical findings, treatment protocol, and results of treatment for iliopsoas syndrome in a population of dancers.Study Design:Retrospective case series; Level of evidence, 4.Methods:A retrospective database review of 653 consecutive patients evaluated for musculoskeletal complaints over a 3-year period was completed. The diagnosis of iliopsoas syndrome was made based on anterior hip or groin pain, weakness with resisted hip flexion in abduction, or symptomatic clicking or snapping with a positive iliopsoas test. Patients identified with iliopsoas syndrome were further stratified according to age at time of onset, insidious versus acute onset, duration of symptoms, side of injury, presence of rest pain, pain with activities of daily living, and associated lower back pain. All patients diagnosed with iliopsoas syndrome underwent physical therapy, including hip flexor stretching and strengthening, pelvic mobilization, and modification of dance technique or exposure as required.Results:A total of 49 dancers were diagnosed and treated for iliopsoas syndrome. Within this injured population of 653 patients, the incidence in female dancers was 9.2%, significantly higher than that in male dancers (3.2%). The mean age at the time of injury was 24.6 years. The incidence of iliopsoas syndrome in dancers younger than 18 years was 12.8%, compared with 7% in dancers older than 18 years. Student dancers had the highest incidence (14%), followed by amateur dancers (7.5%), while professional dancers had the lowest incidence (4.6%). All patients responded to conservative treatment, and no patients required corticosteroid injections or surgical intervention.Conclusion:This is the largest series reported to date of iliopsoas syndrome in the dance population, treated noninvasively. This study supports that conservative treatment with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication, activity modification, and a physical therapy regimen specific to the iliopsoas should be the primary treatment for patients with iliopsoas syndrome.Clinical Relevance:This study supports current literature and conservative treatment of iliopsoas syndrome diagnosis. Furthermore, this study gives specific information regarding incidence of iliopsoas syndrome in dance populations and provides a test for diagnosis and an algorithm for treatment.

Considering motivation, goals, and mastery orientation in dance technique

Goals motivate students to engage in learning-related activities, but not all goals are created equal. Students’ goals can be parsed into two types: mastery and performance. Mastery-oriented students are primarily concerned with learning as an end in itself. Performance-oriented students tend to be more concerned with how they compare to others. Empirical studies have repeatedly confirmed that students’ individual goal orientations are likely to mirror the orientation their teacher stresses, the goal structure of their class. Given the consistent findings regarding the positive outcomes associated with students’ mastery goals, a mastery goal structure may provide a more supportive motivational context for all students. This relationship is well established in many educational contexts but has not received attention in dance. The relevant question is: What do mastery goal structures look like in dance? This article begins to address this question through the exploration of a single teacher’s pedagogical practice.

The Celebrated Monsieur Desnoyer, Part 1: 1721–1733

George Desnoyer first danced in London in 1721 and 1722, and returned to pursue a successful performing career there between 1731 and 1742. He may have been born around 1700 in Hanover, for he was the son of the dancing master ‘Denoyé’ employed by Georg Ludwig Elector of Hanover (later King George I of England) from at least 1694. 1 Musicians named ‘Desnoyers’ can be found in Paris records from the 1650s. 2 The elder Desnoyer may have been related to Antoine Desnoyers, who was a member of the ‘violons de la Chambre’ at the court of Louis XIV from at least the late 1670s until about 1694. 3 He may also have been the Desnoyers who danced in the 1689 and 1690 revivals at the Paris Opéra of Lully's Atys and Cadmus et Hermione respectively. 4 Whatever his lineage, George Desnoyer was already a skilled exponent of French belle dance style and technique when he first appeared in London, at the Drury Lane Theatre, early in 1721. Desnoyer's father died on 18 April 1721, and he was presumably appointed to succeed him for he left England during the summer of 1722 to become dancing master to George I's grandson Prince Frederick, who had remained in Hanover. His appointment at the electoral court formally ended early in 1730, and the following year Desnoyer returned to London. He was billed as ‘first dancer to the King of Poland’ when he appeared at Drury Lane in late 1731, and for the next few years he divided his time between London, Dresden and Warsaw. Desnoyer's London career lasted until 1742. Over the years, he performed solos, duets and group dances as well as appearing in a variety of afterpieces, and he enjoyed notable partnerships with several leading female dancers. Although virtually all the choreographies he performed are lost, there is much other evidence to shed light on Desnoyer's dancing style and technique. I have documented the lives and careers, as dancing masters, of George Desnoyer and his son Philip elsewhere. 5 In this article I will explore and analyse George Desnoyer's repertoire during his first two periods in London, 1721–1722 and 1731–1733. In a second article, I will look at his repertoire and his dancing partnerships between 1734 and his retirement from the London stage in 1742. 6