May

16

Less is More – promoting appropriate effort with External Focus of Attention

The Appropriate Effort, an excerpt from Attention and Focus in Dance In our endeavour to achieve the desired line and movement form as seen from the outside, we regularly adopt a more-is-more approach. We strive ceaselessly in Western dance to do more – pull up more, turn out more, hold more — with the assumption that more effort, more control, more hours and more repetition will eventually lead to mastery. This more-is-more approach persists even though we have the evidence from sport science that more conscious effort, more conscious control and more physical repetition lead us to more of the same result. It is counterproductive and inefficient and can lead […]

Read More

Nov

23

‘Aha’ moments all round – even for the professionals

We were around 80 dancers and teachers from across the globe from Malaysia, New Zealand and Australia through Europe: France, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK to Canada and the US who came together Wednesday 11th November for the virtual introduction to Attention and Focus in Dance. Colleagues joined from Dutch National Ballet, Scottish, Monaco and Houston Ballets as well as teaching faculty from the ISTD, RAD, Université du Quebec à Montreal, L’Ecole Superieure de Ballet de Quebec, Pôle Superieure National de Danse Rosella Hightower . . . Super exciting that there is such interest in this new frontier for dance – a vast unexplored territory of possible further performance […]

Read More

Nov

04

Attentional Focus – a new frontier for dance

Attention is like a muscle that becomes stronger and more controllableover time. (Watson 2017, 250) If you just pause a moment over this internet page, notice how many millions of possible stimuli there are around you, all vying for your attention. That might be screen publicity, attractive images, pop ups, notifications – now take your attention away from the screen and notice any background sounds or noise you can hear – the traffic, children playing, a distant music. Take your attention up and notice the colours outside the window. Take your attention far away to the movement of the clouds and then suddenly inwards to any discomfort or tension you […]

Read More

Oct

16

Dancing Together Across the Globe

Virtual Workshop and Launch – 11th November 5pm CET/4pm UK/11am EST This pandemic has been devastating for the dance world, for the art form and particularly for dancers – the effects have made us question every aspect of dance from our practical ways of working, how to maintain a healthy body and mind in confinement to creating digitally and communicating the human experience and emotions through a virtual screen. Dancers have displayed their ingenious and pioneering spirit to overcome the physical barriers and come together on line to celebrate their connection and passion for dance. However its perhaps even more essential in these unprecedented times to use this opportunity to […]

Read More
Facebook
LinkedIn