- posted by Maria

A recent conversation with a dance student/friend got me thinking about how important biofeedback is in the movement-learning process. As you read this, think about whether you are getting enough biofeedback in your dance training.

What is Biofeedback?

Simply put, biofeedback is a process through which a person receives information about the body’s activity. Biofeedback is used in rehabilitation therapy as well as in sports. We can broaden the concept to apply to movement training such as dance.

Examples of Biofeedback

Certain machines – such as electrocardiographs – are designed to provide biofeedback on functions such as muscle activity, temperature, oxygenation and other body functions/modes. The idea is to provide the individual with knowledge about how their activity, movement, exercises etc. are affecting the body – particularly parts that are difficult to mentally access, such as the heart or a very specific injured muscle.

In the context of learning or training in a dance, biofeedback might include:

• Touch – to help a student identify the correct body part to engage or move, a coach can physically touch that part of a student’s body to help the brain learn more quickly how to engage that body part or group of muscles.
• Exercise – again to help one identify a body part and whether it is being properly engaged, a coach can offer a student exercises that help the brain to isolate that body part and train it to move in the correct way.
• Video – while not really “biofeedback” in the strict sense, I feel that video provides a student with valuable information about the body. In particular, watching a video of one’s own dancing is an effective way to help the brain connect how an action or movement FEELS with how it looks, and to make appropriate adjustments.
• Visual examples – often, a coach can mimic your movement to show you what you are doing, side-by-side with the movement that is trying to be achieved. Like video (but faster and more specific), this can help the brain connect what the body is doing/feeling with how it looks.

Become Body-Aware

Proprioception is the clinical term for “body awareness”. Some of us are more naturally body-aware than others, and the greater one’s proprioception is, the faster and easier it is to learn and assimilate new movement habits in our bodies.

No what matter your current level of body awareness is, the brain can be trained to increase its proprioception. These are some activities that I have found to improve body awareness:

When I teach, I also like to provide biofeedback though touch, exercises and visual example, and I encourage students to let me video tape them (although very few take me up on the offer!).

Posted by Maria

Cross-training is a concept from sport, used particularly by runners:

“Cross-training (also known as conditioning) refers to an athlete training in sports other than the one that athlete competes in with a goal of improving overall performance.” – Wikipedia

“Cross training is a great way to condition different muscle groups, develop a new set of skills, and reduce boredom that creeps in after months of the same exercise routines. Cross training also allows you the ability to vary the stress placed on specific muscles or even your cardiovascular system.” – About.com

This concept can (and should!) also be applied to dance.

While many of our students “cross-train” between types of partner dances, it is valuable to think outside of dance when considering other activities you can do to enhance dance ability and skills, as well as improving fitness. Personally, my regular conditioning includes strength, balance and flexibility training 3 times per week, as well as cardiovascular exercise (running or elliptical machine) 2-3 times per week. I also frequently try to mix things up – for the past 13 months, I trained in pole fitness. Currently, I am taking Modern Dance classes.

Cross-Training Ideas

Here are some examples of popular activities that you can do to cross-train, and why these can help improve your dance skills as a bonus. Note that you should always check with your doctor or health professional before engaging in new physical activities.

Strength & balance training

Strength training

If, when you hear about “strength training”, you picture big, beefy guys grunting under huge weight stacks, it’s time to update your knowledge! My personal regimen is very creative and using weights is only a portion of what it includes. Every one of my workouts is unique and may include balancing, lifting my own body weight, suspension exercises, throwing balls, crawling on the floor, and – yes – dumbbells and weight stacks, too.

Improving muscle strength makes it possible for the body to successfully do more things. It can also make you a better dance partner: strength helps leaders better support followers in weight-assisted moves, while followers need strength to better support themselves in a dance. Other benefits include stronger bones, which is important as we age.

In Ottawa, I train with Stacey Segstro at Iron Rose Personal Training.

Cardiovascular training

Most people think of cardio training as a way to manage their body weight, but it’s also important for maintaining a healthy heart, lungs, and for endurance. In Ottawa, I love to jog on our incredible pathway system. Elliptical training machines provide an ideal cardiovascular workout if you need to avoid impact. Walking, hiking, roller-blading, skating – any of these fun activities can provide a good cardiovascular workout if they increase your heart rate for at least 20 minutes.

Yoga pose

If you’re just starting out, I recommend getting guidance from a personal trainer first. The Running Room offers running and walking clinics throughout Ottawa.

Yoga

Yoga is a truly complete form of exercise. It works strength, balance, alignment and flexibility. It can reduce and eliminate muscular-skeletal pain and strengthen you after injury. And, if you are open to it, it can also help you learn to clear your mind of distractions and negative thinking, which is very helpful in competitive settings.

I highly recommend the classes at Orleans Yoga Shala, particularly Derek Kendrick’s classes.

Ballet

Jazz dancing

Ballet and its concepts can be found in some form in most ballroom and contemporary dance styles – ballet forms are often either incorporated into or deliberately rejected by many other forms of dance. Ballet classes can introduce you to useful foundation technique and terminology, and can improve some near-universal skills such as posture, extension, turnout and alignment. As a bonus, you will be able to more greatly appreciate ballet when you see it danced!

In Ottawa, The School of Dance offers Adult Ballet classes. Capital City Dance also offers drop-in and recreational classes.

Modern, Jazz, Contemporary dance

These forms of dance have become popular thanks to TV shows like So You Think You Can Dance. Like ballet classes, you will be introduced to foundation technique and terminology. You will also learn and practice emotional expression through movement to music, and you will learn about and expand your range of movement and ability to communicate with movement. As a bonus, you will better appreciate these forms of dance when you see them performed!

The School of Dance also offers Adult classes in these forms. Capital City Dance also offers drop-in and recreational classes.

Acrobatic fitness

Me, playing on aerial silks!

Acrobatic forms of fitness are gaining in popularity and availability. Examples include Pole Fitness, Aerial Silks, Trampolining and so on. My experience with Pole and Silks forced my brain to “re-learn” how to control my body in uncommon positions, particularly upside-down.

These forms of activity also improve strength, flexibility and balance in unexpected ways. They can also be vigorous and risky, so if you’re interested, start with an introductory class or two. Cherry Blossom Pole Dancing Studio offers “Pole Teaser” and Co-Ed drop-in classes.

The new Athletic Club at Trainyards offers interesting group fitness classes, such as suspension yoga, which uses silk ribbons/hammocks.

Other forms of partner dance

Studying other forms of partner dance can be both frustrating and rewarding: it is often difficult to “switch modes” between dances and exchange the habits of one dance for another. However, when it is successful, this type of cross-training definitely enriches the partnering and lead/follow experience.

Don’t Forget to Stretch!

Read my article on the importance of stretching and be sure to incorporate stretching into your daily routine.

Michael Kiehm

We don’t get much (any!) access to dance pro Michael Kiehm out here in Ottawa, but we were lucky enough to get to learn from and dance with him and Dawne Kiehm a few years ago at the first Toronto Open Swing Dance Championships event.

Not only is Michael a delight to dance with, he has more than three decades of teaching, competition and all-around dance experience to draw on – so when he talks, I listen.

In a recent Facebook post, he provided the following advice, which I really want to share with our students and dance friends. It aligns perfectly with  how we teach, how we dance and what we practice – and it’s communicated in such a wonderful way.

I’ve taken this text from a series of Facebook posts by Michael and have done a bit of copy editing:

Basics, Basics, Basics, You can’t work on them too much!

Michael Kiehm’s “Tip of the Week” for Thursday 5/26/11

I’m sure you’ve probably heard this a million times, but let’s face it, watch any advanced dancer and what do you remember??? It’s HOW they danced, not what they danced. An advanced dancer can captivate you with nothing but basic patterns, simply because they have mastered their ability to maintain a consistent connection between themselves, the floor, the music and the space around them. They never seem rushed or off time, and they never use more lead or follow then necessary. THERE IS NO WASTED MOVEMENT! Even when they “play” they are able to “Keep the conversation” (stay connected to the partner).

I see so many dancers dancing solo while holding on to a partner! This is a result of a lack of good basic skills. When the basic connection is solid, both partners can continue complimenting each other’s embellishments with matching movements or at least support throughout the movements.

One of the best pieces of advice I or any other coach could give you, would be to SLOW DOWN and pay more attention to your partner. If you are in control of your balance and your spacing, miracles will happen. A perfect example of this is none other than Tatiana Mollmann. She is a very talented follower that can take a movement that most any other follower would fall flat on the floor with, and turn it into the coolest move! Why, because she understands her body’s limitation and is always in control of what it is doing. If you watch any video of Tatiana, you will see that she stays very calm and continues to dance basics in between each flurry of extravagant movements.

Try keeping your feet as close to the floor as possible and think about keeping your posture strongly over your feet. Try to be aware of how you are placing your feet on the ground (what part of the foot, and how much time the foot is action and the placement of the foot) If you think about it in this detail, it will cause you to slow down slightly, which is a great thing!

[I (Maria) asked Michael to elaborate: “Michael, maybe you can elaborate on what you mean when you say ‘basics’ - I think a lot of people would interpret that to mean anchor steps and side passes (in WCS) but you seem to be getting at much more than that. What in your opinion are, say, the top 5 "basics" that dancers need to pay attention to?”]

Michael responded:

I’ll do you one better! Here are my 10 basic concepts for better basics!

1. Initiate any movement with the body before moving the feet or before leading a pattern. (Leaders, move the body weight slightly into the pattern first; Followers, let the lead connect to you by slightly delaying your first step)

2. Followers, keep your first step small to give you a chance to visually see what the leader is leading as well as to feel the lead. Leaders, be clear when you lead and try to indicate your intention on the first beat of the variation.

3. “Fill the Beat”. Don’t step too quickly. Roll your foot into floor and use entire beat on whole counts. On 1/2 or 1/4 counts, use pressure steps instead of always taking full weight (only on stationary triples). If you are traveling, like on the first triple of a side pass, you will need to complete the weight change, but keep the body flight moving so you don’t bounce!

4. “Stay in the Lead”. Followers, keep your left shoulder blade consistently in the leader’s right hand…the pressure should be light, but steady. Don’t let your body leave that hand unless he releases it from your back. Leaders, keep the right arm relaxed, but keep your right hand lightly toned against the follower’s shoulder blade. Don’t hold her to low on the back, as this will inhibit her hip action.

‎5. “Move Yourself”. Followers, it is much easier for the leader to direct a pattern or change its direction when you are in motion. However, stay within the lead. Don’t allow the arms to become completely loose. Move through the pattern until the lead tells you to hold the position or change direction. You don’t want to feel pulled or pushed…this is when you start to feel very heavy. Leaders, if you have to over-lead a variation, move towards the lead slightly so you don’t have to use so much energy attempting to move the partner….Yeah, this means you might actually have to move your feet!

‎6. “Invite vs. Force”. Leaders, try to give as much pre-lead as possible…for example, on an under-arm pass, open your right shoulder or turn your head slightly to the right as if to look to see if the end of the track is clear for the follower. (I would do this at the very end of the beat on the previous pattern). Followers, lf you keep your focus on the center of the leader’s chest, just below his throat, you will see his body initiate direction. (This does not mean to never make eye contact!

‎7. “Foot placement for effect and connection”. Followers, on a sugar push, try placing the right foot about three inches in front of the left foot on count three…this helps connect when you press slightly into the partner on count three [i.e. a check step]. If it’s a sugar tuck, leave the right foot where it was when you stepped on count One, then slightly pick up and replace it on count 3 or if the tuck is accelerated it would be on &3. Don’t forget to rotate the upper body to the left to create your connection through the right hand into the man’s raised left hand on 3.

8. “Let her turn vs. making her turn”. Leaders, on the basic under arm turn as well as most patterns, raise your right (her left) hand on to her right ear level…let her take her own hand over her head as she passes by. Your hand should go over her head in a relaxed open hold (no grip),  your arm should not go over her head….that is way too much lead, and causes the leader to look stressed through his left side).

9. “Use your Head”. Followers, on the under arm pass, turn your head to the left between the 2nd and 3rd count to start your turn. Your shoulders should start turning on the 3rd count and you should be facing the leader by the 4th count. This gives you a visual advantage for future embellishments. You can see what the leader is going to do with the last triple, so you can complement him or copy him.

10, “Understand your Tone Zone”. When the hands are at a level between the height of the breast bone and the hips, they are in protection mode….slightly resistant. When the arms are being taken above or below those points, they should be relaxed (not limp, still should have connection, just lighter and moving with lead instead of against).

You can receive Michael’s Tip of the Week via Facebook here >>

You can learn more about Michael at his dance studio’s website here >>