The first year of college is often the most

Higher Education Edited hy Karen Clemente, Ed.D. Bridging the Gap Helping Students from Competitive Dance Training Backgrounds Become Successful Danc...
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Higher Education Edited hy Karen Clemente, Ed.D.

Bridging the Gap Helping Students from Competitive Dance Training Backgrounds Become Successful Dance Majors Karen Schupp, M.EA.

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he first year of college is often the most difficult and challenging for students. In fact, as many as 31.8% of students at public four-year postsecondary institutions drop out prior to their sophomore year.^ To assist students, many institutions offer "First-Year Experience" courses, provide pamphlets outlining the differences between high school and college, and offer mentorship programs. For dance majors from competitive dance training backgrounds (i.e., those participating in state, regional, or national dance competitions through dance studios), this transition is further complicated by differences in dance styles and teaching methods used in postsecondary programs. There is little doubt that students' sense of comfort and responsibility within their familiar competitive studio communities are substantial factors in their accomplishments as dancers, including their admittance into college dance programs. As more first-year dance majors are coming from competitive training backgrounds, exploring how dance educators can assist the transition into postsecondary dance communities is essential. This article examines the methods I use to help first-year dance majors from competitive trainKaren Schupp, M.F.A., is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Dance, Herberger Institute for Design and Arts, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona. Correspondence: Karen Schupp, M.F.A., School of Dance, Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-0304; [email protected].

ing backgrounds expand their understanding of dance and learn to create a strong foundation for collegiate success. By acknowledging differences in dance backgrounds, carefully emphasizing the theory behind postmodern contemporary dance movement, gradually distributing responsibility of learning throughout the semester, and incorporating self-refiection in their first postmodern contemporary dance classes, dance educators can help students transition from competitive dance training backgrounds to postsecondary settings while also laying the groundwork for their future growth as dance artists. Recognizing the Attributes, Skills, and Needs of Competitive Dance Students Students entering college dance programs come from diverse backgrounds, many of which may not match the experiences of faculty. Regardless of how we came to teach in postsecondary education, it is important for students to know that their faculty can identify on some level with the changes they are encountering. In my case, I am open about the fact that I spent many years, in various capacities, in the competitive dance studio community. This often ignites a dialogue about how individual dance preferences evolve. Students are curious about how and why I "became" a postmodern contemporary dancer, and I am able to relate my own experiences to the challenges they are facing as a way to encourage them. By telling students about my own discoveries, they realize that their dance training is not static but is constantly developing. Previous work^* has addressed the collegiate 25

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expectations of dancers from competitive dance training backgrounds. In college dance programs, many students from competitive dance backgrounds struggle with understanding what is considered "good technique," They find that the definition of technique expands from executing "steps" to comprehending how their bodies produce given dance movements. This is a difficult transition for students to make, as most of them are trying to gain this understanding in an unfamiliar dance form and with limited knowledge of the aesthetics, theories, and science behind postmodern contemporary dance movement. Competitive studio dancers are familiar with entertainment-based dance styles in which what is "correct" is clearly defined. Also, they are taught in settings that can provide intense training and simultaneously serve as a social and recreational outlet. When these students become college dance majors, they are exposed to concert dance forms that emphasize aspects of dance they had not previously considered, and they quickly discover that their dance education must include serious examination beyond the social and recreational context if they want to succeed professionally. Teaching methods in postsecondary dance can be drastically different for these students as well. In competitive dance studios, teachers usually provide technical advice that trains the students to view the body from an external point of view. In postsecondary environments, students need to accurately and dynamically assess their dancing from an internal perspective, which requires more self-responsibility and a different student-teacher relationship. Course Content To help students embody and understand the technique, theory, and aesthetics of postmodern contemporary dance, I dissect movement concepts into small units of information, making the material and the skills digestible for the student, and immediately tie theory to technique. For example, in a 15-week semester of Technique and Theory of Postmodern Contemporary Dance I, I devote the first five weeks to the pelvis, allowing me to address efficient and dynamic alignment of the body, while exposing the students to the concepts of weight, momentum, and three-dimensional movement—all key components of postmodern contemporary dance. This general focus is then divided into weeklong lessons dealing with the location and structure ofthe pelvis, the dynamic balance ofthe pelvis.

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how the thigh joints work, sensing the sacrum, and sensing weight in the pelvis. At the same time, we explore dance phrases emphasizing the momentum ofthe pelvis, simple thigh joint flexion and rotation, and sending the weight of the pelvis in multiple directions. The middle third of the course focuses on the torso and the spine. Lessons are divided into several parts: exploring movement related to finding the mobility and stability of the spine; understanding the weight and balance of the head, ribs, pelvis; connecting the head and the tail; and finding three-dimensional movement. We address these concepts while learning movement sequences that incorporate suspension and momentum, release in the torso when stationary and shifting weight, and spiraling movements. In the final section of the class, students focus on how the arms and legs articulate with the torso while working to embody the specific artistic characteristics of postmodern contemporary dance. Structuring several class periods around one or two ideas allows students multiple opportunities to explore a concept without becoming overwhelmed at the newness of postmodern contemporary dance aesthetics. Gradually increasing bodily and somatic awareness allows students to progressively build upon the physical expertise their competitive training provided while increasing their holistic understanding of postmodern contemporary dance movement. Responsible Learning and SelfReflection Developing a somatic understanding of dance movement is a key learning component in postsecondary dance education, as well as an important element of postmodern contemporary dance. To help students achieve this, I gradually incorporate the skills needed for students to self-assess their own technique into the physical aspects of class. For example, when talking about the pelvis, I start by giving students individual, tactile feedback so that they can physically experience the dynamic placement and weight of the pelvis. I then move on to peer feedback and partnering so that students continue to learn about their dancing through assisting classmates who are likely addressing the same movement issues. Finally, students observe and verbally critique themselves. By asking students at the end of a phrase, "What did you observe about your dancing? What can you think about to improve?" they begin to articulate observations

Journal of Dance Education about their dancing as well as the theory behind the movement. Working in this way personalizes new knowledge and gives students the expertise and confidence they need in order to be responsible for their own dancing at an early point in their college careers. Students from competitive dance training backgrounds are often reluctant to voice their experiences in the technique classroom. However, they can benefit greatly from analytical discussions that encourage students to focus more on the process of learning and less on the immediate outcome. Having students reflect on their learning and practice allows them to more readily address their struggles while articulating their opinions. Whether it is a "technical" or "learning" issue, reflecting after an exercise or through class discussions helps students realize that self-assessment is an essential part of successful dance learning. Furthermore, by describing their personal experiences in achieving a shared learning objective, students build community in the classroom. Dance Exams I continue to promote students' self-responsibility through dance exams. Over the semester, I give three dance exams, one approximately every flve weeks. For the first exam, I choreograph a phrase based on the ideas covered in thatfive-weekunit. For the second exam, I choreograph approximately half of the phrase and then require students to select or create movement for the rest ofthe phrase that illustrates their comprehension ofthat unit's theories and movement vocabulary. Students create the entire third exam, either in small groups or individually, again by selecting movements from class that demonstrate their understanding and embodiment of given concepts. By organizing the dance exams in this way, students make choices about their dancing, which is essential for responsible learning. Additionally, they continue to connect the "how" and "why" of their dancing with their physical practice, creating a more holistic dance experience. Accompanying each dance exam is a written component that requires students to reflect upon their current levels of awareness. It also reinforces the long-term process of creating efficient, dynamic technique versus the short-term goal of learning a step. The written questions always relate to the physically embodied concepts ofthe dance exam. For example, for the unit on the pelvis, students are asked: "In the dance exam phrase, where are you clear (both mentally and physically) on the pathways ofthe pelvis? Where are you unclear and

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why? What steps can you take to improve?" Working in this way gives students another opportunity to link their intellectual understanding with their physical progress, and helps them recognize small and large changes in technique. Conclusion As more students from competitive dance training are entering collegiate dance programs, there are some steps that competitive dance studios and postsecondary dance departments can take to help students bridge gaps between these communities. It is important that dance faculty acknowledge that dance majors come from a variety of backgrounds and acknowledge these different paths. At the same time, postsecondary programs should encourage students to bring their prior training into their dancing, dance making, and creative experiences. Students sometimes feel as if they need to leave their previous preferences behind in order to adapt to new expectations. While it is true that college programs want students to expand their ways of moving and thinking about moving, their prior experiences still have value and are probably a large part of how they identify themselves as dancers. Additionally, the boundaries between dance forms are quickly dissolving, resulting in fusion and new forms. Students from competitive dance training should be encouraged to expand on what they bring to see what develops. Postsecondary dance programs can also be more proactive in providing performance opportunities for dance majors in their first year. One of the pleasures of training in a competitive dance studio is the number of performance opportunities. Giving students the chance to perform keeps them interested and passionate in their dancing. It also reminds them of how much fun it can be to dance and to express themselves, two things that they frequently feel are lacking from the initial portion of their postsecondary dance education. Postsecondary faculty also need to encourage and mentor their students who teach in competitive dance studios to integrate the information they are studying into their own dance pedagogy. If they incorporate the teaching methods, experiential anatomy, and creative practices that they are learning into their competitive studio teaching, their students would be more prepared for the expectations of being a college dance major while continuing to learn familiar dance styles. Adapting from a competitive dance background to a postsecondary dance setting can be a difficult.

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but not impossible, transition. As dance faculty, it is our responsibility to assist students in this process so that they have a strong foundation to draw upon as they continue to grow as students and dancers. References 1. ACT: National Collegiate Dropout and Graduation Rates. Available at www.act.org/researcb/policymakers/pd£'retain_2003.pdf. Accessed June 1,2008. 2. Scbupp K: Tbe culture of dance competitions. In: Proceedings of 38tb Congress on Researcb in Dance conference: Continuing Dance Culture Dialogues, Tempe, AZ, 2006. 3. Schupp K: Bridging the gap: connecting dance studio and university dance communities. In:

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Proceedings of tbe 9th National Dance Education Organization Conference: Eocus on Dance Education: Community Building, Mobile, AL, 2007. 4. Scbupp K: Transitions: connecting competitive dance studio training and postsecondary dance education. Presented at tbe annual meeting ofthe Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association, San Francisco, California, 2008. We're looking for innovative approacbes to teacbing dance in bigber education. Submit articles for the Higber Education feature section to: Karen Clemente, Ed.D., Eastern University, Dance Program, 1300 Eagle Road, St. Davids, Pennsylvania 19087 or email [email protected]

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