How do you encourage and teach dancers to watch/learn more actively?
The more students are actively engaged in class, the more they will retain whay you are teaching. Moreover, teaching students how to be more active in their own learning will make them better students in the future. Here are some ways to increase active learning in balboa classes:
- Ask students questions. Instead of giving students information, ask students a question and have them answer. Active recall increases student memory and retention of information.
- Encourage observations. Demonstrate a move and ask students what they observe. Have students share what they noticed trying out a new movement in the rotation. Show two versions of a move and have students demonstrate the difference.
- Point out overall shapes and patterns to look for when watching a new move. For example, which hands are connected? What is the lower body doing? What is the upper body doing? What is the lead doing? What is the follow doing? What is the overall geography of the move? What is the rhythm? What is the entrance? What is the exit? What is the general quality of the movement?
- Give students lots of time to dance and practice. Limit teacher talk and give students additional time to dance with partners.
- Provide students opportunities to be creative. Incorporate classes that focus on allowing students to develop their own stylings and patterns. Guide students through the creative process by asking students to explore how you could get out of a specific move, etc. Show and tell what students developed at the end of the class.
- Make students do the recap. At the end of the class, have the students recap what they learned that day. This helps students reflect on the material and increases retention.
- Incorporate exercises or drills that encourage exploration and discussion.
