Eden Thiess

ISM- Period 1
West, Clare. "Attentional Focus in Classical Ballet a Survey of Professional Dancers." Journal of
Dance Medicine & Science. 20.1. Academic OneFile, Jan. 2016. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.
<http://online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=101941&itemid=WE53&articleId=251503>

Important part of motor learning is ability to focus

Keeping focus with small children is the most difficult
Body movements help memorization
External focus produces better performance results than internal focus
Sports have the ability to focus their energy on a ball, bat, or club
o Dancers must use their entire body
When attention is away from the individuals body movements, it reduces the focus on
ones self and shifts the external focus
o Prevents self-activation
Studies show with external focus one can jump higher and farther
Images and analogies can be used to make an external focus
Group dances are critical in learning teamwork
o Focusing on others around you
o Spatial awareness- keeping in mind what other people are doing around you and
where they are relative to your position
o Gets you out of your own head
Ballet requires intense level of focus due to complexity of movements
o High pressure
o Memorization
Imagining the movement
Focus on what you desire instead of limitations
Achieving starts with believing you can
Using positive reinforcements instead of punishment
Encouragement goes a longer way with young children
Making the goal clear and manageable
Start goals small and work your way up
Breaking down the accomplishments in order to reach the milestone
o Small feats with rewards at the end of each
Makes a student feels like progress is being made

This article highlights certain teaching aspects that will enhance a pupils performance such as
focusing on external images and using positive encouragements instead of negative punishments
when desired results arent achieved.