Performance Appreciation

1
Performance Appreciation

• Dance
• Intermediate 1-2

2
Quality Performance

• Four elements which make a
• quality performer (model performer).
• Physical Quality
• Technical Quality
• Special Quality
• Mental Quality

3
Physical Quality

• Excellent strength (core) -required for lifts,
  supporting partner, balances and maintaining
  control.
• Good CRE - energy levels need to be high
  throughout for leaps, jumps, lifts and maintain
  sequences.

4
Physical Quality

• Timing, Co-ordination (speed) - dance sequences
  need to be linked together smoothly. Timing
  needs to be perfect.
• Flexibility - the ability to move the body in
  range of ways in particular the spine, legs and
  hips.

5
Technical Quality

• Each skill is performed effortlessly
• Movements need to be refined, controlled, and all
  skills are automatic.
• For example Long sequences of a wide variety of
  movement skills need to be under control.

6
Technical Quality

• Movement skills include walk, leap, turn and run.
  
• Movement should be well co-ordinated, perfect
  timing with the correct movement quality.
• Interpreting the movement well to create the
  theme of the dance.

7
Special Quality

• Is about the style and the creativity in the
  choreography.
• For example Australian Dance Company use a
  variety of dance styles including ballet, jazz,
  hip-hop, break-dancing and martial-arts.
• Interpret the music well, lighting, staging and
  costumes provoke thought.

8
Mental Quality

• Confidence
• Linked to how skilled you are and
• comfortable you are makes you a
• more confident dancer in your own
• ability physical, special and technical.

9
Mental Quality

• Determination
• To perform to be the best of your
• ability.
• For example Going on stage with
• an injury or when unwell.
• The determination to keep going.

10
Mental Quality

• Motivation
• The desire to succeed and encourage
• a positive attitude to hard work and
• training. This can be done by listening
• and taking advice.

11
Managing Stress

• Enables you to remain focused and
• overcome external distraction.
• Nerves, body releases adrenalin.
• How to cope with nerves on stage.
• Managing all the physical effects of stress using
  it to their advantage

12
Collecting Data

• Methods used to collect data about my
• performance.
• Video of my performance and model performer to
  get direct comparisons.
• General observation schedule (contains criteria
  taken from model performer. This allows me to
  compare my performance to the model).

13
Collecting Data

• Using a general observation schedule allows me to
  identify strengths and weaknesses.
• This gives me a clear (accurate data) picture of
  my training needs.
• Verbal feedback from my teacher or a partner to
  help me improve weaknesses.

14
Strengths and weaknesses

• Methods of gathering data help highlight my
  specific weaknesses
• Demonstrations from my teacher of a specific
  aspect I need to improve.

15
Strengths

• Reasonably good stamina.
• Speed and strength was fine.

16
Weaknesses

• Co-ordination needs improved unable to link the
  movement skills as smoothly as necessary. Dance
  sequences are awkward, and a little clumsy at
  times.
• Timing of sequences are poor out of time and
  affect my concentration and confidence.

17
Weaknesses

• Physical qualities timing, co-ordination,
  flexibility and core strength.
• Special qualities sequences lacked creativity,
  are predictable and lack a variety of movement
  qualities unlike the model performers.
• No variety in directions, fronts.

18
Weaknesses

• Choreography was all done in unison, so it lacked
  variety and was uninteresting and very
  predictable.
• The dynamics lacked variety, no strong movements
  (leaps, jumps).

19
How did we use model performers to help develop
our dance.

• Viewed professional dancers which inspired and
  motivated me to adapt these ideas and apply them
  in my dance.
• Teacher The teacher demonstrated different dance
  forms which I included in my dance.

20
How did we use model performers to help develop
our dance.

• Canon Do the same sequence at different times.
• Mirroring Performing face to face doing the
  same movement.
• Simultaneous Different moves at the same time.
• Question and Answer Partner moves, then the
  other responds.

21
Mental factors that influence performance.

• Stress and anxiety
• Concentration
• Confidence
• Motivation

22
Stress and Anxiety

• Before performing I can feel sick, shaky, sweaty
  hands, butterflies, dry mouth and rapid
  breathing.
• These feelings can be distracting and are the
  strain of performing in public.
• The fear of failing to remember the sequence of
  movement in a routine.
• Low self-confidence.

23
Concentration

• As a result of feeling stressed my concentration
  is affected.
• Forget the dance and may panic or giggle.
• Poor timing too fast, out of time.
• More difficult dance sequences are affected.

24
Confidence

• Confidence can drop and I look tense. Expression
  on face can be worried or scared.
• Quality of movement is smaller.

25
Motivation

• Motivation is a valuable quality, which gives a
  dancer the determination, encouragement and will
  to succeed and perform to a high standard.
• Motivation can drop if I have a bad performance
  and therefore dont want to repeat the
  performance experience.

26
How can we work to improve the negative factors
of stress?

• Before the performance practice deep breathing
  calms, reduces the physical affects for example
  butterflies and rapid breathing.
• Before the performance use imagery mental
  rehearsal before and during the dance. (off
  stage)

27
How can we work to improve the negative factors
of stress?

• Visualisation visualise all the performance
  factors. Mentally rehearse the dance.
• Imagery - Try to imagine the performance
  situation space, audience lights.
• Relaxation and deep breathing techniques to
  cope with physical aspects of stress.

28
Goal Setting

• Practice performing short term goal.
• Perform to smaller audiences class mates and
  teacher.
• Feedback applause helps.
• Perform to year group.
• Long term goal bigger theatre
• SQA examiner, marked.

29
How do I improve my personal performance.

• Breathing techniques and use of imagery (mental
  rehearsal). Help calm and focus mind on dance.
• I will use goal setting to help me achieve a
  improved performance.
• My long term goal is to perform well at my Int
  1-2 moderation assessment.
• My short term goal is to perform to my year group
  without allowing stress levels to affect my dance
  performance.

30
Improving Performance

• Daily technique class repetition exercises to
  achieve the physical qualities necessary to
  execute movements. More skilled and improved
  timing and co-ordination
• Improve my fitness flexibility, strength,
  balances, skills more refined, motivates me,
  confidence.

31
Improving Performance

• Practice imagery Prepares me mentally to
  perform.
• Breathing techniques Focus brain and aid
  concentration.
• As I improve I receive motivational feedback
  internally and from teacher, peers and audience.