Self-critical appreciation: coordination

Self-critical appreciation: coordination

  • Understanding self-critical appreciation in dance involves evaluating and improving your own dance performances, with a particular focus on coordination.

  • Coordination is crucial in dance. It refers to the ability to use different parts of your body smoothly and efficiently together.

  • Superior coordination allows dancers to execute movement combinations that are intricate and complex, enhancing the overall performance.

  • A lack of coordination can affect the timing and precision of steps, disrupt the flow of a performance, and make it harder to keep in time with the music or other dancers.

  • Self-critical appreciation involves constantly assessing and refining your coordination. This involves practising to make movements smoother, working on timing and rhythm, and learning to synchronise better with other dancers.

  • Regular practise can greatly improve coordination over time. This includes working on specific dances, but also general coordination exercises like balance drills or exercises that involve different limbs moving in different directions.

  • You should also understand that coordination in dance does not only refer to the physical aspect of movement, but also the coordination with musical rhythm, tempo, and the emotional essence of the performance.

  • Peer feedback and recording performances to watch back can be extremely useful in improving coordination. It allows you to see issues that you may not have been conscious of whilst dancing.

  • Always be patient and positive with yourself. Improving coordination is a slow process that happens over time with continuous practise.

  • Remember to apply your critical appreciation skills not just after your performances, but during your dance practise as well. This allows you to make immediate adjustments. Putting your mind in a critical mode will help you remain conscious about the aspects of coordination you are working on.