How To Dissect A Move

Dissecting a move is like dissecting a frog, you can do but afterwards it's dead. A move is the sum of all its components, leaving one component away changes the move. This poses a slight dilemma because in order to explain a move one often has to dissect it to highlight a certain property.

There are two main solutions to this dilemma. One solution is to increase the visibility of one component by exaggerating it. The other solution is to simplify the move by removing components either bit by bit or multiple ones right away. 

Exaggeration

One of the upsides of exaggeration is that the move stays complete and thus the visual for students always stays complete. This is good because we know that the image we have in our mind is a factor when it comes to executing the move later on.

A downside to exaggerating is that it is sometimes impossible to increase one component without affecting others thus also increasing the visibility of another component alongside. This might blur what you actually want to highlight. For example if you want to point out that your upper body twists, your arms might swing bigger. Since the arms are extremities that are way easier visible, students might be thinking that bigger arm movement will do the job.

It is good to point out when you are exaggerating components so that students can put your movement into context.

Simplification

Simplifying moves by removing components has as upside that their is less distraction around the factor you want to focus on. This makes this approach more effective than the first approach. As with many things, the implementation is the key to success. Try to simplify the move by leaving out the more obvious components. For example all mirrored movements can be simplified by doing the solo body movement first without partner, maybe even already during the warm-up. Or let's assume you are teaching a move that has a jump in it or an extra turn. Those two components are "obvious" components, because they are easily visible. Try teaching the simplified version without the jump or without the extra turn first. This way you gain twice, because you also have a variation this way that your students can use to differentiate and lead and follow better. 

The problem with this approach is that it creates a cognitive overload if you use it every time because there are two many components and you will not be able to teach this move. Another problem is when you implement it badly, in this case meaning taking away non-obvious components. The non-obvious is from the view point of students, not yourself. I've seen often that people remove rhythm first (e.g. when dancing slow), but very often rhythm is a key component and rhythm is most of the time a non-obvious component to students. If you give them a picture without rhythm you nurture this behavior. I strongly recommend to keep rhythm when simplifying moves. If you really need to take out rhythm, take out feet at the same time. This will keep them from practicing foot movement without rhythm. 

Keep in mind that you always have those two options and chose wisely between them. As a rule of thumb - utilize exaggeration when students are already doing what they are supposed to do, but not enough to make it work and utilize simplification when it is too difficult to separate only one component.

Changing Partners: Or How to Benefit From Cognitive Overload

Changing partners has its reasons. But frequently I get asked about how to make people change partners, especially in beginner classes where new couples often want to stay together. This post is about the different approaches I've used or seen in beginner classes to facilitate partner changes.

1. The Discussion

Situation: You called for a partner change for the first time, and, despite your clear instructions on how to do so, there is chaos and some couples feel uncomfortable and start to debate with you. Now you'll have to spend precious class time explaining why they should change partners. If you are lucky, they'll agree and change. Or the situation could possibly end in a confrontation with your either forcefully calling "rotate!" or giving up and saying "ok, just stay".
Result: An often awkward situation, unhappy students, bad environment for teaching and learning
Better: Tell them to switch partners now and that you'll explain after class. This way you don't waste learning time.

2. The Explanation

Situation: Before you request a change of partners, you explain the pros and cons of changing partners.
Result: Either you get lucky and people change (but you still have wasted class time on it) or you end up at point one, "The Discussion."
Both have the downside that if someone doesn't want to change partners you're not going to get them to try it out without their being unhappy.

Experience shows, that everybody ends up changing partners anyway. So basically, you want them to try out changing partners without all the explanations and to figure out the benefits for themselves. To do so, I've developed two approaches.

3. The Houdini

Basically this is a magician's way of making people change partners. You shift the focus away from the act of changing partners. How? Well, like this, for example: (Students standing in a circle) "Ok, you still remember who was lead and follow? So, now there is a tricky part coming up and I need you to pay good attention.  Follows, you turn 90° to the left. Now walk over to that guy standing there. Everybody there?"  This way you've got people changing partners.  At this point they are still "at attention", so you'll need to "release" them. Now you simply say, "This is what we call changing partners."
Result: In the best case, the released tension goes to laughter, and you got everybody switching partners and being happy.

I used this tactic for a while, but it still took up too much learning time for my taste.

4. The Cognitive Overload

When I read about cognitive load theory, I wondered what would happen if you created an overload on purpose. And funnily enough, once people are overloaded it usually brings them into a mindless state. Once people are in that mindless state, they won't question (simple) instructions as strongly anymore.  A cognitive overload can often be created simply by combining two requests (using the word "and" as a connective). So, a simple "Follows, go to the lead to your right and say hello," will likely do the job effectively and you'll have more time for actual dancing in class.

Things to keep in mind:

• Make them dance with the new partner right away after the change. This gives them a more personal connection and reduces the fear of the new person.
• If students really don't want to change partners, you can't make them. The good thing about the last two options is that they'll try changing partners first before deciding if they like or dislike it.

Cognitive Load Theory: Or How Learning Works Vol. I

The learning process can be described (in a strongly simplified way) as
1) perceiving information
2) processing it
3) and then storing and connecting it to other knowledge.
These are three different steps.  Now, one theory in pedagogical psychology that deals with learning is the cognitive load theory. It states that the learning effect depends on the mental capabilities, the cognitive load, during the processing. 

The cognitive load has to be appropriate to the learner's information processing capabilities. In most cases smaller is better. Size matters..

How can we profit from this information?

The cognitive load depends on many factors, e.g. whether the information is presented mono-modal, meaning only visual or only auditive, or multi-modal. When the information is only available in one modality, it will - counter-intuitevely - take up more cognitive resources. Hence, presenting information in a multi-modal way (visual and auditive) will help reduce the cognitive load, leaving more space for the actual processing.

Intrinsic Load

Secondly, if the information being given demands the student to keep various aspects in mind at the same time to integrate this new information, it will create more of a cognitive load.  In order to reduce that load it helps to use structured and already integrated information.
This relates to when you are structuring your upcoming class to connect the inner bits seamlessly together. It's a lot of work, but so worth it!

Extrinsic Load

The cognitive load also depends on the amount of information available to perceive.  Even if it is well structured, too much information at the same time will result in a greater loss.  For example: talking about the positions of the hand, elbow and foot in one phrase and then letting your students practice will probably make them forget one, if not two, of the three positions.  Pick one important part that you think is essential, talk about that, and then let them practice that one key element. 
True, this can be very time consuming, but the result will speak for itself.  After each key element that you've talked about, give them three times to try it out. Then repeat this with a few key elements, and in the end, shortly summarize those elements and let them practice to music.