Thread conscious breathing strategies through warm-up, center work, and class conclusion¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

The article recommends embedding breath attention at multiple points in the technique class: in warm-up "for the purpose of gaining focus, bodily awareness, and energy activation"; in center-floor and across-the-floor movement to improve breathing efficiency and pace performance; and at the class conclusion, where "slowing the breath rate by extending the exhale to twice the duration of the inhale" brings the heart rate down and calms the nervous system. Breath is also paired with imagery to achieve technical goals and to define breath phrasing.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Teacher attention to students' individual breathing habits in and out of class to surface tensions that inhibit movement.

Constraints¶

• The article notes that simply telling students when and where to breathe in a combination is helpful but does not necessarily facilitate a somatic approach.

Target Learners¶

• dance technique students

Target Learning Goals¶

• build concentration, endurance, focus, and flow; support recuperation and movement efficiency

Affordances¶

• Body Listening Five Somatic Components Framework

Related Strategies¶

• Use existing class combinations as springboards for creative self-listening studies
• Mindfulness And Breathing Exercises
• Breathing Exercises
• Apply Sewell's five skills of ecological perception as eco-somatic listening activities

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Enghauser, R. (2007). Developing Listening Bodies in the Dance Technique Class. JOPERD, 78(6). https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ795590. doi:10.1080/07303084.2007.10598039