Learning dance -- mind, body, spirit? Or all three?

[pygmalion]

I've come to the sobering conclusion that I'm an intellectual learner, even of dance. In an ideal world, I think, dance is physical, intellectual, spiritual, and maybe more. But for me, the first avenue for learning is always through the mind. And that has its disadvantages, sad to say.

Just curious. What kind of learner are you? Do you have one preferred learning method? What do you think are the pros or cons?

Is it possible to combine all those aspects -- body, mind and spirit -- to maximize your learning experience? Thoughts?

 

[Laura]

Like you, I am primarily intellectual.

 

[Sagitta]

You need to use your body, to train it to get the muscle memory. You also need the mind as that is what holds you back all too often. Spirit? That too!! I guess you need all three. I've never bothered to sit down and figure out which I prefer the most. I think that it varies by dance and at different times I need one or two more then the others.

 

[salsachinita]

I learn by instinct, and tend to operate purely from muscle memories. Yet without my love for the music, I have little motivation to dance.

What kind of learner does that make me :? ?

 

[MacMoto]

I learn by instinct, and tend to operate purely from muscle memories. Yet without my love for the music, I have little motivation to dance.

What kind of learner does that make me :? ?

Don't know, but I think I'm similar. The spirit -- love for the music -- drives me to learn to dance, and my body learns the dance.*
Most of what I learnt, I learnt through social dancing with many different leaders. It's in my muscle memory, and I must say I'm struggling to unlearn some of the bad habits I've picked up along the way.

* This is causing a problem for my ambition to learn Argentine Tango -- my body loves the dance, my mind is interested, but my spirit is rejecting the music. :?

 

[pygmalion]

Yeah, MacMoto. An affinity for the music plays a huge role in ability to learn, even for us intellectaul types. If you like the music, it's a lot easier to learn the dance.

What's up with Argentine Tango? 8)

 

[spatten]

I have found that I have to feel dance to learn it. You can tell me all the techniques until you are blue in the face, and most likely I won't be able to do them. Or you can show me all you want - but that doesn't help either.

I have also noticed the distinct advantage of feeling the wrong way of doing something in addition to the correct way. In other words, if someone told me I needed to keep my side long - knowing what it feels like to break my side is just as necessary as what it feels like to keep it long.

Scott

 

[dancin_feet]

I usually learn by watching and listening at first, then I need to do it and feel my body placement, balance, etc to understand. For me mind and body play the major part initially and only when I become comfortable with a figure or dance does the spirit enter into it (though my spirit is constantly uplifted when dancing or learning to dance!). 8)

A lot of the time, all my instructor has to do is tell me what I am doing wrong, show me what it should look like and I can correct it almost immediately.

 

[squirrel]

Of course, love of the music is the first requirement... otherwise I wouldn't bother to dance in the first place...

But, like pygmalion, I also am an intellectual learner... you can try and lead me... I am stiff if I don't know what you want... Especially for shines, when I am learning one pattern you have to break it down for me... not only in terms of how I step, but also on music beats... otherwise I am completely unable to do it! I am not a copy cat! I cannot just watch and learn... this has advantages and disadvantages...

One major disadvantage: it's hard to let go and just enjoy the dance... you have to get used to improvisation... and forget about learned patterns...

One major advantage: you get to master and understand the technique behind so well, that you can teach anybody... this is one characteristic of good instructors...

 

[ShyDancer]

I learn by reading and research!
I feel the need to pick apart anything that takes my interest.
Just like dancing.. I spend countless hours with my nose in technique books, or sitting here looking for any technical info I can find, then I try to apply it when I dance, most times it works! Sometimes it takes a while to "click" but usually I get there.