The Dance Lab
Think of it as giving and receiving 5 min private lessons.
The Dance Lab is a format used in many styles of social dance to offer pier feedback. Essentially a dance lab is a rotation of social dances after which one partner offers the other feedback on how to improve his or her dancing. This can be amazingly beneficial if it handled correctly and emotions are kept in check. Here are a few guideline we'll follow to keep things constructive and productive.
The Dance Lab is a format used in many styles of social dance to offer pier feedback. Essentially a dance lab is a rotation of social dances after which one partner offers the other feedback on how to improve his or her dancing. This can be amazingly beneficial if it handled correctly and emotions are kept in check. Here are a few guideline we'll follow to keep things constructive and productive.
Rules of The Dance Lab
Half of the lab will be devoted to leaders receiving feedback, and the other half to followers receiving feedback. At no point will both partners be receiving feedback on the same dance. The partner receiving feedback is the Subject. The partner giving feedback is the Observer.
Each lab will be divided up into partner rotations lasting about 5min.
A rotation should follow the following script:
Observer: Do you mind if I critique this dance?
Subject: Please do!
-- Observer and Subject dance for a bit --
Observer: Are you ready for for some feedback?
Subject: Yes. What did you enjoy and what can I work on?
-- Observer lists off some good and some bad things about the dance --
Subject:Great, Thanks. I can't wait to try those. Can we dance again.
-- Observer and Subject dance for a bit, then rotate partners --
The Observer must do all of the following:
- Ask for permission to observe the dance (partners can refuse).
- Ask for permission to give feedback after the dance (partners can refuse).
- Offer at least one complement and offer at least one suggestion for improvement.
- Feedback should be constructive and as detailed as possible.
The Subject must do all the following
- Request the dance not be observed if they have had enough feedback for the day.
- Maintain an open mind and a sense of humility while receiving feedback. Do not argue.
- Thank the observer for the advice.
Each lab will be divided up into partner rotations lasting about 5min.
A rotation should follow the following script:
Observer: Do you mind if I critique this dance?
Subject: Please do!
-- Observer and Subject dance for a bit --
Observer: Are you ready for for some feedback?
Subject: Yes. What did you enjoy and what can I work on?
-- Observer lists off some good and some bad things about the dance --
Subject:Great, Thanks. I can't wait to try those. Can we dance again.
-- Observer and Subject dance for a bit, then rotate partners --
The Observer must do all of the following:
- Ask for permission to observe the dance (partners can refuse).
- Ask for permission to give feedback after the dance (partners can refuse).
- Offer at least one complement and offer at least one suggestion for improvement.
- Feedback should be constructive and as detailed as possible.
The Subject must do all the following
- Request the dance not be observed if they have had enough feedback for the day.
- Maintain an open mind and a sense of humility while receiving feedback. Do not argue.
- Thank the observer for the advice.
Common Questions
Why are all these things important?
It may seem like there is a lot of touchy-feely emotional safety checks here. There are. I didn't understand it at first either, but the truth is many of us are very emotionally connected to our dancing. I've seen people in tears and I've seen pretty heated arguments. We want to avoid both. The point here is to keep the space "safe" by making sure everyone's emotional boundaries are respected.
What if I know the feedback is bad?
Do not argue. Accept it. Thank the observer and rotate to the next partner. Hopefully you'll get a better critique there.
What if I have no feedback for someone?
We will undoubtedly have some skilled dancers in the room. Sometimes it can be hard to critique a dancer you view as better than yourself. There are several tricks. First - you can evaluate things like mood, eye contact, musicality, and attentiveness to ones partner. Secondly, even if this was your best dance ever, you can always compare the aesthetics of the dancer against the video clips of the pros. That is one of the reasons I post homework videos each week. Thirdly, and most importantly, remember that a good dancer over all will still have stronger and weaker points. You may be able to help your partner become aware of areas in need of improvement even if you can't directly fix them.
It may seem like there is a lot of touchy-feely emotional safety checks here. There are. I didn't understand it at first either, but the truth is many of us are very emotionally connected to our dancing. I've seen people in tears and I've seen pretty heated arguments. We want to avoid both. The point here is to keep the space "safe" by making sure everyone's emotional boundaries are respected.
What if I know the feedback is bad?
Do not argue. Accept it. Thank the observer and rotate to the next partner. Hopefully you'll get a better critique there.
What if I have no feedback for someone?
We will undoubtedly have some skilled dancers in the room. Sometimes it can be hard to critique a dancer you view as better than yourself. There are several tricks. First - you can evaluate things like mood, eye contact, musicality, and attentiveness to ones partner. Secondly, even if this was your best dance ever, you can always compare the aesthetics of the dancer against the video clips of the pros. That is one of the reasons I post homework videos each week. Thirdly, and most importantly, remember that a good dancer over all will still have stronger and weaker points. You may be able to help your partner become aware of areas in need of improvement even if you can't directly fix them.
