Organization of Practice and Performance in Teaching and Learning Modern Dance Sequences

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of applying two different practice strategies on teaching dance sequenced skills: practice of the whole sequence e parts practice (segmentation / forwards chaining technique). As task we have selected a dance sequence with 45 modern dance skills and its performance was verified by a motor test of 9 criteria skills and a check-list. To establish the degree of satisfaction of the students during the pedagogical intervention, we used a questionnaire of comfort perception (Jenkins & Byra, 2000). The 69 female subjects aged 18.10±4.26 ( ± SD) years had learned the dance sequence (with 16x8tps+4tps, 4 movement phrases and 1 minute duration) in 4 effective learning sessions and had remembered it 26 days after, organized in 3 groups: whole strategy group, segmentation strategy group and without any strategy (control group). The results point out that in the beginning of the acquisition phase the whole strategy is significantly superior in reproduction patterns, performance quality and rhythmical synchronization, and at the end of the session we don’t find any differences. Although this rapid evolution of the global strategy, we found that both strategies facilitate the retention of sequenced dance skills and, at the same time, permit positive comfort perception in practice.