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On The Topic Of The Facial Microexpressions Thread
I have realised that it's exactly the same thing as dance pedagogies
(and I have read many flame wars on dance pedagogies)
Allow me to explain https://twitter.com/mechanicalmonk1/status/1315443775871889408
I have realised that it's exactly the same thing as dance pedagogies
(and I have read many flame wars on dance pedagogies)
Allow me to explain https://twitter.com/mechanicalmonk1/status/1315443775871889408
So in the swing dance teacher communities I'm in, pedagogies fall somewhere on the scale of a) "teach the moves, broken down in as much detail as possible, so you can explain exactly where each body part goes to b) teach people to feel the music and move their body naturally
a) is very much not in vogue but very much the approach that I and my dance school go for, and b) is a more fashionable, holistic approach but afaik is not actually as popular globally
But which is better?
But which is better?
Now I do think both approaches are valid. I'm not one of the folks who don't believe in b)
I believe that people are made with the parts to grok music, movement and rhythm built in
That given enough exposure and openness
Anyone can dance https://twitter.com/captain_mrs/status/1309526521036632066?s=20
I believe that people are made with the parts to grok music, movement and rhythm built in
That given enough exposure and openness
Anyone can dance https://twitter.com/captain_mrs/status/1309526521036632066?s=20
Children grow up around the world in places where people dance, and have dancing in their community, and they /just know/ how to dance.
They absorb the music. They feel the beat. They imitate their peers. And they /just dance/.
They don't have to count or "learn steps"
They absorb the music. They feel the beat. They imitate their peers. And they /just dance/.
They don't have to count or "learn steps"
Heck, if you try to teach a careful moves breakdown a la approach a) to children, it /probably doesn't work very well/. Children want to move, they are unafraid of copying, of trying, of doing what comes naturally.
People who teach children say: don't explain. Just do.
People who teach children say: don't explain. Just do.
But approaches become very different in classes for adults. And I think it's because fundamentally, different adults are bottlenecked in different places. https://twitter.com/captain_mrs/status/1310108724778991616?s=20
There are absolutely adults who come to class with the wonderful fearless mindset of the children, who you could simply show and allow them to feel.
But for most people in an adult dance class, if you demonstrate something and ask them to try, or put on music and ask them to dance, they will freeze up, blocked. Or perhaps they will do something goofy and self-conscious.
And different people are blocked in different places.
Some people are afraid of how they look when they try something new.
Some people are afraid of the music, and don't know how to sink into it.
Some people just don't know how to move their body any more.
The list goes on
Some people are afraid of how they look when they try something new.
Some people are afraid of the music, and don't know how to sink into it.
Some people just don't know how to move their body any more.
The list goes on
I think for people who are truly very blocked in a very ingrained way (particularly multiple ways), approach b) can be very slow going
For people who are out of practise moving, or hearing music, it might not look like they are doing anything resembling "dancing" for a while.
For people who are out of practise moving, or hearing music, it might not look like they are doing anything resembling "dancing" for a while.
And b) is particularly dangerous around confidence. And so many people are blocked on confidence.
If you get to the end of a class, and you've done your best to try the grooving thing, and you still don't look like or feel like you're dancing...
Will you come back?
If you get to the end of a class, and you've done your best to try the grooving thing, and you still don't look like or feel like you're dancing...
Will you come back?
And so for those of us with a really high focus on retention of low-confidence beginners, we stick with approach a). We break down the moves, a few a class. At the end of the class, they can /recognisably do the thing/. Not fluently, just recognisably https://twitter.com/captain_mrs/status/1310111865289269248?s=20
Reciting from a phrasebook won't get you to fluency with a language, and coming to our beginners classes won't get you to fluency with swing dance.
But it can get you through a basic conversation/dance with a partner who is.
And then, we cross our fingers and hope they practise
But it can get you through a basic conversation/dance with a partner who is.
And then, we cross our fingers and hope they practise
And with practise, even of the mechanical, non-fluid form of the thing, you can see the students start to gain confidence.
And handily, also train their bodily co-ordination (so they feel physically capable of the movements), and familiarity with music
And handily, also train their bodily co-ordination (so they feel physically capable of the movements), and familiarity with music
We know that the students who have only done the beginners' classes are not really "dancing" in a real sense - they are doing moves
As they get to intermediate-advanced level, we start teaching them to relax. To respond automatically. What you might call awareness and non-doing.
As they get to intermediate-advanced level, we start teaching them to relax. To respond automatically. What you might call awareness and non-doing.
And yes, it feels weird to un-learn months or years of ingrained habits and weird tensions and over-thinking, and this process takes a while.
It probably takes less long for dancers to get to advanced level with pedagogy b) than a), overall.
But at least they're still here.
It probably takes less long for dancers to get to advanced level with pedagogy b) than a), overall.
But at least they're still here.
It takes longer, but it's more tractable, more measurable. Easier to see the next step, to understand the next step. Easier to stick with. Less terrifying, especially at the start, when you feel like you "can't do it at all"
And some people prefer it.
I think that's valid.
And some people prefer it.
I think that's valid.
Anyway, to generalise back to the topic at hand:
I think for anything which you are trying to improve at which comes naturally to others, you /can choose/ to learn the components out of order:
- "forced doing" of the form of the thing
- turning it into automatic effortlessness
I think for anything which you are trying to improve at which comes naturally to others, you /can choose/ to learn the components out of order:
- "forced doing" of the form of the thing
- turning it into automatic effortlessness
Now obviously if you are already /able/ to do something that is in the proximity of the target thing, then you're already at the "intermediate" level. I'm afraid you're going to have to suck it up and learn non-doing/non-trying. @m_ashcroft does a great job of teaching that
But if you are (think you are) /nowhere near/ the thing, don't even think you're /even capable/ of the thing, your muscles are so stiff you can't reach anything near the shape of the thing, or you're /just freaking scared/ of the thing?
It's valid to learn it mechanically first
It's valid to learn it mechanically first
I won't lie, it will take longer.
But for many people the longer, easier way is preferable to the shorter, scarier way. And that's ok.
Just don't forget to come back and learn it the fluent way, once you're reasonably comfortable and confident with the "for-learning" way
But for many people the longer, easier way is preferable to the shorter, scarier way. And that's ok.
Just don't forget to come back and learn it the fluent way, once you're reasonably comfortable and confident with the "for-learning" way
You could think of it as carefully tracing out the grooves of the tracks in your mind ahead of time.
In order that you can be confident when you come back later, having done the necessary un-learning, that you'll hit the right path again with full force with no effort at all
In order that you can be confident when you come back later, having done the necessary un-learning, that you'll hit the right path again with full force with no effort at all
Whichever way round you go, I believe in you, you can do the thing 
