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Let's take you on a little journey through my life as a "half tomboy, half pretty, pretty princess" (as I liked to call myself at age 5). Growing up with two older brothers, I wanted to do everything they did. I played basketball with them, competed to catch the most frogs in our pond, and wrestled with them in our backyard. But being the girl, my mom begged that I do some sort of "girly" thing, and we decided on dance class. Although I was not initially thrilled at the idea, my mom promised it would help me with my coordination and "future basketball stardom." Ever since that first dance class, I've kept on moving it (mostly) to the beat. I'm especially thankful I stuck with it because I'm nearly six feet tall, and I know it helped me to stay ~somewhat~ coordinated throughout many years of growth spurts.

The first class I took was tap when I was four, and we started off very slow. Now, learning about coordination in K361, I can look back and see how the dance instructors chose arm and leg movements that were very symmetric. Mostly, we raised our arms at the same time or put them straight out from our shoulders, but we certainly did not start with the complex circles and other "out-of-phase" moves the older girls did. Our feet mostly moved one at a time with a "heel" or a "tap." In later years we would work up to our feet doing some complex movement while our arms worked against the comfortable in-phase or anti-phase movements to follow the choreography of the instructor. As promised by my mom, I did become more comfortable and coordinated at moving in motions unlike the in-phase or anti-phase motions our bodies prefer. I also got really good at a cat eye and red lipstick.

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#2 Everybody Makes Mistakes... Now Fix Them

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#2 Everybody Makes Mistakes... Now Fix Them

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My dance instructors used a variety of practice methods to solidify our routines into memory. They also used different methods to ensure our movements were uniform and to the beat. One way we practiced this was through demonstration. Once we knew a chunk of the routine, our instructor would demonstrate the chunk while we watched. As we learned in motor learning, skilled demonstration allows us to observe the correct timing and movements. In addition to watching our instructor, we would break up into groups of about three to perform in front of the class. Demonstration by the students (unskilled dancers) allowed us to observe the common mistakes of missed or off-beat movements. Demonstration of unskilled performers allows observers to problem-solve and improve upon their own performance. Additionally, we would provide feedback of what was performed well and what needed improving upon. Our teacher always stressed to us that we needed to be kind about our suggestions and that we should all thank each other for the feedback because it made us better. I always enjoyed this part of practice, as I could usually find a step that I could improve.

In the GIF below, we have Coach Abby Lee from the TV show Dance Moms. She was notorious for being outright mean to her students and pitting her students against each other. She had her students perform in groups and would yell what they were doing wrong while they danced. This also plays a role in concurrent feedback (more to come on that). Her methods of demonstration were not the most beneficial, according to motor learning and performance rules because she did not let her observing students problem solve the mistakes. But... her dramatic outbursts made for good reality TV.

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I'll never forget it. I was eleven, the tallest in my class (therefore in the center), dancing my jazz routine to The Jackson 5's song ABC during our dress rehearsal when I forgot the moves for a solid fifteen seconds-- this of course felt like forever. To make it worse, we were in a pyramid formation-- like a flock of flying geese-- where I was the head goose and couldn't slyly glimpse to my left or right to get back on track. When I realized I was completely lost, I had to completely turn around to see where we were in the choreography.

Naturally, I cried for hours after, even though there were maybe 20 people in the audience. It was my big moment! I was in the front, the leader of the group. Also, I KNEW that routine like the back of my hand. I certainly choked under pressure. I had worked on the routine all fall and spring, and was an expert (at least in this very specific case). But... when the stress was too high, I completely blanked on my moves and it felt like the end of the earth. Luckily, I killed it on the ACTUAL performance night and cried happy tears after. :,)

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I stopped dancing when I reached middle school because my first real sports teams started, and I had practice nearly every week night. Nevertheless, my love for dance never died, but I struggled to find fun ways to keep dancing. There was certainly no dancing at middle school dances besides the always-awkward straight-arm slow dance. When we got a Wii when I was in seventh grade, the first game I asked for was Just Dance. I was obsessed! It was a sleepover fan-favorite, and we started to get really good at our favorite songs (helloooo, California Gurls by Katy Perry?!).

Just Dance had an interesting way of keeping score during the song. In case you have (unfortunately) never played, a string of dance moves run across the bottom of the screen in time with the music. You perform the move when it hits the center icon and continue the move until a new move reaches the center icon. Scores are based on how in-time with the movement you are and how accurate your movements are. The feedback appears at the side of the screen by letting the player know if each move was missed (an X), okay, good, or perfect. According to rules of augmented feedback, this concurrent feedback would likely have a negative impact on learning and performance. This is due to the player focusing on the augmented feedback and less on the task at hand. I certainly noticed this, and tried my best not to look at the points and focus on the next movement. Little did I know I was always winning (I'm so humble) because I was following rules of motor learning.

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🌟 California Gurls - Katy perry ft Snoop Dogg - Just dance 3 🌟

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Here I am now, a 22-year-old college student with nowhere to dance besides my room :( Enter, bars. Little did I know my past tap and jazz lessons would prepare me for the real world, where people do not break out into song and dance as they do in musicals. Rather, the only place to perform my moves with others is on the dance floor of the ever-classy Madison bars.

I think the dance moves I bust out on these nights follow Gentile's Two-Stage Model. Since I have been dancing for many years, I am past the first stage of "getting the idea of the movement." I already have an idea of many dance movements and patterns, and I have certainly had my fair share of trial and error (I like to call this "reading the crowd"). When I go out dancing with my friends, I like to think I am in the second stage of diversification. Since dancing is an open skill (when there's no choreography) that changes with the song and those around me, there is diversification of skills rather than fixation. I can modify my movement patterns depending on the environment around me. I'm not sure dancing at the bars lives up to the rush of performing on the stage, but I like to think of it as the college intramural version for used-to-be dancers.

Below you will find what my friends and I find to be appropriate dance moves and attire for a fall day at the UU bar. Just kidding, we had a Western-themed social for Habitat for Humanity, but that did not stop the questioning looks of others. Hope you like Glen Campbell!