Optimising ballet performance through attentional focus
The demanding world of classical ballet requires dancers to execute intricate movements with precision and grace. While traditional training emphasises perfecting technique through rigorous practice, research by Clare Guss-West and Gabriele Wulf suggests that attentional focus plays a critical role in enhancing performance. Guss-West, a respected figure in dance education, along with her collaborator Gabriele Wulf, a motor learning expert, has explored this intriguing territory, shedding light on how dancers' attentional habits can impact their movement quality, efficiency, and overall artistry.
The Internal-External Focus Dichotomy: What Dancers Focus on Matters
Guss-West and Wulf's research centres on the concept of attentional focus, which refers to what a performer concentrates on while executing a skill. This focus can be categorised into two primary types:
Internal Focus: This involves concentrating on the body's movements. For a ballet dancer, this might involve thinking about the position of their feet, the engagement of specific muscles, or the precise mechanics of a turn.
External Focus: This involves directing attention to the intended effect of the movement. For instance, a dancer might focus on the feeling of gliding through the air during a jump, the visual line their arm creates in an arabesque, or the specific spot on the floor they want to land on after a turn.
Decades of research in motor learning have consistently demonstrated that an external focus of attention leads to superior performance and skill acquisition compared to an internal focus. These findings hold significant implications for any field that involves complex motor skills, and classical ballet, with its intricate movements and emphasis on artistry, is no exception.
Why Does External Focus Work? Unpacking the Mechanisms
The benefits of an external focus are supported by a robust body of scientific evidence. Several key mechanisms underpin its effectiveness:
Enhanced Automaticity: When dancers focus externally, they allow their body's innate, automatic motor control systems to take over. Think of it like learning to ride a bicycle; once the skill is mastered, you don't consciously think about every pedal stroke or handlebar adjustment. Similarly, in ballet, an external focus frees up the mind to focus on the artistic intention, allowing movements to flow naturally and efficiently. In contrast, an internal focus can interfere with these automatic processes, leading to a more controlled, less fluid, and less effective execution.
Reduced Self-Focus and Pressure: A constant focus on the self, particularly during performance, can lead to increased anxiety, self-doubt, and a tendency to overthink. Shifting to an external focus helps redirect attention away from this self-scrutiny, allowing dancers to perform with greater freedom, spontaneity, and confidence.
Improved Movement Efficiency: Research shows that an external focus promotes greater coordination between muscle groups, leading to smoother, more efficient movements. It reduces unnecessary muscle tension and co-contractions (where opposing muscle groups work against each other), which not only enhances performance quality but also minimises fatigue. This is particularly crucial for ballet dancers who often endure long hours of training and perform physically demanding routines.
Investigating Attentional Habits: Surveying Professional Dancers
To gain insights into the attentional habits of elite dancers, Guss-West and Wulf surveyed 53 international professional ballet dancers. Participants were asked to describe their typical focus while performing four fundamental ballet movements:
Balance in fifth demi-pointe or pointe
Balance in arabesque demi-pointe or pointe
Pirouette en dehors
Grand jeté en avant
These movements were chosen for their increasing levels of complexity, ranging from static balances to dynamic jumps and turns.
Survey Results: Internal Focus Remains Prevalent, Revealing a Need for Change
The survey results revealed a somewhat surprising trend: a majority of professional dancers, approximately 72%, reported using predominantly internal or a combination of internal and external foci while executing these movements. This tendency toward internal focus was particularly pronounced for more technically challenging movements like the arabesque, where dancers often focus on maintaining precise alignment and control.
Here's a closer look at the distribution of responses:
Internal Focus (36.1%): Dancers in this category described their focus in terms of specific body parts, muscle engagement, or the mechanics of the movement. Examples include:
"Two legs equally balanced through the feet, growing through, back muscle are well engaged, relaxed and well supported spine through the head".
"Foot muscles and straight leg".
"Rotation from hip socket, squared off hips, coordination of head, back and arms in takeoff, use of the floor and appropriate amount of torque".
Combination (36.1%): These dancers integrated both internal and external cues in their attentional focus. Examples include:
"The pressure of the legs into one another as if they were one/glued and spiralling in opposition".
"Feeling my centre controlled over my supporting leg. The big toe of my arabesque floating away and up. Both pushing into and lifting out of the floor as the movement expands".
"High on the standing leg/fast to the position".
External Focus (27.7%): Dancers in this category primarily used imagery or focused on the intended outcome of the movement. Examples include:
"Reacting to the floor in a crossed chain sensation imagining the least resistance".
"Going forward, feeling like a swan".
"On a whirligig".
"Travelling...achieving air time in the jeté...gliding through air".
While a notable portion of dancers reported incorporating at least some degree of external focus, the prevalence of internal focus, particularly for complex movements, suggests that there's substantial room for improvement. By consciously shifting toward external cues, dancers can unlock greater performance potential, enhance efficiency, and experience a more liberated sense of movement.
Why the Persistence of Internal Focus? Examining Potential Contributing Factors
The question arises: why do many dancers, even at the professional level, cling to an internal focus despite evidence supporting the benefits of an external focus? Several factors could contribute to this:
Emphasis on Technique and Tradition: Ballet pedagogy has long emphasised precise body alignment and muscular control, often leading to a focus on internal sensations and the mechanics of movement.
Perceived Need for Control: As movements become more complex, there's a natural tendency for dancers to want to exert conscious control over their bodies. This can result in an over reliance on internal focus, even when it may be hindering performance.
Lack of Awareness or Understanding: Some dancers may simply be unaware of the research on attentional focus and the benefits of adopting an external focus. Others might lack a clear understanding of how to effectively integrate external cues into their practice.
Practical Applications: Shifting Towards an External Focus in Ballet Training
Guss-West and Wulf's research offers valuable guidance on how to apply the principles of attentional focus in ballet training and performance:
For Dancers:
Embrace Imagery: Use vivid mental images to guide your movements. Instead of fixating on specific muscles or body parts, visualise your limbs extending like beams of light, your body effortlessly soaring through the air, or your pirouettes spiralling with precision and ease.
Focus on the Sensation, Not the Mechanics: Tune into the overall feeling of the movement rather than getting bogged down in the mechanics. Feel the flow of energy, the lightness in your jumps, the grounded stability in your balances, or the seamless connection with your partner.
Experiment and Find What Works: Not every cue will resonate with every dancer or every movement. Be willing to experiment with different external cues to discover what most effectively enhances your performance and promotes a sense of freedom and artistry.
For Teachers:
Word Instructions Carefully: Use language that encourages an external focus. Instead of saying "Engage your core," try cues like "Imagine your spine lengthening towards the ceiling" or "Feel the energy flowing through your fingertips."
Incorporate Imagery and Metaphors: Employ creative metaphors and analogies to help dancers visualise the desired movement outcome. For example, "Imagine you're pushing a giant ball away from you as you jump" or "Feel the resistance of the floor as you extend through your arabesque."
Provide Feedback That Reinforces External Focus: When giving corrections or praise, focus on the overall effect of the movement rather than isolated body parts. For instance, instead of saying "Your knees weren't high enough in your jeté," try "Your jump looked effortless and buoyant, but imagine reaching for the sky with even more energy."
Beyond the Elite: Broader Applications of Attentional Focus
It's crucial to note that the benefits of an external focus extend beyond the realm of professional dancers. Research has consistently demonstrated its effectiveness for individuals of all skill levels, ages, and abilities, including:
Beginners: An external focus can facilitate faster skill acquisition and reduce frustration for new dancers, helping them build confidence and enjoyment in their practice.
Older Adults: As balance and coordination tend to decline with age, an external focus can assist older dancers in maintaining stability, fluidity, and confidence in their movements.
Dancers with Injuries or Disabilities: By encouraging dancers to focus on what they can achieve rather than their limitations, an external focus can be particularly empowering for individuals recovering from injuries or navigating movement challenges.
A Shift in Mindset: Embracing a More Holistic Approach to Ballet Training
The research of Guss-West and Wulf presents a compelling case for a shift in mindset within the world of ballet. By integrating the principles of attentional focus, we can move beyond a solely technique-driven approach and embrace a more holistic understanding of how the mind and body work together to create expressive, dynamic, and artistic movement. This paradigm shift has the potential to not only unlock the performance potential of elite dancers but also make the beauty and joy of ballet accessible to a broader and more diverse community.
