Consistency in Adult Learning - Part 1

CONSISTENCY IN ADULT LEARNING
PART 1



Consistency is key for building knowledge and improvement in any activity you undertake. All adult students, and we are all students of something, across all aspects of classes. This will set them apart and put them on a success path. In this article I am referring to dance or movement classes but can be used for anything you are interested in.

ATTENDANCE: - Attendance is the most obvious way that consistency will make a difference in your work. Turning up every day is so important for learning and retaining knowledge. It also means that skills can be continued and be honed, which means you will enjoy your classes or practices so much more.. Being consistent means there is more opportunity for self expression and less scrambling to keep up. Now I am speaking of just dance technique as technique is the basis for dance quality. Having consistency means your technique is constantly being refined. It gives you the freedom to dance your heart out.

APPROACH:- So now you attend every week. Now, we will turn your attention to how you approach your class. This can swing from being very easy on a good day to very difficult on a day you are having a bad day. Often class is the silver lining- to an average day. But, what happens when it is not that simple?

Consistency in approach can help. Promote a routine for when you arrive. This will put you in the right frame of mind for class. This helps your teacher as well. It might be sitting quietly for a few moments, taking a couple of deep breaths to become centered in the space. It might be instigating a related chat before the warm up. However every approach should incorporate a solid warm up. Warming up is physical and mental preparation, and should not be underestimated. If you can achieve this every time you attend class, you will be perfectly prepared for what ever you get in the studio. 363



ADDED TIP:
Do It Right. Borrow a move from ballet for a beautiful lower body. It is no secret we would all love to have well toned buns and inner thighs. Ballet dancers know how to do this. A turned out second position plie. It is a variation on a squat that also works out your inner thighs. This utilizes the muscles of the buttocks, back of thighs, front of thighs, and inner thighs. All of these muscles control the movement of the body. You do not have to overdo the turn-out. Your feet are in a turned out position. The degree of turnout varies with each person. Do not let your feet turn out past your knees. Weight is evenly distributed.
Only lower to the point where your thighs are parallel to the floor. Keep abdominal muscles tight and upper back lifted. Go straight down with back in natural curve. Tail bone moves straight down and up. Do not allow weight to sit in butt. Hold weight in mid section. Lower only as far as is comfortable.


Morwenna Assaf, Educator and Choreographer of Arabic Style Dance
ArabiDanseAcademie@sbcglobal.net https://ArtDance Academy.webs.com
760-715-2276 El Fen = OnLine Studio
Walid Assaf, Rhythm Master, Musical Director


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