Attention and Focus in Dance: Enhancing Power, Precision, and Artistry (Original PDF from Publisher)

Western dance education places a lot of emphasis on technique mastery and control, two things that are unquestionably essential for enhancing performance. However, mindful attention has received little attention—until now—despite its crucial role in high performance. Attention and Focus in Dance, a how-to book anchored in the 20 years of attentional focus studies of researcher Gabriele Wulf, will help dancers unlock their strength and stamina reserves, enabling efficient movement, improving their sensory perception and releasing their dance potential. Author Clare Guss-West—a professional dancer, choreographer, teacher and holistic practitioner—presents a systematic, science-based approach to the mental labor of dance.

Her method assists dancers in developing the abilities of focus, attentiveness, and self-cueing to refuel and improve their creative and physical performance. An Original, Research-Based Method Attention and Focus in Dance provides readers with the following:

A distinctive method that combines Western movement forms with the roots of Eastern movement
Research-based teaching methods in a variety of settings, such as private studios, professional dance organizations, and programs for dancers with particular needs or movement difficulties
Comments and advice from professional dancers and dance instructors throughout the world who employ the book’s methodology in their instruction and training
An emphasis on dance that is simple to incorporate into current teaching and training methods, rehearsal settings, or rehabilitation settings to offer both short-term and long-term advantages

Guss-West explores attentional focus techniques for dancers, teachers and dance health care practitioners, making practical connections between research, movement theory and day-to-day dance practice. “Many dancers are using excessive energy deployment and significant counterproductive effort, and that can lead to a global movement dysfunction, lack of stamina and an increased risk of injury,” says Guss-West. “Attentional focus training is the most relevant study that sport science and Eastern-movement practice can bring to dance.”Book Organisation The text is organised into two parts. Part I helps dancers examine the information overload and attentional problems that many professional dancers face. It highlights the necessity of a methodical approach to attention and focus and describes the connection between dance practice and scientific studies on attentional focus. Additionally, this section explores how Eastern movement principles inform and enhance scientific discoveries, as well as how these ideas might revitalize fundamental dance components like posture, turnout, and port de bras. Techniques for focusing and paying attention are offered in order to prevent energy exhaustion and depletion. Teaching, self-coaching, and cueing techniques for attention and focus are covered in Part II.  For both novices and more experienced dancers and professionals, it discusses attentional focus cues and situates attentional focus within the larger framework of holistic teaching methods. Making the Most of Your Dance Potential According to Guss-West, “cueing for high performance is an art, whether you’re cueing yourself or others.” “Readers will learn how to structure cues and feedback to promote efficient neuromuscular response and improve dancers’ accessibility and information recall while dancing.” There are many motivational ideas and notions supported by research in Attention and Focus in Dance that might support dancers’ learning and performance.  For the best physical impact, this book helps readers focus their attention and filter information. In the end, it helps teachers and dancers reach their full potential and be the best versions of themselves.