One important technique dance instructors employ while providing instruction is reinforcement. Reinforcement, i.e., overt approval of desired skills, behaviors, and attitudes, can be used to increase self-confidence and motivation and to develop technical and physical skills. The goal and result of effective reinforcement is to increase the likelihood that a desired skill will be repeated and to instill in dancers the belief that they can execute particular skills.
However, reinforcement in itself does not always work. The timing of the reinforcement is critical to its effectiveness. A typical problem associated with reinforcement involves either over- or under-reinforcement. Instructors may reinforce every skill regardless of quality. This approach may enhance motivation, but does not provide students with information about whether they executed the skill properly. As a result, they are unable to distinguish between correct and incorrect execution. Additionally, constant reinforcement may create dancers who only remain motivated and perform well when reinforcement is present. Too infrequent reinforcement has a similar effect. Lack of reinforcement also provides little information about how dancers are performing and tends to produce low motivation and poor skill acquisition.
Ideally, reinforcement should be intermittent and only given when the desired skills have been demonstrated. This variable reinforcement enables dancers to perceive a connection between proper execution and the reinforcement and provides them with necessary information relative to the skill. Reinforcement of this type produces increased motivation, rapid skill acquisition, and a high degree of satisfaction derived from the mastery of new skills and the enhanced performance that results.
Another issue that influences the effectiveness of reinforcement relates to the type of reinforcement that is given at the various stages of learning. It is important to give reinforcement that is specific to what is being learned. Providing inappropriate reinforcement can inhibit learning by focusing dancers’ attention on information that is not relevant to what is being learned. In particular, at early stages of learning, acquiring technical skills is emphasized, so reinforcement should be specific to those skills. For example, if a dancer is learning to proper body alignment, the teacher can specifically reinforce demonstration of the correct alignment rather than more general reinforcement such as how the dancer is moving. Thus, technical reinforcement is both motivating and informational for early learning.
In contrast to this technical reinforcement, at later stages of learning, the focus becomes more outcome-oriented. In other words, once the technical skills have been mastered, the outcome is stressed. For instance, the instructor can reinforce the artistry of the dance. By doing so, the teacher indicates to the student the desired outcome of well-executed skills. Once again, outcome reinforcement is both motivating and informational for dancers at this later stage of learning.
A technique that some dancer instructors have used successfully is verbal “punishment”. This method is generally not recommended because of the potentially negative consequences, but can be effective in some situations. For it to be useful, it is important for instructors to demonstrate convincingly that they care for and respect their dancers, share common goals, and that the “punishment” is a motivational learning technique that is in no way directed toward dancers on a personal level. Stating explicitly the intent of the verbal “punishment” saves dancers considerable negative emotional energy focused on the teacher. However, verbal “punishment” should be employed very selectively and only with careful consideration given to the dancers’ individual needs.
Another issue dancer teachers should consider is the emergence of self-reinforcement skills on the part of their dancers. In other words, teachers can encourage their students to reinforce and critique themselves. This process can be accomplished in several steps. First, instructors can nurture in their dancers an understanding of their own physical, technical, artistic, and psychological attributes. In other words, they can teach them to identify the strengths and weaknesses in their performances. Second, they can make communication two-way. Instead of teachers telling their students what they did wrong and how to correct it, they can ask the dancers to tell them. Thus, in addition to an awareness of the many aspects of their performances, dancers develop the ability to critique objectively their own dancing. Third, when students look to their instructors for approval, teachers can ask them to evaluate and reinforce their own performances.
Emergence of these self-reinforcement skills will contribute to the development of more complete dancers and will add to the satisfaction, enjoyment, and confidence that is derived from becoming a better dancer. Moreover, the dancers’ self-understanding will increase rather than undermine the teachers’ importance and effectiveness. This may result by having the students provide additional information about their performances for the instructors to work with, allowing them to offer better feedback, and enabling the dancers to better understand and integrate the corrective information.
Increased awareness and control of the manner in which dance instructors convey information will enable them to enhance the crucial communication process between teacher and student. What results is improved technical development, better performance, and a greater sense of accomplishment and self-confidence on the part of their students.
