This article provides concrete guidance on how to give feedback to your peers in a practice setting.
For information on when to give dance feedback, I recommend this article and infographic by Chelsea Blee.
For information on establishing an effective practice, see my How To Practice and One Thing articles to support your practice sessions.
1. Establish boundaries
At the beginning of your practice session, establish boundaries:
- Start by asking what the dancer is thinking about in their dance and what they are currently working on or hoping to change/improve.
- Ask what kind of feedback they are looking for, if any — and respect their wishes.
- If you don’t fully understand what they are asking for, ask a few more questions until you feel comfortable that you understand the type of feedback they are looking for.
Before reading on, watch this 10-minute video of Adam Grant on how to give and receive useful feedback.
2. pay attention
While you watch them dance:
- Observe what is working well.
- Observe what you think might be improved.
- Take notes.
- Think about how you will convey your feedback (see the best practices below).
3. Use these best practices
When giving feedback in a dance practice:
- Begin by offering what you think is strong or appealing in their dance, and why. (Learning what others appreciate in one’s movement or approach helps a dancer discover their unique style and identity—it is at least as helpful as constructive feedback).
- Next, give ONE piece of constructive feedback only (per practice or round). Use the OIA template to frame your input:
- Observation (e.g. “On turns, the shoulder of your connected arm rises up”)
- Impact (e.g. “It looks tense and might be causing you to go off balance”)
- Alternative (e.g. “When you turn, try pushing that shoulder down”)
- Give the dancer the opportunity to ask for clarifications and to try the suggested alternative so they learn in their bodies how to integrate the feedback.
- Take a video of the “before” and “after” so the dancer can study the videos and make their own evaluations based on the feedback received and their own goals and values for their dance.
- Understand that it is up to the recipient to decide if or how they will choose to incorporate the feedback given. Always deliver your feedback as simply one perspective — an offer that can be accepted, refused, or further explored.
4. manage Tricky situations
Sometimes, you just don’t know what to say, don’t have feedback to give, or can’t think of a way to give the feedback constructively.
- If you can’t think of any constructive feedback to give, simply say so and be humble about it (e.g. “It may be because I don’t know what to look for, but I don’t feel like I have any useful input on this topic”).
- If you are trying to help a partner you’re practicing with but can’t figure out how to improve the situation, describe what you are feeling in the connection or as the partner. We ourselves don’t know how we feel to others, and learning this can be helpful enough for the partner to figure out the correction themselves. In this video, Keerigan Rudd demonstrates how this can work.
- If you have any alternatives to suggest, you can instead collaborate on trying a variety of different things. In the absence of a professional, this may be the best option, and it can be fun, too.
- Take topics, issues, or situations that stymie you to a professional.
Managing multiple opinions:
- In group practices, it can become overwhelming and counterproductive if several different opinions are given. One way to manage this better is to have the dancer leave the room while the group discusses their thoughts and together as a group, decide on the One Thing that you will give as constructive feedback. Select one spokesperson to deliver the feedback.