Dance Techniques 2010

88 Teaching: Principles and Methodology
Although a Countertechnique class follows a ‘no nonsense
get up and do it’ approach, the teacher is careful in
vocabulary choices, avoiding terminology that can be misunderstood.
Giving feedback while working on an exercise
is an integral part of the class. Often Anouk van Dijk
asks the students: “How did it work for you?” “Was there
a difference?” “Why do you think we do this exercise?”—
thus encouraging students to verbalize experiences and
problems. Students often have false assumptions about
their bodies and their physical capabilities; they might
think of themselves as, for example, having no turn–out
or no plié. What they think they can or cannot do often is
the result of their interpretation of information given by
teachers. Misunderstandings arise in the chain of acquiring
information, interpreting information, and applying it;
false assumptions will eventually have to be addressed so
students can develop and explore their true potential. A
student might think he cannot move his head because he
has a tight neck, but after learning where the head / neck
joint is located, the weight of the skull becomes available
for movement. With the use of the direction and its counter–direction
(which distributes the weight in space), the
student is able to move his head more freely. On one hand,
feedback may happen after any kind of exercise, as in the
above example. On the other hand, students often approach
Anouk van Dijk after class to ask questions about
a particular exercise and how they should approach it.
Given the need to verbalize experiences, the teacher’s
role in communicating ideas, principles, and content is
essential. Since Countertechnique also has a theoretical
component, in–depth explanations about the principles
will come at some point in class. Verbal explanation is
needed for the students to understand the difference between
a more conventional way of doing an exercise and
doing it according to the principles of directing and counter–directing.
Countertechnique concepts are implied in the choice of
words that teachers like Anouk van Dijk and her colleague
Nina Wollny make. Instead of using the verbs ‘to focus’
or ‘to concentrate’, which imply the notion of a center,
they choose phrases like ‘put your attention to’, or ‘allow
yourself to’. These phrases imply an engagement without
expectation. Similarly, saying ‘suspend’ rather then ‘reach’
helps students think in spatial directions rather than in
terms of muscular tension. Language triggers physical action—much
more so than students are aware of—which
is why Anouk van Dijk and Nina Wollny ask students to
verbalize experiences. Van Dijk and Wollney assist the student
in finding the proper terminology so both the verbal
and physical experiences develop side–by–side. The teacher’s
role is to share information so as to improve students’
movement skills both on a physical and mental level. He
or she is there to guide, offering suggestions instead of
corrections.
At first, a teacher concentrates on teaching steps and basic
elements that make up the skeleton of the class. This is
one of the reasons why, at first sight, Countertechnique
classes exude a formal and even strict atmosphere. But, as
Anouk van Dijk explains, she personally tries to establish
an objective foundation for working with students so as
to distract them from personal obsessions, prejudices, and
fears. Clear and objective information added to the skeleton
of the class provides students with a neutral grid upon
which they can experiment and learn how to approach
their work differently.
In Countertechnique classes, no imagery or metaphors
are used to stimulate the imagination. What students have
to visualize, above all, are anatomical relations between
various bones and spatial directions. Using imagery in the
physical learning process would stipulate specific content
and thus encourage a way of thinking that favors a result—
an image is quickly perceived to something that should be
achieved—and would be a diversion from process–related
thinking. The teacher does not use personal metaphors
to share information either, since personal metaphors are
likely to cause misunderstandings with students from different
cultural backgrounds.
Countertechnique classes are not ‘hands–on’ classes.
Information is communicated by verbalization and physically
demonstrating when the body is directed and when
not. Touching students may, however, occur when discussing
anatomical detail. Anouk van Dijk uses her hands
to encourage students to feel the results of directing and
counter–directing. Once a student has felt the difference,
applying the principles will be easier. This only happens
once the student is familiar with the exercises, however,
not before.
In summary, one can say that in a Countertechnique
class, movement acquisition happens in two phases. First
dancers learn exercises by copying them, which creates
a class structure. The teacher demonstrates the exercises
full–out with all the directions, length, ease, and risk. At
the beginning, demonstrating how Countertechnique functions
will convey more to dancers than a lot of words. Before
dancers can have an idea about the principles, teacher
demonstrations provide inspiration. Once familiar with
the exercises, the real work begins. In the second phase,
information from the Countertechnique toolbox is gradually
introduced. Anouk van Dijk, as well as her colleague,
Nina Wollny, guide the students through both theoretical
insights as well as through the practical experience. The
intention is to introduce theory in an informal and playful
way, step–by–step. After all, it should not be forgotten
that the main goal of Countertechnique is to keep—and
often retrieve—the joy of dancing by absorbing new and
often complex insights into how the body works. In this
way, joy and interest in exploring can continue to grow
throughout a dancer’s career.