Reflecting on Reflection

 As a dancer I am a perfectionist and with that comes a lot of reflection. Reflecting on how I did in class, how a performance went, what went well and more often what could I improve on. This is deemed as reflecting-on-action since it's looking back at what I have previously done in an attempt to learn from it but what I didn't realise is how much dancers use reflection-in-action. Reflection-in-action applies in situations where one is responding to what is happening as it happens rather than after the fact. This is useful skill for dancers as we need to be adaptable. Examples of when we would use this skill would be during the creation of a piece of choreography, when rehearsing on a new stage for the first time or during a performance if something were to go wrong. 

I can think of countless times when I have been on stage and things haven't gone completely according to plan. A slippy spot on stage, the orchestra changing the tempo, a lead corps member in the slightly wrong place are all situations which require dancers to reflect-in-action or "think on their feet". 

Being adaptable and quick is an important part of being a dancer. Choreographers and directors don't want to spend the limited time they have in the studio/on stage trying to solve simple spacing or patterning issues, nor do they want to have to repeat themselves 100 times because one dancer didn't quite catch details such as head or eye alignment. Dancers have to be able to figure things out for themselves, use logic and communicate with their peers in order to be seen as "easy to work with" and reliable. The most successful corps de ballets are those made up of dancers who respect each other as equals regardless of hierarchal rank. No matter what happens outside of the studio when you are rehearsing or performing you communicate and respect each other in order to work and create the effortless illusion we are known for. Whilst on stage you just do what you have to do in order to achieve the effect the choreographer intended and sometimes that means you have to adapt your patterning or movements using the process of reflection-in-action. 

Once the show or rehearsal ends the process of reflecting-on-action begins. We start picking apart every tiny detail of our performance and trying to figure out ways to fix any problems that have have arisen. The problem with this is that a lot of the time little to no emphasis is placed on what went well. As perfectionists we tend to focus on perfecting the imperfections and neglect to enjoy or congratulate ourselves on what went well, which can often lead to low moods, frustration and anxiety. 

The process of reflection is extremely important for progress to be made and its not uncommon for schools and companies to actively encourage reflecting and assessing how you personally feel you have been performing. Unfortunately dancers often focus on pointing out what they feel they need to work on and avoid thinking about what they are doing well through fear of sounding egotistical. Whilst reflecting on what needs to be improved on is a great way to learn from mistakes, reflecting on things that went well and achievements is equally important to maintain motivation and keep a dancer's passion alive.