Enhancement of Alignment through Imagery

Teaching Strategies—The Application of Found Images in Dance and Sport

“…In a well-aligned body the muscles do not have to exert extra force because they do not have to work to pull body parts into an aligned position (Todd, in Minton, 1990). To achieve this efficient alignment Minton (1990) suggests to "visualize a straight line at the side of the body, while sitting, standing, or lying on the floor."…”

“…In a well-aligned body the muscles do not have to exert extra force because they do not have to work to pull body parts into an aligned position (Todd, in Minton, 1990). To achieve this efficient alignment Minton (1990) suggests to "visualize a straight line at the side of the body, while sitting, standing, or lying on the floor." To begin to address the various alignment problems in my class (especially Adam's), I backtracked a step and rather than have the students try to create this image themselves, I showed them a good example (the commissioned schematic) and reinforced the central ideas of functional, efficient alignment according to the above experts with verbal instructions.…”

“…Still another problem is choosing a method or methods to convey the information. Descriptions must be clear and meaningful so that the movers can understand the concepts in their own bodies (Minton, 1990). In addition, where and when to insert the use of images into predominantly physical experiences is an important consideration in the organization of training.…”

“…Overby's definition is very specific, detailing types of imagery with their associative functions: kinesthetic, auditory, metaphorical, or visual. "Visual imagery is a picture that the student holds in his mind" (Minton, 1990). The process of visualization involves continuous focus on an idea or picture regularly, giving it concentrated and positive energy "until it becomes an objective reality" (Lewis, 1990).…”

Performance Psychology in the Performing Arts

“…Th e literatures on imagery in dance and music have numerous overlaps with that in sport, but diff erences exist: Dance studies in particular have tended to focus on artistic images based on metaphors, abstract notions, and descriptions of desired movement or sound quality (Franklin, 1996a,b;Hanrahan, 1995;Lewis, 1990;Minton, 1990;Purcell, 1990;Sweigard, 1974;Woody, 2002). Such artistic images all describe something that is not real, but it is a hugely varied category.…”