2020 has been quite a year and dancers and dance teachers have had a steep learning curve to embrace technology and develop the skills sets to deliver effective distance and on line dancing and learning. The up side of this year is the incredible accessibility to learning that this new virtual medium has afforded. Dancers from as far and wide as China, Canada, the US and New Zealand have been able to participate together in my recent workshops, lectures and conferences. We are sharing knowledge and best practice in dance training in a way previously unheard of in my whole dancing life time. So if you participated in our on […]

We were around 80 dancers and teachers from across the globe from Malaysia, New Zealand and Australia through Europe: France, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK to Canada and the US who came together Wednesday 11th November for the virtual introduction to Attention and Focus in Dance. Colleagues joined from Dutch National Ballet, Scottish, Monaco and Houston Ballets as well as teaching faculty from the ISTD, RAD, Université du Quebec à Montreal, L’Ecole Superieure de Ballet de Quebec, Pôle Superieure National de Danse Rosella Hightower . . . Super exciting that there is such interest in this new frontier for dance – a vast unexplored territory of possible further performance […]

Attention is like a muscle that becomes stronger and more controllableover time. (Watson 2017, 250) If you just pause a moment over this internet page, notice how many millions of possible stimuli there are around you, all vying for your attention. That might be screen publicity, attractive images, pop ups, notifications – now take your attention away from the screen and notice any background sounds or noise you can hear – the traffic, children playing, a distant music. Take your attention up and notice the colours outside the window. Take your attention far away to the movement of the clouds and then suddenly inwards to any discomfort or tension you […]

We can all relate to the central role that mental and attentional training plays in high level sports. We easily recognise that the difference between a high performer – just think of Roger Federer – and one that perhaps did not quite make the grade is not about having more muscles, more physical training or more skills knowledge – but rather the wisdom of their choice of focus and attention under pressure and the essential ability to reset the mind when all seems to go off plan. In the last twenty years sports science has indeed made tremendous advances in harnessing the make or break power of the mind and […]

Virtual Workshop and Launch – 11th November 5pm CET/4pm UK/11am EST This pandemic has been devastating for the dance world, for the art form and particularly for dancers – the effects have made us question every aspect of dance from our practical ways of working, how to maintain a healthy body and mind in confinement to creating digitally and communicating the human experience and emotions through a virtual screen. Dancers have displayed their ingenious and pioneering spirit to overcome the physical barriers and come together on line to celebrate their connection and passion for dance. However its perhaps even more essential in these unprecedented times to use this opportunity to […]

Wednesday 11th November 5pm-6pm CET/11am-12pm EST (6pm Helsinki time) is a date for your diary! We’ll be launching and celebrating Attention and Focus in Dance: Enhancing Power, Precision, and Artistry by Clare Guss-West. Join dancers, teachers, ballet masters and dancer health care practitioners from across the globe from Finland, France, UK and the US in a fun introductory workshop and explore this ‘new frontier’ in dance. I’ll be sharing some professional take-home attention and focus tips for use in regular dance class and performance. You’ll feel the immediate effect on precision, power and energy. I’ll be joined by guests: Dr Gabriele Wulf, PhD, UNLV Distinguished Professor, University of Nevada, Las […]