DOI: http://doi.org/10.2478/njd-2017-00014 • Nordic Journal of Dance Volume 8(2) 2017 Beyond Tero Saarinen Technique: Method of Hybrid Pedagogy in Action. Hanna Pohjola1,2,3, Sini Länsivuori4 ABSTRACT TIIVISTELMÄ Current neurocognitive research on dance and motor Nykyisen neurokognitiivisen tanssitutkimuksen learning recommends the use of hybrid teaching mukaan hybridinen tanssinopettaminen, jossa methods in which explicit and implicit learning yhdistyvät toisiaan täydentävät eksplisiittinen complement each other. This article describes ja implisiittinen oppiminen on suositeltavaa. experiences of hybrid teaching and offers an overview Tässä artikkelissa tarkastellaan kokemusta of two Tero Saarinen technique–and–repertoire hybridiopettamisesta, joka toteutui kahdella Tero master classes pedagogically designed according Saarisen tekniikka- ja repertuaarikursseilla, joiden to hybrid teaching and motor learning. This article pedagogisessa suunnittelussa tavoiteltiin hybridistä discusses the participants’ feedback and shares an motorista opetusta ja oppimista. Artikkelin sisältönä on encouraging example of hybrid teaching. näille kahdelle kursseille osallistuneiden tanssijoiden palautteet ja niiden pohjalta muotoutunut kannustava esimerkki hybridisestä opettamisesta. 82 Beyond Tero Saarinen Technique: Method of Hybrid Pedagogy in Action. Hanna Pohjola, Sini Länsivuori ARTICLE ARTICLE 1 Introduction intuition and grounded/elevated. Dance classes in the Tero Saarinen is a Finnish dance artist and workshop have varying different themes according choreographer and the artistic director of the Tero to the fundamental elements, and structure of each Saarinen Company, whose workshops are based on class includes a warm-up and awakening of the senses, his movement technique. Displaying features of followed by basic exercises according to TSC style with ballet, butoh, martial arts and contemporary dance, focus on technique and improvisation, and expand to his style resembles organic, an inventive mixture of repertoire to conclude. grotesqueness and beauty and like butoh with wings. This article offers an overview on two Tero The Tero Saarinen technique is based in his words on Saarinen technique–and–repertoire master classes a holistic approach, and the aim is to activate every cell (see https://vimeo.com/154567489) that we three in the body to resonate and become 360-degrees alive. teachers (Tero Saarinen, Sini Länsivuori and Hanna This goal leads to interpretations that are constantly Pohjola) pedagogically designed to promote hybrid PRACTICE ORIENTED PRACTICE vital and surprising, like flora and fauna (seehttp:// teaching (e.g. Raab 2015; Karin 2016) which is a www.terosaarinen.com/en/). novel approach on dance teaching to enhance motor The fundamental elements of the Tero Saarinen learning. We collaborated throughout, prior and technique are defined as awareness, alertness and after the workshops and brought complementary attentiveness. In short, awareness is being present and perspectives within dance pedagogy: the perspectives aware when moving, being mindful of the moment. of artists and choreographers (Tero Saarinen), the Alertness refers to an awakening of all the senses to experiences of dancers (Sini Länsivuori) and the enable them fully ready for action and attentiveness biomechanical principles of movement patterns to being attentive to different layers of awareness (Hanna Pohjola). This article discusses hybrid and to learning new information. Paying attention teaching from the learners’ perspective, and is based to the various changes in the quality of movement on feedback from the participants. is also essential. Altogether, Saarinen’s technique concentrates on awakening the sensing of the feet, Hybrid teaching and workshops along with general alertness and focus. The goal is Hybrid teaching ideally combines the benefits of both to make full use of already-learned techniques and explicit and implicit learning and implements them to find, liberate and nourish the potential capacity during dance classes (e.g. Raab 2015; Karin 2016). of every dancer. In addition, the Tero Saarinen In short, explicit learning consists of the conscious Company’s workshops attempt to recognise the introduction and recollection of movements, is polarities of physical and mental existence and to specified, uses declarative forms of control and make use of these bidirectional qualities, such as depends on working memory (e.g. Lam et al. 2009; anima/animus, inherited/present, learned knowledge/ Kantak et al. 2012). In turn, implicit learning is more Nordic Journal of Dance - Volume 8(2) 2017 83 welcoming of disruption, stresses working memory and the second workshop five days (three teachers for less and enables motor learning in cognitive stages three days, two teachers for two last days), with the of lower consciousness (e.g. Karabanov et al. 2009). sessions on each day lasting three to four hours. All the According to current neurocognitive research on dance participants were emailed a structured feedback form, and motor learning, hybrid teaching and learning which was used primarily for pedagogical purposes. methods are beneficial for enhancing learning and, Consent for research and marketing purposes was thus, are encouraged (Karin 2016). requested and confirmed via email after sending the In this article, we present participants’ feedback of form. Fifteen participants attended the Kuopio Dance workshops, where we combined simultaneous explicit Festival workshop, and eleven gave feedback and and implicit teaching during the workshops. The consent for use for marketing and research purposes. essence of both teaching methods was the Tero Saarinen The Helsinki Festival had 15 participants, and while technique and its fundamental principles. First, we thirteen gave feedback, only eleven gave consent, and analyzed the central patterns of movements that are two denied consent. Thus, there was a total of twenty- essential in the TSC-technique. Then, we pursued to two responders (n=22). All the participants were dance find a teaching method that would incorporate both professionals, dance students or active amateurs. explicit and implicit teaching. In practice the explicit The participants in the Kuopio Dance Festival teaching and learning were engaged through verbal answered 11 questions. Six were closed questions with instructions, visual clues, and use of biomechanical a Likert-type scale (1–3 or 1–5) and assessed the principles of the Tero Saarinen’s dance technique. The participants’ workshop expectations and satisfaction implicit teaching and learning occurred via tactile generally and on teaching, applied biomechanics, information and by offering different imageries (e.g. repertoire and given concrete tools. Five open- sensory, visual, motor and kinaesthetic metaphors). ended questions addressed the participants’ general Teachers were given specific orientation in the class: impressions, collaboration of the three teachers, choreographer’s (Tero Saarinen) viewpoint included subjective importance of the workshop, future artistic implementation to reach for TSC fundamental suggestions for workshop topics, ideas for further elements, dancer’s perspective (Sini Länsivuori) offered development and other comments. practical guidance on movements, and biomechanics The participants in the Helsinki Festival answered (Hanna Pohjola) provided both general and individual 14 questions. Seven were closed questions with a Likert knowledge on kinetic movement chains related to TSC/ scale (1–3 or 1–5) and assessed the participants’ technique. We decided on this approach during prior workshop expectations, satisfaction, the suitability of pedagogical planning when we set the main goals, the amount of participation fee and the methods by structure and themes for the workshops, synthesising which dancers received information about the course. philosophy, biomechanical modelling, artistic values Eight open-ended questions addressed the participants’ and dance pedagogy. The hybrid teaching model was general impressions, collaboration of the three teachers, then pretested with the company’s dancers, and their subjective importance of the workshop, views of the feedback was used to improve the teaching. participation fee, future suggestions for workshop topics, The master classes were held at the Kuopio Dance ideas for further development and other comments. Festival (17–19th June 2016) and the Helsinki Festival Not all the participants answered all the (15–19th August 2016). The total duration of the first questions, and some comments could not be published intensive workshop was three days (with three teachers), or used for research purposes. This article focuses only 84 on questions that addressed a general overview of prior concerns about the possibility of overloading the the workshop, the collaboration of the three teachers participants’ working memory, but this was generally and used teaching method and perspectives and the not apparent in the comments. subjective importance of the workshop. Content The participants described the general analysis was used to analyse the feedback forms; thus, atmosphere of the workshop in multiple ways using conceptual groupings from the data were gathered words such as safe, caring, warm, open, positive, according to the relevant questions as themes. excellent, very good, encouraging, awesome, happy, trustworthy, inspiring and positive. According to the Feedback of the workshops feedback much attention and many helping hands