Physical Correction Policy
Dancing is physical skill and in order to help and facilitate the student's learning the teacher may need to physically guide a movement by touch. Touch promotes kinaesthetic learning and can be produce a quicker response to correction than other teaching tools.
Students' personal boundaries, however, vary with each individual and are influenced by their past experiences, culture, age and gender. Cambridge Performing Arts endeavours to ensure that touch is used in the correct manner and with sensitivity. To that end, the following requirements must be adhered to.
Teachers at Cambridge Performing Arts are required to:
- Ensure they use a range of teaching tools other than touch, such as imagery and visualisation, demonstration, and discussion
- Be sensitive to gender, age and cultural issues – many Asian cultures, for instance, are used to more personal space
- Touch in a professional and unambiguous manner
- Ensure touch is firm, direct and necessary, using a flat hand and with a clinical nature
- Avoid: close physical contact around the pelvis; use of sharp finger nails; 'tickling' to produce sensation; touch of the head, face or hair
- Avoid damaging touch such as forced stretching, use of excessive force to help a movement or hitting arms and legs to remind about a correction
- Check that learning has occurred through this action and if not, try to convey understanding in a different way
- Use eye contact to monitor how the student is responding to contact and be sensitive to their response
Students at Cambridge Performing Arts are required to:
- Make their personal tutor of the Student Welfare Officer aware if they are not comfortable with the use of touch
We have a Physical Correction policy in place to protect staff and students and encourage best practice. If anyone has an issue regarding the policy, they should speak, in confidence, to the Student Welfare Officer.
