Kayla Bagshaw

Kate Monson
Dance 343
December 3rd, 2015
Observation Research Paper
For the first part of my observation research paper, I chose to watch several men and
women shoot free throws during an intramural basketball game. My husband is an amazing
basketball player and plays at least twice a week on several different intramural and church ball
teams. In hopes of narrowing my idea of observing someone shooting a basketball, I chose to
only observe and analyze those that shot free throws during the game. For two weeks in a row, I
attended my husbands basketball games and took notes as I watched each person step up to the
free throw line and shoot the ball. I made note of the PTBCs and underlying patterns that were
present, as well as any application of the twelve principles we have discussed in class. Because I
was observing these free throw shots during an actual game, I also took into account any tension
or pressure that the players may have been feeling.
For the second part of my observation research paper, I chose to watch a Dance 241 class
taught by Kathleen Sheffield. Due to the fact that this was an actual modern technique class, my
expectations were set pretty high as far as integration of the patterns of total body connectivity
goes. I was eager to see just how much the teacher actually referred to the PTBCs while
teaching, giving corrections, explaining concepts, etc. I looked specifically for times when I
thought the teacher was referring to a PTBC or one of the 12 principles, but didnt actually use
the correct terminology and elements associated with the pattern or principle. I also paid close
attention to the way the actual dancers used differentiation within their movement. I looked for

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efficiency, flow, energy, expression, function, stability and mobility. After observing both groups
of people move in their own unique way, it was clear that the integration of breath, core-distal
and head-tail patterns of total body connectivity are necessary in producing effective, expressive
and functional movement.
Peggy Hackney stresses the value and importance of breath in her book titled Making
Connections: Total Body Integration Through Bartenieff Fundamentals. She lists several
situations where it would be beneficial for people to spend time tuning in to their breath. One of
these situations that she mentioned was when someone is feeling tense or under a great deal of
pressure (Hackney 53-54). According to my husband, shooting free throws is very stressful.
As I observed several people step up to the free throw line at a critical point in the game, I could
sense the fear, anxiety, doubt and panic written all over their face and being demonstrated in their
body language. If these basketball players were to participate in the rhythmic phrasing of breath,
it would release the unwanted tension caused by the pressure of making the basket. Similar to
shooting a free throw, performing a movement sequence in front of people can also be quite
intimidating and stressful. Towards the end of the class period that I observed, the students were
asked to demonstrate a movement sequence that they had created in groups of about two or three.
As soon as the teacher announced this, I saw the fear and anxiety start to run through each one of
the dancers bodies. Their breath was immediately shortened to the point of being almost nonexistent. This shortage of breath then led to inefficient movement, lack of expression and an
overall incomplete performance. According to Peggy Hackney, with every breath you have the
chance to expel what does not nourish and is not useful to you (Hackney 53-54). It was clear to
see that all of this fear, stress, pressure and anxiety that both the dancers and basketball players
had developed was not useful to them in any way. Both groups of people needed to tune in to

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their 3D breath and use this idea to connect their mind, body and spirit in order to get rid of the
unwanted tension that has slowly crept its way in.
Tuning into your breath also aids in sensing the connection and balance between mobility
and stability, which is essential for both dancing and shooting free throws. Shooting a basketball
requires the player to feel stable in their legs and grounded in their stance, while still allowing
the arms to move freely and throw the ball through the air. I quickly realized that the players who
missed their free throw shots seemed to be confused with this particular balance of mobility and
stability. Some were too stiff and stuck in their stance, while others looked like a wet noodle as
soon as they stepped up to the line. Similar to the basketball players, there were a number of
dancers who lacked this balance between mobility and stability as they went across the floor
doing a triplet sequence. The dancers were given a phrase that included both free and bound flow
movement, which forced them to have to find a connection between stability and mobility.
According to Peggy Hackney, breath is capable of finding this connection and giving life to all
parts of the body. Wherever the breathing is blocked in the body, future patterns will be
blocked; wherever the breathing is free, the future patterns will develop efficiently (Hackney
52). This concept became very clear as I noticed the ineffectiveness of their movement due to the
lack of balance between mobility and stability among both the dancers and basketball players. If
their breath were to be more complete and thorough, their overall efficiency and function would
increase and they would have an easier time moving their body in the space. Another example of
how breath could have been used more effectively among the dancers that I observed has to do
with the hollowing exercise that we have been working on in somatics. Towards the beginning of
class, I watched the dancers lie down on the floor and perform the exact same hollowing exercise
that we do in our phrase for somatics. The only difference was that the teacher used the term flat

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belly instead of hollow. I think if the correct terminology had been used, their breath would
have been more full and thorough causing their movement to be more effective. With every
breath, we connect and have an exchange with the environment outside of ourselves. The fuller
our respiration, the more each and every cell of our bodies is dialoging with the world.
Another particular element of Bartenieff that I felt was especially lacking has to do with
core-distal patterning. As I observed several different players shoot a free throw, I noticed that
their connective pathways seemed to be broken and inactive. Their limbs looked as though they
were detached from the rest of their body and sent flying into the air as they went to shoot the
ball. Unfortunately, disconnection most often occurs due to lack of awareness (Connett 3). In
order for these players to find this relationship within their body, they need to remember that the
total body is connected and supported through the central core. Where there are blocked
pathways, there is an automatic disconnect and loss of movement potential. In order for them to
efficiently execute a perfect free throw, all parts of the body must move in relationship with each
other because they are all connected through the neuromuscular system. According to Mary
Hayne, frequently, as movement becomes complex, movers forget that their whole body is
connected and begin trying to stick their limbs into the right places to fulfill tasks in a sort of
helter-skelter way, without any organizing framework. Connective pathways seem broken. Limbs
sometimes seem to fly away or get left behind, no longer connected to the alive action (Hayne
7). I felt this way while observing both the basketball players as well as the dancers. Towards the
middle of the technique class that I watched, the dancers were asked to do a combination in the
center of the floor where there was a lot of movement that required length, flexibility and
extension. Unfortunately, most of the dancers seemed very unaware of their core-distal
patterning as they moved across the floor and demonstrated each phrase without core to distal

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connection or exploration of their environment. Our body is composed of six limbs; two arms,
two legs, the head and the tail. Instead of moving with the awareness of all six limbs being
connected to the core, the dancers carried themselves in an anterior pelvic tilt, danced with
floppy feet and stopped all their energy at their wrists. In core-distal body connectivity,
important and engaging work happens out at our distal ends; our limbs are often the body parts
where movement and ideas are most visible and engaged (Hayne 7). In addition, core-support is
also necessary to create these connections and provide a foundation for the body to work
properly. If these dancers were properly educated in this core-distal patterning, their movement
would be much more expressive, captivating and artistic.
According to Peggy Hackney, change in one part changes the whole (Hackney 67).
This idea is also explained in one of the 12 principles that Hackney describes in her book. The
principle of Total Body Connectivity states that when one part of the body moves, all other
parts must respond and renegotiate their relationship (Hackney PG). The core-distal pattern starts
in the core, radiates through the torso and to the proximal joint, through the mid-limbs, and all
the way out to the distal edges. Although this pattern is obviously involved in shooting a free
throw, I was unable to see the connection executed by these basketball players performed in the
proper way. As I mentioned earlier, all six limbs are connected directly through the center. Peggy
Hackney explains it well when she says, the limb moves because the center moves (Hackney
74). In hopes of gaining affirmation on my observation of the players core purpose, I asked my
husband where he thought all of his shots initiated from within his body. He replied by saying his
arms. Although my husband is a very talented ball player, his free throws tend to be quite
inconsistent. If he and the other players were to realize that the core should initiate all of their
shots, I think both their proficiency and consistency would increase.

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I agree with Peggy Hackney when she says most people are not utilizing Head-Tail
Connectivity to aid them in moving (Hackney 86). Unfortunately, I dont think that the players
or dancers that I observed were taking advantage of this head-tail connection as efficiently as
they could have. Although there were a few people that seemed to have a lively spine, most of
them had stiff, tense and stark spines that inhibited their movement. One specific thing that might
help them establish this connection and sense it within their body has to do with the realization
that the spine is not rigid or straight. The spine was meant to be curvy and move in a variety of
different ways. However, the lumbar spine is much more flexible than the thoracic and cervical.
As a result, the lumbar curve is also extremely mobile, which sometimes threatens the support
structure (Hackney 105). In hopes of seeing this concept more clearly, I decided to compare two
different basketball players with each other and examine the shaping of their lumbar curve as
they stepped up to the free throw line and shot the ball. The first person I watched displayed
more of an anterior pelvic tilt in his central core region. Unfortunately, this particular placement
choice did not help him as he executed his shot. His core was disengaged, which ended up
breaking the connection between his head and tail. In comparison, the other person I observed
showed a much better shaping of their lumbar curve. Their lower spine was relaxed just enough
to allow for both mobility and stability as they shot their free throw. Finding this balance is
extremely important when trying to produce more efficient movement and get the ball properly
in the hoop. Sadly, this particular alignment within the body is not just an issue for basketball
players, but it is a big problem for dancers as well. I myself have been getting the correction of
tuck your pelvis under for years now. Due to the fact I myself have a problem with it, I tend to
look for it more critically when watching other people dance. The very first thing that the dancers
in this technique class did was walk around in the space. I immediately noticed this head-tail

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body patterning disconnect start to creep in as soon as they started moving. The teacher never
said anything about their body alignment during this particular section of the class, but I believe
the dancers would have been more warmed up and produced more functional movement if they
were more aware of this head-tail connection.
Another idea associated with head-tail patterning as well as upper/lower patterns of total
body connectivity, is the concept of Yield to Push and Reach to Pull. When shooting a
basketball, clarity in the Reach and Pull from the top of the head is necessary to complete the
shot. However, this is only possible with a moment of Yield and Push from the lower body
yielding into the court prior to the action of Reaching and Pulling. Thus it is important for these
players to establish a relationship and connection with both elements in order to efficiently
execute their free throw. The players may have been pushing through the floor before their
released the ball, but without the pull, there is no clear path as they take their body into space.
Yield to Push and Reach to Pull would help them to reach their goals and intent. It is also
important that these players find a sense of groundedness before they go to shoot the ball.
Similar to the action of shooting a free throw, this idea of yield to push and reach to pull is
necessary when performing a pli and releve combination in a technique class. Through yielding
before pushing into a releve, one connects with the earth and gravity. This allows bonding to
underlie the eventual separation, which happens with the push. Through pushing, the individual
compresses the body momentarily, thus stimulating proprioceptive knowledge of the structure
of solidity of being itself (Hackney 91). During the combination that I watched, the dancers
plies seemed small, short and somewhat locked. The transitions between pli and releve were
both choppy and uneven. Establishing a sense of yield to push and reach to pull would allow the
body to work in tandem with one another and allow for more efficient movement, achievement

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of goals and fulfilling intent. Staying grounded is a dancers shifting power. Human beings
naturally move in relationship to earth and gravity, therefore, these basketball players and
dancers should receive support from the earth before they release the ball or go to releve and pull
themselves into space.
Integration is an ongoing process. It is about how parts interrelate, how they enliven each
other, how they communicate and how they interact. Integration is about realizing that if all parts
are connected, then a change in one part will change the whole. Throughout this experience of
observing both basketball players shoot free throws and contemporary dancers do technique, I
was able to more clearly identify where these connections were efficient and where they might
have been lacking. In conclusion, I noticed that both the ball players and the dancers
performances were much more effective and inefficient when these connections and patterns
were well established. It was especially clear that the integration of breath, core-distal and headtail patterns of total body connectivity were necessary in producing this effective, expressive and
functional movement.

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Works Cited
Connett, Deva M., "Total Body Integration: A Phenomenological Heuristic Study"
Dance/Movement Therapy & Counseling Theses. Paper 7: (2011) Web. 15 Nov. 2015.
Hackney, Peggy. Making Connections: Total Body Integration Through Bartenieff
Fundamentals. Australia: Gordon and Breach Pub, 1998. Print.
Hayne, Mary. The Theorized Body and the Experiential Body in Dance Research:
Explorations through the Lens of Patterns of Total Body Connectivity. 2013: 1-41. Web.
20 Nov. 2015.