Dancing About Science: Chapter 2 - Moving Up (What is Extrinsic Motivation?)

Equal Opportunity

As part of a street style dance studio, I grew up in a community that most definitely valued hard work and practice over perfect technique. When it came to performance opportunities, my teacher would give everyone a fair shot at dancing for the event; however, the piece of choreography you performed was based on your current class level and inner dedication to advancement.

Studio Levels

Class levels are pretty standard in a dance studio. A lot of studios base levels off of the student's age. Other studios dictate your level based on competitive versus recreational dance. Well, this was the 1990's, competitive dance wasn't established. and age was but a number. Instead, she took a full picture of your ability to pickup choreography and practice until it was second nature. The studio had Levels 1-6, and I was ITCHING to move up to Level 6.

THE Game

I recall a specific performance opportunity - a Pittsburgh Steelers game. The studio was asked to provide a 5-minute pre-game routine on the professional turf. We were over the moon about the gig, but I could tell my teacher was nervous. She wanted to make a good impression, she wanted to be invited back for other games, she wanted to make a name for herself in the Pittsburgh dance community.

Grueling Condition(ing)

The routine we planned on performing was intense. A lot of quick transitions with high-energy movements. Although she had pieced together previous 8-counts into this one routine, it was a steep learning curve for all of us. Not to mention, we also knew the stakes.

One of our practices was held on a football field. The field had turf, real spikey turf. With a lot of maneuvering, we were able to hit the formations and land the choreography. A few hours into the rehearsal, we moved into our last song. This part of the routine involved a large circle of dancers that would ripple outward and basically fall straight into a plank position. It was super calculated and impressive...when we were on beat.

At this stage of the cycle, she was considering me for this part of the show. It was a Level 6 move, and I was teetering on the edge of Level 5. I knew I had to ace it.

When we went through our first run, immediate shock when we hit the turf. The spikey terrain was incredibly painful. And each subsequent drop caused our poor hands to turn red and swollen. I remember thinking to myself, this is for moving up.

Extrinsic Motivation

Doing something because you love it and not because of rewards is considered intrinsic motivation. On the contrary, when a reward is at stake, extrinsic motivation may take the lead. I think most people function best with a little bit of both, and I'm certain I've been energized by living up to my own potential as well as making someone happy.

Going back to the rehearsal example, I pushed myself so hard that day - pushed through the sore hands, pushed through the sweat - and tried to level up. I wanted to perform that part of the dance. I wanted her to choose me.

Fast forward a few weeks, and we had another rehearsal. This time, we were on a grassy field. I whispered a little 'thank you' for the lack of spiked turf. The evening was cooler, and we had to wear the performance outfits. Mind you, we were always very casual - sweatshirt, sweatpants, and black sneakers - but still, everyone was matching and uniform.

We got to the death-drop circle once again, and the skies opened up. Rain poured from the sky. Thinking for sure she would cut rehearsal early, we ducked underneath spectator parents' umbrellas and started grabbing our bags. I distinctly remember her shouting, 'There's no lightning, let's go dancers!'.

Moving Up

We kept running through the routine. In an effort not to slip and fall, the dance wasn't looking great - and boy, did she call us out on it. We ran through the meat of the routine over and over again in the pouring rain. At this point, it was time for the death-drop circle again. I remember thinking this was my last shot to impress her.

As soon as that portion of the music started, I hit the ground in a perfect plank position - and mud splashed up into my face. But I held my pose, didn't move, and didn't complain as she made us run through it about a dozen more times. Our sweats were caked in mud by the time rehearsal was over. I recall having to sit on a towel the whole ride home.

Needless to say, the Steelers' performance was epic, she solidified our studio as a powerhouse in the city, and I moved up to Level 6 that very day.