Watching and describing a performance
Physical Education · Key Stage 1 · The School
What to watch for
While you watch, look for specific things: did the levels change, high and low? Did the movements stay in time with the music? Was a sequence repeated exactly? These are the same building blocks you use when you make up your own dance, so watching them in someone else's helps you notice them in your own.
Vague versus specific
"That was good" is vague. It does not tell the performer what worked. "I liked how you went low and slow for the sad part, then fast and high for the happy part" is specific. It names exactly what to do again next time.
Being kind and honest together
Good feedback is both kind and true. Start with something specific that worked well. If you have a suggestion, describe it as an idea to try, not a mistake to fix. "You could try holding that shape a little longer" is more useful than "that part was wrong."
Watch a partner perform a short sequence. Your first thought might just be "good" or "I liked it" — that is a normal starting reaction, not a finished answer. Now go back over what you watched and pick ONE specific moment: a level change, a repeated step, good timing with the music, a strong finishing shape. Say that one specific thing out loud to your partner. Notice how much more useful "I liked the moment you jumped high and froze" is than "I liked it" — the first tells them exactly what to keep doing, and the second tells them nothing at all.
Using feedback yourself
When you perform, ask your audience what specific thing stood out. Then try performing again, keeping that specific thing and changing something else. Feedback that names something specific is a tool for getting better, not just a mark out of ten.