Beyond the Stage: Integrating Mental Skills Training in Performing Arts Education
Date: Wednesday, June 5th
Time: 1pm to 2:30pm EST This panel discussion will explore how educators in dance and music are integrating mental skills in their studios and classrooms. Panelists will also discuss what educators need to best support their students in developing psychological well-being and mental performance skills. Our panelists consist of expert educators and researchers with a depth of experience in artistic performance, pedagogy, and research. John Mac Master is an Associate Professor of Vocal Performance at McGill University and a founding member of McGill’s Applied Performance Sciences Hub. Lauren Ritchie is an established mental skills educator, dance teacher, and choreographer whose work has led to the creation of a number of international teacher training programs and mental performance-based curriculums. Terry Clark completed his PhD in Performance Psychology at the Royal College of Music. He is currently the director of Mount Royal Conservatory. Karine Rathle is a performer, teacher, choreographer and researcher in dance and dance science who has led numerous teacher training courses related to psychological and physical skills for dancers. Admission is free, but registration is required. Registration will be available until the day before the webinar. Those who register will receive the link to the webinar by email the day before the webinar. |
Presenters
John Mac Master
Canadian tenor John Mac Master is Associate Professor in The Schulich School of Music at McGill University in Montréal, Canada, where he has been teaching since 2016. His teaching is devoted to the practical instruction of vocal performance, and he is a founding member of the Applied Performance Sciences Hub at Schulich. His research interests include vocal performance, and wellness. Mac Master has enjoyed a long and successful career performing the most demanding roles of the dramatic tenor repertoire the world over: Cavaradossi (Tosca), Canio (Pagliacci), Otello, Manrico (Trovatore), Calaf (Turandot), Peter Grimes, Florestan (Fidelio), Tristan, Erik (Fliegende Holländer) and Bacchus (Ariadne auf Naxos) – and many other roles - for the Metropolitan Opera, Opéra Nationale de Paris, Vienna Volksoper, in Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Leipzig, Dresden, Barcelona, Melbourne, Singapore, Seoul, Beijing, for Opera Australia, and with every major symphony orchestra and opera company in Canada and the United States. He has performed with many of the greatest conductors of our time: Sir Colin Davis, Bernard Haitink, Sir Charles Mackerras, Richard Hickox, Bramwell Tovey, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Daniel Harding, Mario Bernardi, Valery Gergiev…. On the concert stage, he has been engaged for Beethoven Symphony No 9, Verdi Requiem, Orff Carmina Burana, Mahler Symphony No 8 and Das Lied von der Erde on countless occasions, but also for Janacek’s Glagolitic Mass, Schoenberg Gurrelieder, and Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius. For recordings and other information, please see www.johnmacmaster.com . |
Lauren Ritchie
Lauren Ritchie (MEd, BA, ESFCC) is an established mental skills educator, dance teacher, and choreographer. Her areas of interest and expertise include sports and performance mental training, as well as the intersection of well-being and mindfulness. Her work has led to the creation of international teacher training programs, dance and sport conventions, the pioneering show The Dance Podcast, and mental performance-based curriculums for dancers, athletes, and coaches. Lauren’s proficiency in performance preparation and enhancement has led to supporting youth and professionals in dance, theatre, hockey, music, gymnastics, volleyball, and soccer. Lauren has been a featured speaker for the Women In Sport Speaker Series, the Female Sport Summit, Alberta Dance Alliance, Dance Studio Owners Association, House of Jazz (London), and the Toronto Dance Teacher Expo. She has delivered workshops to prestigious schools and programs like Harbour Dance Centre, the Alberta Ballet School, the Dancer Transition Resource Centre, Capilano University, the University of Calgary, and The Bridge Movement. Terry Clark
Terry Clark is director of Mount Royal Conservatory at Mount Royal University. Prior to joining MRU, Terry was a research fellow at the Royal College of Music in London, U.K. Terry’s teaching and research interests include performing artists’ health and well-being, the role of arts engagement in supporting health and well-being across the lifespan and the assessment, and development of music performance skills. Terry is also particularly interested in interdisciplinary engagement and experiential learning. Terry has Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in flute performance from Canadian universities and completed his PhD in performance psychology at the Royal College of Music, UK. During his time in the UK, Terry’s research focused on the assessment and development of performance skills, experiential learning, and stress measurement and management. Terry managed the Centre for Performance Science’s performance simulators, which are interactive learning facilities that allow participants to gain greater self-awareness and command of factors that contribute to impactful performances, communication, and presentations. Terry also worked with the Imperial College Business School and Enterprise Lab to develop research and pedagogical initiatives focused on the use of interdisciplinary experiential learning to facilitate the development, real-world application, and assessment of business and entrepreneurship skills. |
Karine Rathle
Karine is a performer, teacher, choreographer and researcher in dance and dance science. Karine has a MSc degree in Dance Science from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, London (UK). Karine has lead numerous teacher training courses on different subjects such as verbal and tactile feedback, anatomy for the dance class, injury prevention, injury management, fitness and complimentary training, nutrition for dancers, psychological skills training (such as imagery, goal-setting, self-talk, and confidence), as well as the integration of somatic principles in dance training and performance. Karine is a Safe in Dance International registered provider. Further experience also includes inclusive and trauma informed teaching practices as well as developing a dance specific workshop for teachers on consent. Furthermore, Karine led a teacher training course for contemporary dancers in Cairo, Egypt called SEEDS which was funded by the EU and led all the Dance Science components of the training. Karine presented work at several international conferences, including IADMS and Healthy Dancer Canada. Karine has been an active member of Healthy Dancer Canada since 2015 and was elected President from 2017 to 2021. Karine performed internationally and continues to create multidisciplinary and collaborative work. The work is fuelled by an interest in creating a multidisciplinary, personal and authentic approach to the creation process and social justice. Extending beyond the perceived limits of the physical, Karine’s voyage of discovery aspires to integrate the movement, the image and the theatrical aspect in both creation, and in performance. |