Abstract
Focusing on the process of a dancer’s acquisition of a new technique in breakdance,
,“Inside Ninety”, this longitudinal case study aims to disclose the process of skill acqui-
sition through practice. We conducted a fieldwork study (participant observation and
interviews) to analyze the dancer’s endeavours to acquire and improve skills. By avoid-
ing the specification of goals and movements by the researchers, as is often the case
in experimental settings, we observed the development of movements in each practice
session. The results indicate that the process of acquisition of a new dance technique
consists not only of the refinement of a particular skill, but also of two other activities
;the exploration of new and original skill utilizing the characters of a particular skill,
and the arrangement of that skill so that it should fit into his full performance. The
process of an expert’s acquisition of a particular technique is a complicated and creative
one, integrating each skill into a full performance.
