The Execs & Cons of Mirrors within the Studio — A Dancer’s Life
CON: don’t develop their very own dance type
A pupil’s dance type takes some time to excellent because it’s distinctive to them solely. As they develop and achieve expertise within the trade, they study from others and aren’t susceptible to copying one dance type (except suggested to when studying a mode like Fosse). Though, college students can subconsciously replicate actions which prevents them from creating their very own type if that mirror will get in the best way. By encouraging college students to attend workshops and courses run by a myriad of academics, they gained’t simply replicate your type, as an alternative it’ll broaden their horizons.
So far as coaching instruments go, mirrors might be a superb assist for college students finding out dance, however similar to all coaching instruments, there might be disadvantages to mirrors in the event that they’re not used rigorously. To scale back the potential of college students turning into depending on them, attempt splitting your class in two teams to face one another and rehearse. This may problem college students to make use of their muscle reminiscence and really feel prompted by their friends dancing throughout from them. Do not forget that the important thing to a troupe that performs as a collective is how effectively they know one another, so that you’ll be stunned at how confidently a bunch performs with out mirrors once they construct that sense of belief outdoors of dance as effectively. Weeks previous to that dance examination, flip the scholars round to face a wall as an alternative of the mirror. This may help college students in with the ability to memorise the choreography with it embedded of their physique. They are going to then have the ability to mechanically differentiate issues like a sickled and pointed foot by the way it feels, not by the way it appears to be like. Along with this, asking college students to appropriate their approach can educate them to establish and regulate positions versus getting within the behavior of mirroring them. To counteract the hazards of watching your self within the mirror, encourage a wholesome perspective on physique picture by being intentional about your language when referring to college students our bodies. Our our bodies are fairly unimaginable, so by putting emphasis on what they will do and never what they seem like, you’ll be able to have a good time the distinctiveness of all physique sorts.
Sources:
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: A Dance Teacher’s Perspective
Article by Lara Divitcos
Pictures by Elly Ford
