how to make the most of your dance class
Welcome to Meet Me At The Barre!
Dance classess are so imperative to your success as a performer in the industry these days. Even if you’re a singer or actor first, you will be expected to be a strong mover. Classes teach you many valuable skills that will be transferred when you book a contract and also in life in general.
You spend not only your money but your time when you go to dance class, so you need to make sure you’re making the most out of the hour and a half you’re in the studio.
How do you make the most of your dance class?
Here are a few things I’ve learned along the way!
GET THERE EARLY
Always arrive 10-15 minutes before your class starts to warm up and stretch as you need. Everyone’s body is different, which means we all need different things to ensure we’re at our best. Maybe you need to roll out your muscles before starting or you have certain exercises your PT has instructed you do before you dance. Whatever it is, arriving a little bit before class gives you ample time to get it done.
LEAVE YOUR WORRIES AT THE DOOR
Dance class should be a safe space where you can let go and forget about the humdrum of life. If you carry with you the bad day you had at the office or the negativity that comes with finding out you didn’t get booked, it will tarnish your class. You’ve spent your hard earned money to dance! Leave whatever is bothering you at the door and direct your focus to the class you’re taking. The hour and a half will give you a chance to breathe and look at things in a different way. You will thank yourself for taking the time to step away.
MODIFY WHEN NEEDED
I think it’s safe to say that we’ve all had situations where a part of the warm-up or a step in the combination doesn’t feel right with our bodies, but we’re too scared to modify and risk being called out or looking like an amateur. Now I’m not talking about discomfort. Discomfort pushes us where we most likely need to be pushed.
Feeling pain is a whole other thing. There is no shame in listening to your body and modifying to what it needs. Dance class is about you and you’re allowed to be a little selfish when it comes to doing what you need to be the best you can be. Stand up for your body because no class is worth an injury that was most likely preventable.
APPLY EVERY CORRECTION
When a correction is being given to another student or even just generally to the entire class, make sure to apply it even if you think you’re doing everything correctly. It’s important to understand that there’s always room for improvement. You can always stretch your feet a little more or have a higher relevé on your turns or use more plié on your jumps. Whatever it is, apply it because there’s nothing worse than being called out by the teacher for not applying the correction that was given five seconds ago. Be proactive!
SPEAK UP
Don’t be afraid to speak up when you’re confused about the exercise or need to ask the teacher to slow it down a bit. Like I said before, class is about you, so do what you need to do to feel your best. You won’t enjoy it if you’re struggling to keep up when there’s a very easy solution. Raise your hand high, be confident, and ask what you need to. Many teachers appreciate students speaking up. They can’t read minds so they won’t know what’s going on in your head if you don’t communicate it with them. Chances are that you may be asking a question someone else has so it’s a win-win for everyone!
DON’T STAND IN THE SAME SPOT
It’s really easy to get attached to the same spot in the studio when you’re taking class, so I challenge you to move around the room as often as you can. Stand in one spot for the warm-up, then a new one when you start to learn the combo. When the teacher asks you to switch lines, don’t just think about moving from the back to the front, but also about moving in a different place within that line.
Learning choreography from different perspectives is extremely beneficial to you as a dancer. In a dance call, there may only be room at the far right corner of the studio. If you’re only accustomed to dancing front and centre, you’re screwed.
Also, there’s this notion that if you stand in the back of the room, you won’t be seen. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that’s a lie. The teacher or choreographer is looking at everyone everywhere, so don’t think you’re getting off easy by being in the back.
Simply, don’t always stand in the same spot. Moving around will make you better in many different ways and you may meet new people when you stand somewhere new!
OBSERVE OTHERS
When waiting off to the side for your group’s turn to dance the combo, I invite you to watch the dancers in the room intently. As I said in my post a few weeks ago, watching others perform makes us stronger performers. As you’re watching, you may find that you’ve been doing a section incorrectly or you may really love the way one student is dancing and decide to apply what you liked when you dance. This applies not only at the end of class when you’re dancing but also during centre or across the floor exercises and during dance calls! We can all learn something from one another.
GO FULL OUT
Never hold back during class. This is the time to make mistakes and try new things. You should always leave class feeling as though you gave it your all that way if you don’t feel totally confident in how you danced that day, you can rest assured that you did the very best you could. As Canadian hockey player Wayne Gretzky once said, “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”.
Lastly,
HAVE FUN!
Dance class should never feel like a chore so you have to remember to have fun! You’re doing something you love, at a studio you adore, with amazing friends that you get to see every week. If taking class starts to feel like a burden, it may be a sign that it’s time for a short break and there is nothing wrong with that. The important thing is that you get back into class when it’s the right time and you be the very best you can be.
Have any other suggestions on how to make the most of your classes? Let us know in the comments!
Thanks for joining me this week and I’ll see you next time!
Xoxo
Penelope
