Importance of Technique in Dance

If you are a dancer I bet that you are working hard to clean up and make your routines better all the time.  While you spend most of your time focusing on your routines though, never forget to improve on the most important element in dance... TECHNIQUE!!  This is the core fundamentals of dance.  You always have to hold your body correctly while performing and execute your skills properly.  Good technique is imperative in all areas of dance regardless of the style.  If you dance jazz, hip hop, ballroom, latin or tap there is always an element of technique to improve. 

Great Technique

Here are some helpful tips to use on your own or with your teams to help improve overall technique as dancers.

Body Alignment

Dancers will frequently spend so much time on choreography that they forge to hold themsilves correctly when dancing.  Whether they are beginners or more advanced, don't forget to go back to basics when needed. Have them stand with feet together, hads at sides and go from the top down on how to hold their bodies

• Chin Lifted, long neck, eyes straight ahead.
• Shoulders down and back
• Rib cage closed.
• Tight stomach muscles.
• Hips even and level
• Knees relaxed and not locked. Slightly bent legs.
• Feet turned out or parallel. Turnout comes from hips with the knees always in a line over the toes.

Spins and Turns

• Start with the prep, Make sure they have the weight distributed evenly between both legs.
• Practice moving from the prep to the spin position without actually rotating to practice finding their center.  They will find their center of balance if they execute good body alignment.
• Practice spotting.  Do this by doing chain turns across the floor.  These are spins that link together by staying on the balls of your feet and focusing on one spot as you move across the floor, one spin at a time.
• Work on control of the spin. Walk across the floor starting with the right 1-2-3, prep on 4, spin on 5-6, down to right knee on 7-8.  This helps gain control and remain lifted while coming out of a spin.

Leaps and Jumps

• Always point and stretch the feet the second they leave the floor.
• Use a proper plie instead of arms to gain height on jumps or leaps. Do a plie, push off both feet and go up to "fly". Always land in a plie when coming out of any aerial movements to avoid injuries.
• When doing toe touches or leaps in second position, make sure the hips are level and the butt is tucked under.
• Chin lifts will help gain more height.

Once the basics are mastered, a dancer is ready to challenge themself with more advanced moves.  It's kind of like a building block, after one skill is mastered you can move on to the next. The key to success is practice and repetition.  Always remember that when you are incorporating a difficult move it is not measured by the level of skill needed to perform it but rather the proper execution of the move.