What separates the mediocre from the truly great dancer?
The fact is that you can practice moves until the camels come home and get them right, but style is what separates the best from the rest.
Style comes from having perfect hands and arms, good posture and a confident attitude.
"Where can I get some?" you may ask. Good question. Unfortunately, style can’t be bought in a bottle, so we have to rely on the following:
learning from a good teacher
watching the great dancers (on videos from the Middle East, or live if you can manage!)
lots of regular practice
honest self-appraisal
asking your teacher to give you constructive criticism
If you are participating in a beyond beginners course consider doing a beginners course as well. The pace may be slow, but it will serve to greatly improve your technique. Always consider these points:
Are your arms in the correct position?
Are you holding your hands correctly?
Is your posture perfect?
Is the position of your legs correct?
Are you doing the move as though balancing a book on your head?
And if all of the above is in place: are you doing the moves with perfect ease?
Just imagine a dancer with her arms flapping about, saggy hands, droopy posture, legs are thrown apart, head bobbing all over the place, looking as tense as a first time sky diver.
A frightening picture. Does this dancer seem elegant to you? Do they have style? NO and NO are the answers to those two questions.
Here’s a scary question: are YOU this dancer?
(An even scarier question still is: is your teacher this dancer? Teachers are human and therefore flawed, but there is a large difference between a teacher who has it all, minus a few personal imperfections and someone who took 3 classes and went on to teach.)
Back to the main point: if you answered ‘no’ to any of the six questions above do a Beginners course. Take your zills (and some baby booties to muffle the sound) if you’re worried that the pace will be way too slow for your liking. But be careful not to forget why you’re there: to polish your technique, not your zill playing ability. Don’t let the zills take precedence over your technique - if you can successfully practice both at the same time then you’re doing well. And if things still seem too easy (although with zills in your hands they certainly won’t), all you need to do is let the teacher know during class and she will find something extra to challenge you.
Here is the all-important style checklist:
Arms - not too straight, not too bent. Not too stiff, not too soft.
Hands - not flopping, but not stiff as a board either. Middle finger slightly ahead of the rest. Keep the fingertips extended.
Perfect perfect posture. Back straight, shoulders relaxed, pelvis tucked under, neck showing.
Legs - please, keep your legs TOGETHER. You’re a dancer not a football player.
Flexibility and strength - aim for minimum movement of your head. Think of balancing a book on your head. Make sure your knees are slightly bent at all times. With practice, the flexibility in your hips and ribs will improve, as will the strength of all your muscles. This will serve to improve the book-balancing look.
Confidence - this only comes with time and lots of practice.
Ask your teacher for an explanation or demonstration of any or all of the above - reading it on paper is nothing compared to seeing it in action.
Keep in mind that if one component is missing, all else will fail. Think of a puzzle - how could it be complete with one piece missing? It’s the same with dancing.
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