How can you Improve your Execution in Dance

Hello IDALITES!

Today's blog is something on which I have been trying to work for a very long time and it's problem being faced by many dancers but never addressed.

Have you all ever thought how your execution in Dance is impacting your performance? The way we perform decides our current mood and reaction of our audiences. Sometimes, we even start considering our performances with disdain as compared to others because of the feeling that we could have performed better.

Considering all the above factors, let us understand why are we not able to perform the way we intend to, what all factors your execution depends on and as a Dancer or Performer, how can you improve these factors to improve your execution in Dance.

Whatever we learn in Dance or choreograph, the way we execute our steps & moves matters the most which decides the level and impact of our performances. Let us understand this with an example, consider two Dancers executing the same steps of a choreography but the execution of the second Dancer is looking much better as compared to the first one. The reason is simple that the second person has developed his or her body by learning, practicing, observing & understanding what looks better on him or her. It is their years of practice and continuous experimentation of trying to execute the steps in different ways to see which body language make their movement look better so that their execution appears stylish & attractive and thus, creating an impact in their performance. The first Dancer might not be able to see that level of execution as compared to the second Dancer because his or her body might not have been developed or they didn't practice their foundations in the right way which would have improved their body language and made their performances look better. I hope you all might have understood the importance of execution in Dance through this example. Now, let us discuss on the factors responsible for our execution. The factors mentioned below are developed through my observation as per my experience of 12 years in the field of Dance. So, let us try to understand each factor.

1. Clarity: Clarity is the first and foremost thing in your execution in Dance. It's really important to execute your movements & steps with clarity so that your movements are understandable & appear clearer to the viewers. Clarity depends on two factors, first is control and second is angle or you can also call it range or extension of your movements. Many Dancers underestimate these two factors because of which there is absence of clarity in their performances. Whenever you are learning any steps or moves, make sure you all are understanding what level of control is required to execute the movements so that your movement doesn't look loose in your performance. Also, try to understand the range or angle of that particular movement. Incomplete movements will make your execution look incomplete. Angles plays a vital role in group performances because apart from synchronization, angles are also important which will make your performance look clearer. So, it's really important to work on these factors to improve clarity in your performance.

2. Textures: Textures are the another most important factor in execution. Textures depicts the way we make our movements or steps feel in our performances. It depends on two factors which are speed and power. The intensity level of these two factors determines the hardness or smoothness of your movements in execution. More power and speed might make your movements look hard and strong whereas less power and speed can make it look soft & smooth. So, both the factors depends completely on the intensity level of the song or music. Considering the demand of your song, a Dancer choreographs his or her movements with right kind of textures so that it justifies the song and looks better in execution.

3. Body Language: The third and the most important factor in your execution which we surely can't miss is Body Language. You can also term it as style and it is crucial in your execution. Your style is what makes you cynosure of all eyes. The use of your body language determines the style in your performances. I hope you remember the example which I mentioned earlier of two Dancers and how one was able to make his or her execution look better as compared to the other one. The reason is because of the body language developed by the Dancer which is making his or her moves looks better. The execution is attributed more towards body language as compared to rest of the factors. I hope you all understood the importance of body language in your execution. If you are lacking in style or right kind of body language then make sure that you all are practicing foundational styles like Hip-Hop, Breaking, House Dance and more footwork related styles which will help in developing your body language and thus, improve your execution in Dance.

4. Expressions: Finally, getting into the last factor which does not require much efforts but is underestimated by many Dancers and this is the only factor which enhances your overall performance. It's really important that you work on your expressions because your expressions grabs more attention as compared to your movements. People look at your expressions while you perform and it's your responsibility to make your audiences mesmerize through your expressions. You can't depend on your trainer or choreographer to make you smile while performing. It's something that should come naturally within your performances depending on the type of song you are performing. Expressions doesn't mean to show anger or smile on your faces but also, the right kind of attitude you show in your execution to make your performance look more impactful.

So, these were the most important factors according to me which actually determines the level of your execution in Dance and I hope as a Dancer or Choreographer you all start working on these factors to improve your performance. Also, I would like to give one more added tip here that whenever you all are in the process choreography, make sure that you all creating a complete balance using all the factors so that your execution doesn't look exaggerated and comes out as per your expectations.

For more understanding, you all can watch the video on our YouTube channel: How to Improve your Execution in Dance

Thank you so much for taking out your time to read my blog and I hope you all keep learning from IDALS always!