Monday, May 9, 2016

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall - the Importance of Mirrors for Correcting Technique in Dance



Mirrors.  An essential tool for the dancer.  It can also be a crutch and inhibit performance if you rely on them too much.

I prefer teaching where there are mirrors.  I have taught belly dance classes without them.  I think they are helpful in these ways for me as a teacher - I can see the students behind and around me, and I can help to correct them if they are doing a move wrong.  There's also power in seeing the whole group dance together "as one." 

They are important for students as well.  You can synchronize your movements with fellow dancers, and it helps beginners to understand dance space and the concept of being in a "window" (being seen by the audience, even if you aren't in the front row, because you are between dancers, thus in a "window"), which I touched on in my last post.  Mirrors teach you to have good facial expressions, and look happy, interested, engaged in your dance and with the audience.  Sometimes, it's also the best way to see your teacher, if there are people blocking your view, then you can check out the teacher in the mirror as well.  Mirrors help you with your alignment and you can get immediate feedback on how you are dancing.

There comes an important point before performing, though, where you must trust yourself and turn away from the mirror for practice. After all, you can't perform with a mirror in front of you! You have to know the moves.


The class should do the routine several times away from the mirror, trying to feel the movements and use peripheral vision to watch the other dancers to stay in sync.

When I first started dancing, we danced on mirrors all the time.  I don't remember ever turning opposite way to dance away from them.  Often times, the dress rehearsal on stage was the first taste of dancing without mirrors.  That can be very intimidating.  In more recent years, I have taken many classes where the studio had no mirrors and that was also a huge adjustment.  I felt like I couldn't correct my moves and I couldn't see the front position of the teacher in addition to her back.

When working with mirrors, use them to watch your body and your face.  Are you doing the movements like the teacher?  Like the group?  Do you look relaxed, happy or in character for your dance?  Practice until you feel comfortable turning around.  Listen to cues in the music to help you remember which moves are coming up next.

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