Let’s talk about technique! As classes begin moving into recital choreography, it’s important to keep building on the foundations your teachers built over the first half of the session. (Yes, even though we get to hear our performance music and try on costumes soon!) Working on basic technique is necessary for all dance styles and levels, no matter the season of the dance year. Good technique ensures your longevity as a dancer and creates stronger movements in the choreography you’re learning, so read on for this week’s TP Top 5: Tips for Improving Technique.
1. Train Your Tech
Take advantage of class time! Teachers won’t jump straight into choreography each week, so make the most of your tech training time. It’s easy to go through the motions, especially if you get more excited about choreo time, but take the time to put in the work! Every warm up, combination and step across the floor is a chance to improve.
2. Practice Makes Perfect
Once you learn your new recital steps, you go home and practice them during the week, right? Take the time to practice your technique at the same time! What were your corrections in class? Where did you lose your balance? Which steps gave you trouble? Take the time to practice your problem spots at home and in your other classes. Just like repetition will help you nail your choreography, it will also lead to more consistent technique.
3. Get After a Goal
Avoid falling into a rut and be thoughtful about your technique. Whether they’re short term or long term, setting goals creates intentional training, focus, and direction. (Plus it boosts confidence when you achieve them!) Challenge yourself to strengthen your core, improve turnout, flexibility or articulation, or gain the endurance to maintain posture and technique through an entire class. Wherever you want to see improvement, a goal can lead to more purposeful class time.
4. Ignite Your Inspiration
Great dancers are made through solid technique. It’s not what they’re doing, it’s how they’re doing it! While we all love watching videos of our favorite dance routines on YouTube, the next time you’re in the digital viewing zone, check out a technique class or two. The pandemic has brought about some great training videos, filmed with soloists and principal dancers from around the world. Don’t dance along. Take the time to really watch and give yourself a clear image of what you’re going for in class—not on quad turns, switch-leaps or famous numbers and variations, but on plies, tendus and basic drills.
5. Consistency is Key
Tips 1-4 won’t do any good if you only stick with them for a week or two. Improvements come with time, and proper technique should ultimately be second nature. Work hard in class—every class, every week. When you miss a class, put in the work yourself and take advantage of Turning Pointe’s Online Makeup Classes.
If you need to quarantine or miss class due to sickness or weather, we have pre-recorded classes made especially for our students to dance at home! Here’s how to access them:
● Login to your Turning Pointe DanceWorks account
● Click on “Student” (and choose the student), then under their name click on the “Classes” tab (you’ll see Info, Notes, and Classes tabs in a row)
● On the right of the class you’ll see a blue button that says “Class Materials” … click on that.
● Look for the Class at Home link(s)!
Whether you consider yourself a technician or a performer, it’s important for everyone to maintain great technique. Correctly executing the basic elements will lead to effortless choreographic movements in your dances—dances we can’t wait to see on stage this spring!