Learning from Professionals

“Movement never lies. It is a barometer telling the state of the soul's weather to all who can read it.”

-Martha Graham

One of the most benefitting and eye opening experiences as a dancer is to take class from a professional choreographer, dancer or instructor. Attending master classes are an extremely beneficial way for dancers who are hoping to grow in a specific genre. It furthers their perspective in the style, by hearing, feeling and observing in what the professional has to say. The dancer can learn things they have never considered and can find deeper passion from the inspiration of the professional.

Professional choreographers can bring a lot of excitement to a dancer’s life. Knowing that the choreographer has made productions for famous, world renowned stars gives dancers a sense of enthusiasm to learn choreography from them. By learning from top choreographers dancers can get a feel for how they work with others, and how dancers should treat, speak and behave around them. It also furthers dancing by learning how the choreographer wants the moves to be executed to fit the style of dance given, this helps to connect moves to the body, to the music, to the group, to the audience.

 

Taking master classes from a professional dancer is a compelling experience. To see how the dancer’s body moves and extracts feeling from the music in presenting a piece gives light to dancers who want to be just as moving and powerful. Dancers can find a deeper passion from the inspiration of a professional dancer giving them motivation to reach a fuller potential.

Professional dance instructors are a great way to further yourself as a dancer. Dancers have the opportunity to learn so much from professional instructors, such as technique, movement, motion, placement, musicality and preparation. Instructors are behind the scenes from the dancer and choreography because they provide in the foundations of dance. For example a ballet instructor cleans and clarifies the technique of the ballet style, a hip-hop instructor specifies the movement of hip-hop skills, a contemporary instructor indicates the musicality of the body to music, and so on and so forth for every genre of dance. The instructor builds on what you have to use as a dancer to perform a piece of choreography, it is the expansion of a dancer’s foundation.

Learning from professional choreographers, dancers and instructors is an eye opening experience for a dancer, giving insight into the professional world and what is expected by the top of the industry. Learning from professionals offers a greater understanding of dance by gaining new knowledge on typical concepts. To learn from professionals is different than anything else a dancer could do, because studio dancers usually take lessons from the same teachers week after week. Therefore by doing master classes you are expanding your dance horizons and working with new people who have ideas and inspiration that you have never been available to you. It is beneficial to learn from those you haven’t because it demands greater focus and attention to detail.

~ Julia Brewer