Ms. Poppy Chiffon – the doyenne of dance, the baroness of ballroom etiquette, the sultana of Southern hospitality — is pleased to answer your dance-related questions. Here are a few queries that Poppy deigned to extract from her mailbag this week. If you have a question that you would like Poppy Chiffon to address, please e-mail her at askpoppy@dancestationusa.com. Ms. Chiffon regrets that she cannot respond individually to questions.
Dear Poppy,
I want to develop my dancing, but I see students doing so many different dances in the studio I’m not sure what to focus on. Can you help me organize the development of my dancing skills?
Mad About Dancing
Dear Mad,
Don’t get frustrated, darling. Working on and developing your technique is the only way to develop the look of a naturally skilled dancer. Dancing involves coordinating the movements of the entire body, including the feet, legs, torso, arms, hands, head, core muscles and more. Every beginning dancer needs to work on these movements over and over again until they have been trained into the body’s muscle memory.
Learn to enjoy the process of developing your dancing skills. Your teacher is your sensor until you become able to sense whether you performed an appropriate action or not. Every great dancer shares a commitment to training, discipline — and patience.
Sweetie, there is no reason you can’t become the dancer you dream of and attain all your dancing goals as long as you are willing to do what it takes. Be sure that you have a great support team behind you, including your teachers and your dancing friends from Dance Station.
Dear Poppy,
My teacher keeps telling me that my shoulders are “up.” To me, it feels like they are down just where they should be. Then I look in the mirror and, sure enough, my shoulders are loitering in the vicinity of my ears! How can I become aware of my body when I’m dancing?
Looking for Body Awareness
Dear Looking,
Listen to your teacher, honey. The mirror can be a useful tool, if used effectively and not narcissistically. Try to put yourself into what you think is a good dance position (without looking in the mirror). When you think you’re where you should be, look in the mirror. Are your shoulders rolled back and down? Is your head lifted? Are your arms parallel to the floor? Does what you feel in your mind’s eye match what you see in the mirror?
If not, make the proper adjustments, using the mirror to help, then stand there and feel your body in the revised position. Give your body a chance to sense and relearn the new position. It will take practice. Don’t give up. Just keep checking yourself in the mirror until you can move into the correct position all of the time. It will happen!
