When was the last time you had to fake cry? Fake laugh? Was it convincing? or did you cringe? Why did your smile look so uncomfortable? Oh man, is that what you look like when you're angry?
In dance, many of our expressions are fabricated during our performance. Struck by the lights, drama, and the countless hours of practice that went into this performance, you lay it all out on the stage. When you go back to see the pictures, they look bland, lifeless and super anti-climatic. But wait, you were so sure that you gave it your all. So what happened?
“If you give 150% during practice, you will deliver 100% on stage. ”
Remember that you should always overcompensate in practice just how much you energy you put into the piece. When performing, the adrenaline, lights, emotions (the real ones), weight of the costume and jewelry can quite literally take your breath away that your overall performance will be affected. If you give 150% during practice, you will deliver 100% on stage.
Out of all the elements in a performance, expressions are affected the most. Follow these 3 tips in practice to get your expressions to perfection:
1. Talk to yourself
As strange as it sounds, talking to yourself helps you understand how you express emotions. Sit/stand in front of a long mirror and have a conversation with yourself. Be dramatic. Talk about your day and ask yourself questions. Then delve into the conversation about your crush not responding to you and it’s been a whole 2 minutes since you last messaged. What could they possibly be doing that's so important? Bring the frustration into your eyes and into your body. Don't forget: What looks good on someone else may not look good on you. While imitation of an accomplished dancer or actor is a great place to start, study your own facials to find out what works best for you. Before anybody else, you need to believe in what you are expressing.
2. Translate
Dance revolves around many mythological stories that not all of us have grown up hearing. We can’t always understand the victory of an epic battle or the teasing from handmaidens. Because, let’s be real, most of us don’t have handmaidens or have been through battle. So instead, translate the story into something that may be relevant to the times. Think about what your friends would say in front of your crush and how they may try to embarrass you like no other. How would you react? Think about succeeding in something that everyone told you you couldn't do. What does that feeling of victory look like?
3. Observe
Watch everyone. Dancers, but not just Indian classical dance. Watch the hip hop dancers, flamenco dancers, and the jazz dancers. And then don’t limit yourself to just dancers but also actors, singers, your neighbors, the strangers on the street. Observe how they move and how they speak with their body language. Like Savitri and NTR. How do they dominate what they say with just their eyes? How do their eyebrows move when they act surprised? What happened to their mouth when they got mad? Every little nuance you can utilize in your own performance.
Use technology to your advantage! We have so many tools readily available to us now that there is no excuse to not perfect our performance. Record yourself talking or practicing and watch yourself over and over again. Do you believe yourself when you're presenting the story? Did you like how your eyes moved when you had to act shy? Be your own critic and don't stop until you're satisfied.
Remember that expressions will also evolve with time and life experiences. When you actually go through what life throws at you, you understand more of what it feels like. Be cognizant of your feelings at those vulnerable times and bring out those emotions in practice and on stage. Bringing real life experiences into your performance is what dance is all about. Right?
E.X.P.R.E.S.S.I.O.N TO P.E.R.F.E.C.T.I.O.N
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