As a dancer, it is hard to take a step back and evaluate yourself, especially for me. I don't like watching myself dance or thinking about how I am as a dancer. However, I think it is important to evaluate yourself so you can improve. My biggest strength is my choreography, which is also one of my favorite parts of dance. When I get in the right mindset, I can normally choreograph a few eight counts pretty quickly. I think it is one of my strengths because I love doing it. I get invested in a song or idea and work hard until I'm happy with it, which translates in the dance. I also bounce off of the ideas of other people that I am choreographing with. By keeping an open mine, we normally create a cool piece. I think choreographing is an asset because it is hard to teach someone how to choreograph unlike teaching someone a dance move because it is something created within. It is also an advantage because no matter how much technique you have, you still need choreographic skills. People don't come to a show to watch technique, they come to watch a piece.
My greatest weakness as a dancer is not making a movement big enough. I tend to do something small without fully committing to it. This is a weakness because the dance is more meaningful when the dancers give a hundred percent effort. It is hard to turn a weakness into a strength but I think if I remind myself to always make things big it is possible. Even if I think I am doing something big I need to push myself to make it bigger than that. Despite the fact that I don't like watching myself dance, it is a helpful tool. When I watch myself dance, I see myself doing things small. Because I know I can do better, I get mad at myself. This gives me the motivation to really work on this weakness. I hope this year that I can make my choreographic skills better and turn my weakness into a strength.
"People don't come to a show to watch technique, they come to watch a piece."
ReplyDeleteThis is definitely true but remember your technique is the vehicle to dancing with abandon and looking good while doing it :) Dance is an interesting mix of technique, performance and freedom. You don't want a technical dancer who has no creativity and no performance, but you also don't want a dancer with great performance but awful technique [think of the SYTYCD auditions!] So they go hand and hand, equally important.
I agree with you on your weakness. The bigger the better! Don't be afraid to take risks. If we don't stretch and challenge ourselves as dancers we will never improve. And remember, the studio is a safe place. You are free to take risks and fail and then learn from your failure. Take that risk again and you'll eventually succeed!