‘Dance Moms’ is a reality television show in which young dancers are trained by Abby Lee Miller to go to a competition every weekend. Strictly Come Dancing is a competition show where celebrities get paired up with professional dancers and perform a duet. Akram Khan is a dancer and choreographer who performed and choreographed the open ceremony of the London Olympics 2012. All these things have in common: they all dance and perform on stage. In this article, we will explore the reality of dance. This is a behind-the-scenes look at what it is like to be a dancer who performs.
The definition of dancing is “moving rhythmically to music, typically following a set sequence of steps” which sounds easy, but dancing on stage can be very stressful. There are so many thoughts that dancers go through on stage, for example, if they fall, forget the choreography, if their timing is right or even if their costume looks good in the bright light. But at the same time, it could help manage stress and make people feel calm and free. In the UK 42.8% of adults say that dancing makes them feel happy or good.
I interviewed a Dance Teacher named Miss Yianni at Winchmore School who had trained in Arts Educational School and has performed with the London Children’s Ballet main company twice, toured the company three times and was in the National Youth Ballet Company and was part of the British tap team (Tap Attack) She attended the Central School of Ballet associate, and now she has been a dance teacher for 4 years.
I asked if she ever felt nervous or forgot any choreography on stage. She responded with “YES! I used to get nervous right before stepping onto the stage but once I was on it would go and I would just enjoy it. I also forgot a small bit of choreography once but just made something up on the spot and no one knew!”
By Nene
Congratulations Nene on an impressive debut article! Well done!