How to dance worth it
Is dance worth it? - Dance Informa Magazine
One standard by which we can measure the merit of a pursuit is if the end goal is met.
Arguably, the most straightforward goal of training as a dancer is to eventually become a professional dancer, and we could say that if we have achieved this career, then the goal has been met and all of the blood, sweat and tears so to speak were worth it. But is that the only outcome we want from our dancing, and is that the singular end? As artists and technicians who have been taught to constantly push for greater skills and improve upon ourselves and what we can accomplish, it doesn’t feel right to say getting that job is all we need. And we can get into an entirely different conversation if you want to about what a dancer is; I’d posit that the ability to get that job is not actually what defines us as dancers.
Elisabeth Morray, PhD, is a psychologist who has been working with dancers for years, first as an instructor and administrator at Boston Ballet, and now in her role as Chief of the Department of Behavioral Health at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, Chestnut Hill. Her other current roles include Chief of Behavioral Health Subspecialties, including eating disorders. Every single part of yourself is invested when you train and work as a dancer, but Morray emphasizes that the type of training environment heavily influences where the worth lies.
Elisabeth Morray.
“There are few training environments that actually do a good job with this idea of embracing the whole dancer,” Morray says. “For a lot of dancers, the studio is an environment in which the only outcome considered is a professional career, and it may be very challenging to work with this narrow definition of a career. But a studio environment in which multiple outcomes are considered healthy and worth pursuing allows for different aspects of identity and strength to be nurtured and have a more balanced emphasis. If you’re talking about pre-professional commitment, and dance is probably the most time and energy committed to one thing other than school, then you really need to look at how that commitment is being directed.
Yes, having a professional career would be considered a successful outcome, but other attributes, skills and strengths developed in the studio can be equally valid and worthy of approval.”
This, thus, begs the question of what worth does dance give you? Does it (merely) give us physical fitness, motor coordination and musicality? Maybe it’s (only) character, bravery and mental fortitude? Dance develops an incredible array of physical, emotional, social and, of course, some very specific occupational skills. Dance certainly gives you more than career training.
I remember way way back when my friend Laura Conley and I were dancing together in college, she had already had her professional career and was then in medical school while I had yet to have mine, and she explained how clear it was that her medical school interviewers were keenly interested in her background as a dancer. They knew it gave her an inherent understanding of the human body, incredible discipline and the possibility of desiring a creative and elegant approach to her work.
There were advantages that non-dancers in other high-achieving fields recognized. The training and pursuit of dance gives us worth that we might not consciously realize, but ask any dance parent, former dancer or boss who has had dancers as employees, and they will excitedly concur that the dedicated pursuit of dance garners valuable life skills and perspectives.
“Particularly when you’re talking about training at a pre-professional level, we’re talking about a pursuit that guides every part of your life, the physical, emotional, social and creative development,” explains Morray. “While there isn’t necessarily as much opportunity for development of intellectual capacity, dancers do develop what psychologists call executive skill, which is really applicable to any other pursuit you choose to do. Dance is an all-encompassing activity with room for growth and for challenges.”
So, dance gives us worth, but is it really worth doing? For all the positive qualities we can develop through our hard work, there are some serious potential tolls in any of those aforementioned areas of wellness from which we can suffer.
Dance has a cost that far exceeds money and time. Dance is hard! It is draining! It takes incredible strength in every possible facet of your being. It doesn’t matter if you are in a full-time company or freelance or make good money or have four other jobs; being a dancer will test every single one of your limits time and time again.
What we are doing to our body, that physical effort, that wear and tear that can be irreversible, is only half of it. We also deliver incredible emotional effort and find that our entire identity can be based on our existence in this pursuit. By dancing, you give yourself this definition.
“Research indicates that, in general, having multiple identifications and multiple sources of identity input and investment are really almost always going to be healthier,” Morray explains. “Whether you’re talking about someone who is absolutely devoted to a career, or devoted to a relationship, or any external pursuit, having that level of attachment to any one thing tends to be a risky position because any threat to that singular facet of identity feels like it could shift your life in a direction that makes it feel like it’s no longer your life.
Dance makes it particularly difficult because it does tend to be all consuming. Having too many expectations for your identity can be challenging, but, in an ideal scenario, you learn to compliment what might be your primary source of identity with other things that might not be as important relatively but still hold meaning for you for yourself or in your life.”
Regardless of what you do within or beyond your dance training and dance career, the effort, process and approach stay with you and are part of who you are. Your sprained ligaments and crunchy cartilage will be there with you, too! But whatever your perspective, you had the great fortune to call yourself a dancer, and that, to me, will always be worth it.
Is dance worth it?
Brian Schaefer, MA, a journalist who has written for publications including The New York Times, The Daily Beast and Dance Magazine
Brian Schaefer.
“I didn’t consider dance an investment when I started.
I just gravitated toward it at university and then decided to add a degree in dance and stay a fifth year, which was indeed a big time and financial investment. But I realized quickly that I wasn’t interested in a performance career and so began working as an arts presenter, which taught me that a background in dance can be applied in many different ways beyond being on stage. Ultimately, I stumbled into journalism, where my knowledge of dance proved unexpectedly to be a key that unlocked opportunities to write for publications which, given how new I was to the field, I really had no business writing for. None of it was planned, but all of it was somehow driven by a passion for dance. I never assumed that to love dance meant I had to be a dancer. I just let my fondness for and fascination with the art form take me in multiple directions – all of which have been fulfilling – and lead me to acquire and develop different skills (like writing) that I in turn have applied to dance. I didn’t expect a career out of it, but somehow I got one.
”
Laura Conley, MD, a primary care physician, who is board certified in family medicine, and her clinical interests include dermatology, pediatrics and women’s health
“Yes and no. As a teenager, it gave me something powerful to open my eyes to every morning. It distracted my adolescent brain from many negative influences, but in some ways it was itself a negative influence. The dip into eating disorders is real. But how much of an eating disorder is from ballet, how much intrinsically in the dancers themselves? Many years later, after that ballet career is over, my body is wrecked — I have low back pain every day, early arthritis in my knees and the long-term nagging sensation of something unfinished in my life. Ballet did push me to want more, to work harder, to achieve more, to put 1,000 percent in everything I do. It is a huge part of why I got into medical school — they want diversity, right? Who else applying to medical school used to be a professional ballet dancer? Overall, I’d say ballet is a mixed bag.
It became a bit of an obsession, but it gave me purpose. It paved a path for my current career, but it left lasting scars. The positivity lies in turning around the negative aspects of it and healing from that.”
Marissa Schaeffer, PT, DPT, CSCS, owner of Marissa T Schaeffer Physical Therapy and also physical therapist for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and PhysioArts
Marissa Schaeffer.
“Was dance worth the cost in every sense of the word? Yes, absolutely yes. I started dancing before I could string together coherent sentences. From a young age, dance gave me a voice, an emotional outlet and incredible joy. Don’t get me wrong, dancing also came with its fair share of difficult moments: being cut from auditions, struggling with the idea that my body might not be able to move the way I wanted it to, hearing constantly about what I had to fix instead of what was progressing and et cetera. But every single moment, from the glowing memories to the frustrations, has made me into the person I am today, and I am beyond grateful.
I stopped dancing over five years ago secondary to a back injury that caused recurrent, mounting pain. At that point, it was easy to focus on all that had gone wrong in my dance career, but as I began recovering from my injury and transitioned into a career as a personal trainer and later a physical therapist, I realized what the pursuit of a career in dance had given me. I realized I have an intimate connection to the body and a critical eye for movement that enables me to help patients excel. I have an understanding of dance technique and what goes into becoming a dancer, which helps to foster a trusting relationship between myself and my dancing patients/clients. I am versed in reading the language of the body so I can interpret both what is said and what is not. And in the face of obstacles that come between me and my career, I am able to regroup and redirect my focus to continue to pursue what I love.”
By Leigh Schanfein of Dance Informa.
Related Items:Boston Ballet, Brian Schaefer, dance career, dance health, dance journalist, Elisabeth Morray, mental health
Is A Career In Dance Worth All The Sacrifices? | Claire Trevor School of the Arts
Sydney Leong performs in “Get Down at Grace Hill,” a piece choreographed by Jehbreal Jackson for New Slate 2018.
Sometimes, there’s a struggle between your passion and a longing for financial stability. At other times, your practical grandmother has the answer.
By Sydney Leong, a feature from Dance Major Journal, Volume 8, 2020“Are you impressed, Lola?” I always showed video clips of rehearsal to my Lola, which is Filipino for grandmother. She looked at me and said, “Not really.” Brutally honest woman. “But you are so flexible and strong … you would make a good nurse!”
Throughout her life, my grandmother always prioritized being able to provide for her loved ones and did so through nursing and juggling her many sidelines. Her comment was mildly discouraging, but I know she just wanted me to build a secure future. I took a look at my dreams outside of dancing. Someday, I want to own a home, celebrate more holidays with my family, maybe even start my own family. Can I do this while working as a dancer?
Growing up in the Bay Area, the moderate success and/or bankruptcy of local dance companies laid out bleak prospects for a stable future.
“How much do dancers make?” I tell my dad it depends on the company and its resources. He is concerned. “What are the numbers? These are things you need to know.” But I did not want to ask those questions. As a teenager, I only wanted to prove that I had enough drive, passion, and willingness to work hard to fuel a professional dancer’s life. My first dance teacher announced to us every day: “99.9% of y’all won’t become dancers” because Dance (with a capital D) was apparently only for those who were ready to demonstrate their dedication through tough sacrifice.
“Dancers are crazy.” My dad says, “You have to give so much of yourself just to be given so little. Is it worth it to you?” When I was 13, insecure in my goals, and the resident expert of dance in my family, my parents could offer me no reassurance that our investment would pay off. Although my mother was more than willing to reach into her savings to support my training, that question hung over me: “Is it worth it?” I was skeptical whether the Vaganova school I was enrolled in was as invested in me as I was in them, so eventually, I ended up quitting my classical education.
“True love is loving without expecting to be loved back.”
For eight years I continued to ask the same question as my dance life challenged me to make decisions. Is it worth missing all the summer birthdays as I train out of town each year? Is it worth transferring school districts three times in three years when it would be unnecessary otherwise? Is it worth asking my dad to pay out-of-pocket for a surgery that would not compromise my health but was needed for dancing? Is it worth working 24 hours a week while taking 32 quarter units so I can attend that summer intensive? Is it worth the sharp pains in my spine and pelvis and ankles? Is it worth it?
My first dance teacher would preach: “True love is loving without expecting to be loved back.” And I believed it, past the point where I had nothing left to give. Throughout middle and high school, I hung onto the hope that someday I would see my goals materialize.
Finally, during my first year at university, I realized that somewhere in the waiting, I had severely neglected many other aspects of myself; I graduated high school not knowing how to talk or relate to others, and I missed out on so much personal growth.
Then there was the fact that I wasn’t the only one investing time and money in my dance practice; my family also made sacrifices for me to excel. However, I did not seem to be improving fast enough to justify the means. Finally, I decided: “It’s NOT worth it.” I quit dancing with a heavy heart, blaming dance for taking too much from me, and sometimes blaming myself for not having enough passion to follow through with my goals.
A year later, while denouncing my love for dance in the streets of Taipei, I suddenly saw how the art form consisted of more than status-seeking individuals. I saw dance as being able to pour life and spiritual strength into a community. I fell head over heels all over again. The long break gave me perspective and with it a genuine love for dance that is neither blind nor unconditional. This new love, however, has new conditions. In order to make it work, I needed to set some boundaries — in order to dance, I would not be willing to sacrifice my physical, spiritual, mental, or financial wellbeing, nor risk anyone else’s.
I used to cry whenever my dad asked me practical questions about my career because I felt as if he was pressuring me to realize how selfish my goals were. But I finally understand he only wants to prepare me to succeed. Thanks to his persistence, I can finally give up comparing my work ethic or opportunities to those of others, and I no longer believe that passion alone can fuel a dancer’s life. I can finally ask, “When will dance start to support me?” I can look for programs and companies that meet the needs of their artists. I used to feel so ridiculous for questioning whether “luxuries” such as medical insurance, physical therapy, paid vacation, and retirement plans even exist in the United States for professionals. Now I know that I need a clearer idea of the costs and benefits in order to understand whether a career in dance is worth the investment.
Last year at our Christmas party, my grandmother hosted a karaoke competition, which I won (hee hee). I remember her clasping my hands, clearly surprised, and saying, “Wow, you will definitely get hired.
” Turns out, it was to be her last Christmas with us. Before she passed, I called my mom, letting her know I was on my way back home. She told me through her tears, “I’ll be fine. Lola would want you to stay in school. Dance well, so that she will be impressed OK?” But I went home and spent her final unconscious days with my family. Her visiting friends approached me, asking if I was the granddaughter she was bragging about after Christmas. I smiled thinking about how my little karaoke performance gave her more confidence in me than my BFA. Although simple news, it became a great comfort to know that she was indeed convinced that all my work at school was not a waste of time or money.
Thanks to the stability my parents and grandparents have built, I can relish in the freedom to pursue dance. My financial wellness might be less predictable than my cousins’ who are pursuing nursing degrees, but if one day, I need to give up dancing full-time in order to pursue other dreams, I can give myself the freedom to do so.
In the meantime, I plan on being generous with the magic I learn from dance, to bless those around me. I do not have all the answers yet, but I am determined to make my career worth all the sacrifices I and my family made along the way.
Sydney Leong completed her B.F.A. in the fall of 2020 and looks forward to continuing her training at State Street Ballet’s pre-professional track program, hoping to dance professionally abroad. She also wants to explore how indigenous dance and movement traditions are kept alive and bring meaning to practitioners in Taiwan and the Philippines.
Dance Major Journal (DMJ) was founded in 2010 in the Department of Dance. It features writing focused on the interests, issues, experiences, and concerns of dance majors, aimed at sharing information, research, advice, and points of view. More at dance.arts.uci.edu.
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7 tips for those who want to learn how to dance
September 9, 2020Reno5Life
Dancing is a great way to make friends with your body and gain self-confidence.
And yes, they can be mastered at any age.
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01. Choose your style
The idea here is the same as with sports: if you secretly hate yoga or iron exercises, you are unlikely to go to workouts week after week. To achieve noticeable progress in dancing, a beginner will have to practice a lot and regularly, so it’s better not to torture yourself and choose a direction that really ignites.
You can focus on the music that you like - you need to catch the drive from movements to it. It is music that forms the style of dance and its energy, so decide what is closer to you: for example, funk lovers should try popping or locking, folk fans may like Irish dancing, and if you respect jazz, swing and everything like that, take a closer look at lindy hop.
Another criterion is the nature of the movements. Some are closer to dynamic, as in hip-hop, others are smooth and sensual - for this in tango. There are also health restrictions to consider.
So, twerk is not suitable if there are problems with the lumbar spine, with sore knees it is better not to get involved in shuffle, and it will be difficult for an aged person to master house.
2. Set a goal
Photo: Iakov Filimonov / ShutterstockYou can start dancing at any age, but it's important to keep in mind why you started it in the first place. It is perhaps too bold to expect that in half a year of classes it will be possible to reach the level of international dance championships from scratch. But if you want to try dancing in order to develop plasticity and learn to feel the body better, great, go ahead.
Don't expect everything to work out the first time. When you learn from scratch, difficulties are absolutely normal, the main thing is not to score in classes. Over time, both the correct posture and a beautiful gait will be developed, and as a bonus you will also get self-confidence - with freedom of movement, freedom from complexes will come.
3.
Don't forget about sports Some dances in themselves make for a good workout. A vigorous shuffle will replace cardio, and a break can give a load to almost all muscle groups. And yet, without preparation, it will not be easy. A more or less good stretch is needed in any type of dance, and, for example, strong arms and strong abdominal and back muscles are also useful for pole dancing. You can combine dancing with strength exercises, but you need to give the body time to recover and not plan classes in a row, but allocate at least a day of rest between them.
And don't forget to warm up before dancing. So that the training does not end with an injury, the muscles and joints need to be prepared for the load. You can allocate 10-15 minutes for a warm-up, it should include simple articular gymnastics (at least elementary rotational movements of the shoulders and knees), tilts and dynamic stretching.
4. Take some lessons from a trainer
Especially if you have never danced before.
Those with experience can learn new styles at home with video tutorials, but that's because they already know how to control their body. Beginners are unlikely to succeed, but disappointment in themselves and demotivation are guaranteed - if you can’t repeat elementary movements, then there’s no point in doing it.
Nothing really strange here. Without preparation, it is difficult to just take it and start moving freely. At least the basic elements are better to master under the guidance of a pro, and when you feel that you are coping, supplement these lessons with home workouts.
5. Learn something new in every class
When you repeat the same set of exercises and movements over and over again, classes turn into a good way to pass your free time, only you can forget about progress. Acquaintance with new elements is the same mandatory part of any workout as a warm-up. It doesn't matter if you work with a mentor or on your own.
Do not immediately try to copy cool dancers.
First, study the basic movements, then try to combine them into bundles until you hone them to automatism, and then experiment and improvise, creating something new based on familiar elements.
6. Record yourself on video
You don't need to record the whole workout from the warm-up on, it's enough to record only those moments with which you have problems. These can be separate movements or bundles that are not given in any way. Review the video and, if possible, objectively assess what is wrong: perhaps there are technical problems that are difficult to notice in the process. When you understand what's wrong, try to repeat the movement and record it on video again - and so on until you achieve a good result.
This approach will help you find errors and track progress. You can not even limit yourself to memorized ligaments, but improvise - then see how it looks from the outside.
7. Find like-minded people
Photo: Iakov Filimonov / Shutterstock If you need an extra reason not to miss classes, then meeting new people can be a good motivation.
It is easier here for those who train in a group. Often the dance school becomes the center of a close-knit community, where people come not only for the sake of classes, but also just to spend time together at dance parties.
Finally, the more partners around, the more experience. Do not limit yourself to dancers of your level of training and practice with those who are stronger or weaker than you. In the first case, you will be able to improve your skills, and in the second, you will try yourself as a coach - this, by the way, is a good way to learn to take more initiative and understand the very principle of movement in dance, and not just memorize the alternation of chords.
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12 Life hacks to quickly learn how to dance from Mamita Dance
Dances
Author: Pavel Gather
Psychologist, Teacher of Salsa and Tango
Dances
Author: Pavel Pavel Pavel Pavel, Psychologist, Teacher of Salsa and Tango
At the start, you always want to get a quick result. When it doesn't happen, the hypothesis arises that everything takes time. After a conditionally acceptable time, humility comes to mastering pair dances, which, perhaps, is not given, and I will just do what I learned somehow.
This is the most common story of those who believe that the mere act of attending a pair dance class is enough to learn how to dance.
Absolutely not. If you want to really dance well, you have to make an effort outside of the dance class. A good teacher will definitely be needed, but the initiative should be on your side.
1. Listen to music
The most common and accessible advice that is given already in the first lessons. And it definitely works. Music creates a certain atmosphere of the dance and intuitively you want to move to it. It doesn't matter where you listen to music - in the car, on headphones while walking or doing household chores.
An addition that will help you dance better is your active participation in the music. Sing along, dance or simply beat musical accents with any free parts of the body. In the subway, for example, it is enough to tap out bright moments with your fingers, in the car to sing along with sounds, and at home you can jump for pleasure.
2. Watch videos of good dancers
It's complicated, but also obvious. It’s more difficult, because without recommendations from more experienced dancers, unfortunately, it’s not so easy to find a good quality video on the net (I mean not the resolution quality, but the content itself).
Meaningful video viewing is about building an understanding of HOW dancers make a particular impression on a partner or viewer. Technology is at the heart of everything. Understanding how the pros do it is a big step forward.
It is important to distinguish a show from a disco dance, a staged performance from an improvisation, a stylized dance from an authentic one, etc. Ask for recommendations and dance teachers will always throw off a couple of videos of worthy landmarks.
Tango Z. Showreel.
Online modern tango courses
Tango nuevo is the most advanced version of tango. We can quickly learn to dance from zero to a steep level.
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3. Dance in salsatecas/milongas/discotheques
A very delicate moment when it is worth coming to the first party. From a technical point of view, most students in 1-3 months have a sufficient set of figures and techniques to come and dance calmly. Psychologically, the same moment can be stretched out for an indefinite time. After all, it is imperative to “not lose face”, “learn more figures” and be sure what to do in case “there is an unfamiliar movement”.
In fact, the partygoers don't really care (except for a small layer of non-professional teachers who want to help inexperienced dancers by treating them as customers in the future). It is important to come and try dancing after a month of classes. You can only with friends or guys from your group. This will be enough to feel the adrenaline and inspiration from the dance.
4. Dance with partners or partners not of your level
The conventional wisdom that you need to practice in groups of your level does not stand up to the test of experience.
Perhaps now your eyes widen in surprise, and you want to meaningfully read the phrase again. Yes, you saw everything correctly: when you dance with a partner of your level, you don’t grow anywhere.
It's important to understand that not only does it work one way and you have to dance with cooler dancers, but it works even more effectively the other way. It is no coincidence that teaching pair dances dramatically raises the level of the teacher himself. You have an endless stream of very beginner dancers.
How it works. A more experienced partner needs to be "stretched". It's easy and obvious. With beginners, you need to take more initiative on yourself, see the general pattern of the dance more widely, turn on and insure more, try to be an example and be more careful. The quality of interaction begins to grow significantly. And wonderful partners too.
Dancing with partners of your level doesn't make you grow. Dance with both beginners and more advanced dancers
Dominican Bachata Women's Style Online Course
Want to learn how to hypnotize those around you with the most appetizing part of your body? On the course we will tell you all the secrets.
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5. Learn to dance for a partner and for a partner
Turks and Argentines are one of the best partners in the world. In Russia, partners are highly valued. Why? The answer is simple. In Argentina and Turkey, it is not questionable for men to ask another man to lead in one piece or another and give feedback on the quality of the lead. For them, it will be a great shame to hear moralizing from a partner, or even more so to be known in the community as an insecure partner.
In Russia, due to the constant, often far-fetched, opinion that there are more women in pair dances, partners calmly get up and study their partner's part. Such partners then grow into very cool dancers and teachers. In no case do this at parties, only in class. Here we are talking only about the learning strategy. At parties, be yourself.
6. Do not memorize links
Always try to look deeper and understand the through principle and idea of movement.
Understanding what and how is done will make it possible to independently generate any sequences and chips.
Human memory is limited and there will always be a moment when something will escape and your repertoire will be limited by the size of RAM.
In Argentine tango, for example, there are seven levels of movement construction that, when mastered, will allow you to make millions of combinations. And how many dance sequences can you really remember? In rueda, more than 150 figures dance in a rare circle. It's hard to keep more in mind.
7. Develop your body
Many years of experience in teaching pair dance shows that as soon as everyone pairs up in a class, any progress in individual style ends. But it is the individual style that distinguishes everyone at the disco: partners change, and style is always with you.
The body as the main instrument of dance must be very plastic, responsive and emotional. Surprisingly, not all pair dance schools have a general physical warm-up.
It is vital to tune the body and understand how it works.
You can always train extra and concentrate more on the basic steps, as their true value is as body work. The sequence of steps is, in fact, the simplest thing that can be in pair dancing. The quality of individual performance determines the craftsmanship.
8. Try on the images of inspiring dancers
A psychological life hack for those who have already mastered the steps, but still feel that there is not enough brightness and drive. Most are terribly afraid of being someone else's "clone". Here the action is the same as under the influence of hypnosis - the more you resist, the more you plunge into an altered state of consciousness.
With a high degree of probability, you are already dancing like someone else's "clone". A meaningful fitting of someone else's image is that you mentally take the image of the one who inspires you (inspiration is critical in this case) and "put on" yourself.
Then you start dancing and trying to feel in general how it is to be able, for example, to be the best partner or the sexiest partner in a disco. This is much more difficult than it seems. But it works extremely efficiently.
9. Dance to offbeat music
Habitual rhythms keep you tight. Tango salon or speedy timba leave little room for experimentation and fantasy. Pattern dancing is always noticeable and is reserved for beginners.
The truly new is born outside of the usual. Look for places to experiment. If there is no place, organize self-training. The main thing is not to get carried away, because music determines the style. We bring something new to pair dances, rather than trying to change them.
Search, improvise, do not be afraid to go beyond, develop in different directions, be inspired by music atypical for the style
10. Try your hand at basic dance directions
dances exist according to their own non-choreographic laws.
This is the deepest delusion, which has turned into a ceiling for the qualitative development of partner dances. After all, all professional dancers, for example, in salsa or bachata, build their ideas on the basic choreographic principles.
Do not think that choreography is only applicable on stage. Any meaningful movement of the body can be choreographic. In general, try classical or modern choreography. Basically, hip-hop can work too.
11. Look for battle sensations
Pair dances return us to an active position of manifestation of our body. As in the days of our ancient ancestors, we impress the members of the opposite sex with how dexterous, hardy, sexy, etc. we are. Modern jungle laws in the entourage of big cities.
If you look around the dance floor, it becomes clear that the majority are clearly herbivores (not in the sense of vegetarians, but in relation to those around them).
I am sure that predators are always more interesting in terms of the attractiveness of the image - try to find a counterbalance among herbivores, for example, a cat woman or a lion man.
The conversation is about an internal position, not about aggressiveness. Lability and lack of control are inherent in adolescents, and not in adult self-sufficient people.
Accordingly, even a training or friendly battle gives, on the one hand, practical skills - to make a bright sequence of movements, bring an idea to a climax, show a spectacular feature, on the other hand, develops the psychological basis of the dance - self-confidence, resistance to extraneous attention, self-control and self-control in complex elements.
12. Communicate with professionals
The environment shapes the internal position. Basically, real passionaries of the dance community are ready to openly talk, discuss and support the development of dance in every possible way.
