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The Mirror as a Training Tool in Dance Class

January 21, 2019 by 4dancers

Students in dance class with mirrored wall. Photo by Lori Teague.

I’m so glad to be able to share the following article from Sally Radell, MA, a longtime colleague in dance medicine, on the faculty at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. Sally’s research for many years has been in looking at how using the mirror affects the dancer — we have posted information on this topic from her before on this site. Sally recently presented her latest research at the October 2018 IADMS (International Association for Dance Medicine and Science) conference in Helskini. It was valuable information, and thought-provoking, to put it mildly! So here you go — take care and happy/safe dancing!  – Jan Dunn, MS, Dance Wellness Editor


by Sally A. Radell, MFA, MA

The process of building ourselves as dancers is a long and arduous process. Years of technical training are required and certainly the more efficiently we train the more successful we are at building the technical skills needed for professional performance.

Dancers should not underestimate the importance of how they feel about their bodies in the studio and how this impacts the quality and effectiveness of their training. In fact, research has shown that a dancers’ psychological health and well-being can improve or impede their classroom or stage performance.

The Mirror in the Dance Studio

One classroom tool that has caused some concern in the technique class is the mirror. It is so familiar in the dance studio that many of us take it for granted. Teachers frequently use it as a classroom management tool to visually bring the class together when teaching new material. The teacher has an optimum vantage point when facing the mirror, demonstrating the material with the same physical facing as the students, and simultaneously viewing them as they learn it. This provides for ample correction opportunities and can be an efficient use of time when teaching short classes. However, NOT using the mirror in teaching generally requires the instructor to face the class directly and do a mirror image demonstration of the phrase material. This requires more concentration and focus for the teacher. Whether or not to use the mirror in the studio can be a complex problem for teachers.

Students tend to love having a mirror in the studio. It provides students immediate visual feedback and a constant stream of information on ones’ alignment and performance of a dance phrase. The mirror also provides students an opportunity to fix their hair, examine how they look in their new tights and inevitably compare their body to those of other dancers in the studio. The mirror is a potent tool with distraction powers that can be overwhelming and difficult to manage for most students.

One cannot help but ask the question — is the mirror a helpful or harmful tool in the dance studio, or perhaps a bit of both? Most of the literature on this topic comes from dance instructors and their use of the mirror in the classroom. Opinions vary. Some instructors feel it is a useful tool to check and correct ones’ line or the performance of a particular phrase. There have only been a few formal research studies, primarily focusing on ballet, which tend to discuss the disadvantages of mirror use.

Dance students in mirrored classroom. Photo by Lori Teague.

Disadvantages of Mirror Use in the Studio

  • Students may develop high levels of self-consciousness and self-criticism from starring at their images in the mirror.
  • There is a high temptation for students to compare their physical images to other dancers (or the teacher) in the room which can lead a dancer to feel badly about her body.
  • The use of a mirror can lead to a dancer feeling “disconnected” from her proprioceptive body awareness which is needed for efficient training. This can delay optimum development of a dancers’ technical skills.

New Mirror Research

Further research has recently been done which probes a bit deeper into mirror use with dancers of various skill levels and in different styles of dance. For example, a recent study was done comparing beginning and advanced ballet dancers. The beginning dancers reported using the mirror enthusiastically, while the advanced level dancers discussed the importance of limiting mirror use in class in favor of focusing on the physical sensations of the movement to stimulate technical growth. However, both levels of students felt worse about their bodies by the end of the semester. This suggests that training on how to use the mirror sparingly and efficiently does not help a dancer feel better about her body in class. Perhaps the mirror is just too potent a tool to be used effectively at any level of dance training?

Other recent research compares the impact of mirrors on the body image of modern and ballet dancers in both mirrored and non-mirrored classrooms. By the end of the semester both the modern and ballet students in the mirrored classroom felt worse about their bodies. However, the students in the modern and ballet non-mirrored classrooms felt better about their bodies by the end of the semester. Overall, perhaps these results suggest that the negative impact of the mirror on a dancers’ body image can transcend styles, at least between modern and ballet styles?

As research in the area of mirror impact on body image grows, evidence is mounting on the potency of the mirror and its capacity to harm a dancer’s body image beyond the confines of ballet. I strongly encourage dance teachers and students to reconsider their use of the mirror in the classroom and explore alternate methods of achieving what the mirror seemingly offers. Without a mirror in the classroom dancers can fully focus on their proprioceptive learning and the sensation of movement in their bodies. This will ultimately keep their focus fully “in their bodies” which is the most efficient route to feeling good about themselves and developing the optimum technical skills required for professional careers.


Note: This post is an update to the previous post we have on the site, also authored by Ms. Radell. View that post here.


Sally Radell
Sally Radell, MFA, MA. Photo by Jon Rou.

Sally Radell is professor of dance at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. She holds a BA in dance from Scripps College in Claremont, California, an MA in dance from The Ohio State University, and an MFA in dance from Arizona State University. She came to Emory in 1987 to start a degree program in dance. The substantial growth of the program and success of this endeavor is one of her proudest professional accomplishments. Ms. Radell has been active as a choreographer, teacher, performer, administrator, dance critic, and somatic educator. Over the past twenty years she has conducted research on dancers, body image, and the mirror and has published in professional journals including Journal of Dance Medicine & Science, Research in Dance Education, and Perceptual and Motor Skills. Professor Radell has also presented nationally and internationally on this topic with different organizations including the American Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance and the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science. She is committed to the promotion of psychological wellness for dancers.

Filed Under: 4teachers, conditioning Tagged With: ballet classroom, dance class, Dance studio setup, Emory University, Mirrors in Dance Class, Mirrors in dance studio, sally radell, teaching ballet, teaching dance

Fresh Looks For Dance Class

December 2, 2016 by 4dancers

dancer's face

by Catherine L. Tully

There are days when you take class in your grungiest clothes and pin your hair up quickly, and there are days you want to look more “put together’. While not every day warrants a fancy outfit and hairstyle, let’s face it–sometimes it’s fun to dress up a little bit!

It is in this spirit that we’ve assembled a few different ideas for adding a touch of fresh style to your look for class. From including a simple flourish on your dance skirt to applying your makeup a little differently, these small things can keep you feeling your best, and add a little inspiration on those days you need a little something to make class a bit more fun…

Try out a new hairstyle

Nothing can change your appearance quite like a new hairstyle, but sometimes it can be hard to figure out what works visually and makes sense for that fast pirouette combination in the middle of class!

Re-re Twist hairstyle. Model Lissa Smith.
Re-re Twist hairstyle. Model Lissa Smith.

The “Re-re Twist”

Created by Hubbard Street dancer Emilie Leriche, the Re-re Twist is a fun, pretty hairstyle we featured previously on the blog a while back. It’s fancy, it’s functional, and it’s different! There is a step-by-step tutorial for you on this page.

After all, braids don’t have to be boring.

If you love the look of a traditional ballet bun but want something fresh, take a peek at Pinterest for over 1,000 options ranging from little variations you can pull off on your own to those that may require a co-pilot. You can also check out this post on the Rockettes site that shares a few video tutorials for creative hairstyles.

Dress up your practice clothes

You don’t always have to buy new leotards or skirts to change up your look for class. With just a little bit of time and a tutorial to follow, creating a new look for old clothes can be a simple task that adds a little bit of interest to an otherwise standard item. It doesn’t have to be expensive!

Add a little sparkle

Popping in a few rhinestones can make a plain skirt or leotard a little prettier. You don’t have to add very many to liven up the look–after all you don’t want to get too flashy–but a well-placed dot of sparkle can look lovely. Here’s a tutorial that walks you through how to add rhinestones to lace:

Go ombre

A great way to extend the life of a plain leotard or skirt is to dye it another color. We love this ombre skirt idea, shown in the video below–it’s very different, and fairly simple to do once you understand the basics of dying fabric. (Get some other outfit ideas from BDancewear’s free DIY download.*)

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Change up the makeup

While you may not want to do a full makeup job for class every day, here and there it can feel good to try out a new look, just for kicks. Here are a couple to get you started–

The smokey eye

This is definitely a strong eye makeup look, but it does add quite a bit of drama! Concealer underneath the eye makes it pop, and you can go a little lighter with the coloring if you are looking for something a little less intense.

Simple lip tip

Feel like drawing out your lips a little more without adding a lot of time to your makeup routine? Find out how to emphasize your “cupid’s bow” with this simple lip tip – it takes two seconds!

What do you do to keep your look fresh for class? We’d love to hear any tips you’ve come up with!


*Disclosure – 4dancers accepts compensation from BDancewear as an advertiser on the site.

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Filed Under: 4dancers, Dance Clothing & Shoes Tagged With: ballet bun, BDancewear, dance class, dance makeup, dancewear, hair for dance class, leotards, ombre dye, rhinestones

Detect The Details – Reworking Technique In Class

July 23, 2016 by Rachel Hellwig

"Jump" by Marco Sanchez. Licensed under CC Attribution 2.0 Generic. [Changes: cropped]
“Jump” by Marco Sanchez. Licensed under CC Attribution 2.0 Generic. [Changes: cropped]

Editor’s note: this series by Karen is targeted specifically to competition dancers and those that work with them, although certainly many others may benefit from the information within!


by Karen Musey

It is a great joy and privilege to be able to encourage and give feedback to each new generation of dancers. It is exciting to see the  fantastic talent and passion on stage, and every dancer’s growth over this season definitely needs to be celebrated!

In this digital age, it is becoming the norm to see younger and younger children seeming to grasp difficult tricks/concepts/technique quickly. I think we sometimes forget that learning to be a dancer is, and always will be, a process that takes time and effort. It’s not a one size fits all experience or path.

During a judging season, a dancer who has heard the same corrections repeated multiple times can feel frustrated and defeated. This is a great time to check in with them. If they feel that they are accomplishing what is being asked but they are not achieving the desired result, what can you do to shift their understanding of how they are working through the movement?

It can be helpful for students to put on a “teacher” or “detective” lens and start looking for clues for what looks and feels right (or not). This will help them train their eye and their corrections will improve faster  – and better yet – they will start to self correct.

Let’s go over a “classic correction” and discuss some ways you can encourage your students to interpret it in a new way: [Read more…]

Filed Under: 4dancers, Competition Tagged With: competition dance, dance class, dance competition, dance plié, dance technique, karen musey, plié, teaching dance, teaching tips

Safe Dance Practice: What Is It And Why Do We Need It?

April 4, 2016 by Rachel Hellwig

Kai Downham photography: Instep Dance Company
Kai Downham Photography: Instep Dance Company

Aloha All 🙂

New dance medicine book to share!  “Safe Dance Practice” is written by three British colleagues of mine in the dance medicine world, Edel Quin / Sonia Rafferty / Charlotte Tomlinson. All three are involved with IADMS (International Association for Dance Medicine and Science), Safe in Dance International (SIDI), and are all MSc graduates of the Dance Science program at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance (London UK). They have been long-involved in dance medicine and science, aka Dance Wellness, aka Safe Dance Practice (a British term), and have put together their invaluable knowledge and experience in writing this book – giving teachers and dancers a solid grounding for training healthy dancers who will be better equipped to dance many long years, in the best possible condition. The book is a great addition to your dance medicine and science library – Please pass it on!
Aloha
Jan


by Sonia Rafferty, Charlotte Tomlinson and Edel Quin

What It Isn’t!

The term “safe dance practice” often conjures up the vision of a checklist of boring, restrictive, and often unnecessary health and safety regulations. As dancers, choreographers, and teachers, we certainly don’t want to be held back in our artistic endeavours by recommendations that we think will limit our creative risk-taking capacity.

Fortunately, the upsurge of interest and increasing knowledge in safe dance practice will help us to do exactly the opposite. We can support artistic challenge by helping dancers to train and work at their best, but also heed the potential reasons for the high injury rate that has been observed in a wide variety of different dance styles.

Who Is It For?

Safe dance practice is important for dancers of any age and any ability. It is not simply for the elite “racehorse” of a dancer, at risk because of high-level demands, or the dancer who perhaps could be seen to be more prone to injury because of lack of technicality or physical ability.

Knowing how to work safely and effectively is relevant for everyone – for dancers themselves who can take responsibility for protecting and maintaining their readiness to dance, and for teachers who are trusted with instructing the dancing bodies. Add to that list the choreographers who use the expertise and abilities of dancers to create innovative and challenging works, and the artistic directors and managers who rehearse those dancers and organise their schedules.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Books & Magazines, Dance Wellness, Injuries Tagged With: Charlotte Tomlinson, dance class, dance medicine, dance wellness, Edel Quin, health, iadms, physical safety, practicing dance safely, psychological health, Safe Dance Practice, Safe In Dance International, SiDI, Sonia Rafferty, Trinity Laban Conservatorie

Journaling For Dancers: Why You Need It & How It Helps

March 28, 2016 by 4dancers

IMG_5130
Photo courtesy of Grier Cooper

by Grier Cooper

You work hard during ballet class because you know your hard work will pay off. But how do you know what’s working and what isn’t? Aside from occasional comments or critiques from your teachers, you don’t. But you can change that! By implementing this simple journaling process, you can track your progress so you have a clear idea.

You’ll be doing some writing so you’ll need a small sketchbook or journal (choose a pretty one!) and a pen. Be sure to give yourself a few minutes before and after class to read through the questions and write down your thoughts. This process is just for you, so keep it light, simple and fun.

Before class begins, do the following:

Set an intention

Take a few moments to set an intention. An intention is a purpose, or a desired action or result. Close your eyes and ask yourself what your intention is for this particular class. The answer may come as a thought, feeling or vision. Write down whatever comes to mind, even if it’s just one word. An example might be wanting to feel centered and grounded throughout class. Setting an intention can be quite powerful because it helps us focus on what’s most important.

Photo courtesy of Grier Cooper
Photo courtesy of Grier Cooper

Choose your goals

Next, write down 2-3 goals. Keep them simple and achievable. You may be struggling with en dedans pirouettes, for example. While you can’t guarantee that you’ll be able to pull off a triple turn by the end of class, your goal could be to ask your teacher or a friend to watch your turns and help you determine what’s off.

After class is finished, set aside a few moments to jot down responses to the following questions. Since this is a self-assessment, be honest (and fair… dancers are often their own worst critics) when you answer.

  • What did I do well?
  • Where do I need to improve?

List at least three answers to each question and make sure it’s a balanced list with the same number of things for each category. Remember: it’s just as important to acknowledge what you did well, perhaps even more so, since this area is often overlooked–most dancers are too busy being hard on ourselves.

Taking a few minutes every day to work with this journaling process is a powerful tool will help you stay focused and give you a clear picture of your performance in class. Work with it regularly and you’ll never leave class again wondering how you did. Over time you’ll be able to track your results and achievements.

Write on!


 

AuthorPhotoWebGrier Cooper left home at fourteen to study at the School of American Ballet and has performed San Francisco Ballet, Miami City Ballet, and others, totaling more than thirty years of experience as a dancer, teacher and performer. She blogs about dance and has interviewed and photographed a diverse collection dancers and performers including Clive Owen, Nicole Kidman, Glen Allen Sims and Jessica Sutta. She is the author of the Indigo Ballet Series ballet novels for young adults. Visit Grier at http://www.griercooper.com

Filed Under: 4dancers Tagged With: ballet class, dance class, dance journal, dancers, grier cooper, Journaling for dancers

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