Why you can’t skip the fundamentals in dance training
Here is one of the most important things that I think dancers, dance parents, and my fellow dance teachers should know:
You cannot skip the fundamentals in dance training.
I mean, I guess you can, technically, but it almost never goes well. Like, hardly ever. Maybe one time in a million for some child prodigy somewhere. But unfortunately, that reality is almost the opposite of what is shown in the media. On TV shows like Dancing with the Stars, contestants with little to no dance experience master complex routines in just a week – never mind the fact that they practiced for many long, grueling hours every day is often overlooked as segments are edited together for broadcast. In dance movies, intense periods of training leading up to a big audition or performance are condensed to a quick montage set to snappy music. On social media, dancers show their highlight reels – the best extension, the most pirouettes, the biggest jumps – without mentioning the years of trial and error that it took to make those special moments happen. Because of these kinds of portrayals of dance and dancers, many students (and their families or caregivers) come to dance class with the expectation that they will immediately jump into learning exhilarating acrobatic tricks, turns, extensions, and jumps.
In reality, dance training is usually nothing like what is shown in the media. You can’t simply walk into a dance studio and immediately start working on tricks, jumps, and turns without first mastering foundational dance technique. In dance, as in most things, skipping the basics never works out well. It can be tempting to jump right into the advanced stuff, which often feels more exciting than the fundamentals. But if you don’t master the basics, you are setting yourself up for sloppy technique, constant corrections, and the potential for major injuries.
Part of the appeal of dance is that well–trained dancers make it look easy. The illusion of effortlessness is a fundamental aspect of many dance styles. This can be misleading, of course. Dance is actually very hard work. And all that effortlessness exuded by trained dancers in their performance is the result of many years of dedicated training – starting with the basics and working their way up to the advanced skills.
In dance, as in any endeavor, simple concepts become the foundation for more complex ones. You can’t do algebra without first learning basic addition, or swim a 400 individual medley. without first being able to back float. Tee ball comes before Little League. Playing basic scales is required before tackling a violin concerto. And in dance, one must be able to perform basic movements – safely and cleanly – before they can jump into the complicated ones.
What are the fundamentals of dance training?
Every dance genre or style has its own unique technique. There is no one underlying technique that can be used in all dance genres, and there is no dance or movement style that provides the “foundation” for all others. The basics of one dance style may look different from those of another. However, there are some fundamental principles of movement and artistry that are common among most, or even all, dance genres. For example, all dancers need to understand the right posture and alignment for their dance style – and how to make it work with their body. They also need to know how to shift their weight, use their feet and ankles, and find both stability and flexibility in their spine. To learn more, check out this blog post: 5 Technique & Movement Skills to Teach Your Dance Students.
It is also important to remember that dance is more than just technique! In addition to mastering basic dance technique skills, dancers also need to work on the foundations of artistry and professionalism needed for success. In the blog post 5 Creative and Performance Skills to Teach Your Dance Students, you can read more about some of the artistry concepts that I think are foundational for young or novice dancers to master, such as observing details in movement and embodying an alternate reality. When it comes to professionalism, there are important social and emotional skills that will help dance students find success in their career, and well beyond it, too! You can read more about the social and emotional skills that I think are fundamental for dancers in the blog post 5 Vital Social-Emotional Students Learn Through Dance – and How to Teach Them!
Why do dancers skip the fundamentals in their dance training?
As important as the fundamentals are, many dancers often want to skip them in their dance training. And too often, dance teachers either don’t recognize the necessity of establishing a strong foundation, or feel pressure to rush students through the basics. There are many reasons for this.
First, we have to consider how those inaccurate media portrayals of dance can lead to unrealistic expectations among dance students and their parents or caregivers. They may not realize how long it takes to become a well-trained dancer, or how difficult the process of learning to dance can be. Because of this, dance students may become easily bored in beginning level classes, thinking they should be working on more “exciting” things. There families may expect to see them doing “more” or “better” dancing in an unrealistic amount of time, and become frustrated with the training as a result.
Other times, dance teachers may not understand the importance of focusing on the basics, or may not have the pedagogical training needed to break down difficult skills into their foundational components. Even if they do realize that the fundamentals are necessary, some dance teachers may not know how to make the process of learning them engaging and fun for dance students.
Sometimes, a novice dancer may show great potential, and be rushed through fundamental dance training as a result. While there are cases where is is appropriate, it’s usually not the case. It is important to support dancers with natural facility and help them understand how their bodies and brains are working through the movement on a foundational level, even as they may be skipping ahead into more advanced movement. This should only happen with the recommendation of, and under the guidance of, a qualified and experienced dance educator.
What can happen if you skip the fundamentals in dance training?
Though it looks effortless, dance training can, in fact, be dangerous. Every style of dance carries its own level of injury risk. Some dance elements, like pointe work in ballet, tumbling or contortion in acro, or power moves in breaking, can lead to direct injury in a very short time. But in all styles of dance, there is a risk for long-term injuries from overuse, misalignment, or improper muscle use if dancers are not training correctly. When dance students are rushed into these kinds of advanced techniques without first mastering the basics, it can be really harmful. The problem can be even worse when it comes to young children, who are more susceptible to the adverse affects of rushed, improper, or over training. Developmentally appropriate dance training, delivered by a qualified dance educator and following a progressive curriculum, can help reduce the risk of injury, ensure a long and healthy career, and prevent recurring issues that could plague them outside the studio for years to come.
Even if injuries do not occur, starting with the basics will help students become better dancers. Learning how to efficiently perform the foundational elements of a dance technique will help dancers advance more quickly. They will be able to master advanced skills more easily because they are building on the basics – putting simple movements together to create complicated ones, rather than trying to jump in to the middle of a complex skill. Moreover, they will look better when performing those advanced movements. So often, dance teachers lament that students lack fundamental skills and therefore are unable to perform advanced ones with the right style and quality. Students who are stuck in this pattern may constantly hear the same corrections when performing advanced movements: “Straighten your knees,” “Use your plié,” “Stretch your feet and ankles,” “Stay connected to the floor.” It is frustrating to hear feedback like this over and over, but it can often be avoided by mastering these fundamental principles first, through the “easy,” “boring,” or “routine” parts of class, before jumping into tricks and choreography. If straightening your knees and stretching your feet and ankles becomes a habit in the “simple” stuff, chances are that habit will persist through the “cool” stuff, too!
In short: spending time on the fundamentals of the dance techniques you want to perform will ALWAYS be worth it, for safety and aesthetics. If you want to be successful in dance (and not hear the same corrections over and over again!), you have to be willing to put in the work on the basics. Be patient with the process and you will set yourself up for success!
Tips for working on the fundamentals in dance training
Working on dance fundamentals isn’t always easy. It’s hard work, often monotonous, and at times can even be a little boring. Dancers, dance educators, and dance families and caregivers must commit to prioritizing the basics of dance training, even when it’s tempting to skip over them. Here are some of my best tips for working on the fundamentals in dance:
Dance teachers can help dancers build a strong dance foundation by:
- Committing to working on the fundamentals of dance with all students, of all ages and all skill levels, in all classes. You can never be too old or too advanced to spend time perfecting the basics!
- Educating dance students and their families and caregivers about the importance of working on the fundamentals of dance training, and encouraging them to find the joy in boredom and hard work.
- Using a safe, developmentally appropriate, progressive curriculum in which dancers build on basic movements to master more complex ones. If you do not have a curriculum, you can use The Holistic Guide to Dance Lesson Planning to help you design one!
- Finding ways to make working on the basics fun, such as using gamification, play, and shaking things up in class.
- Encouraging and inspiring your students to keep working hard, even when it might not be the most exciting thing, and finding new ways to motivate them when things get tough.
Dancers and dance students can commit to working on the fundamentals by:
- Remembering that time spent working on the basics in dance will never be wasted! It may be tough in the moment, but it will always be worth it in the end.
- Setting ambitious but realistic dance goals, with the help of their dance teachers, that will allow them to find the success they desire in the dance studio. The Holistic Guide to Goal Setting for Dancers will help make the goal-setting process easy and effective.
- Establishing good habits that will help them persist as they work toward their goals.
Dance parents and caregivers can support their dancers as they work on the fundamentals by:
- Trusting their dancers’ teachers, and supporting their decisions regarding level placement, curriculum, and audition results.
- Encouraging their dancers to keep working hard, even when they might find class a bit boring or wish they could be working on different skills or choreography.
- Helping their dancers deal with adversity, frustration, and difficult periods in their dance training.
- Bringing concerns directly to your dancers’ teacher or studio owner, rather than engaging in gossip or negative talk with their dancer or other families or caregivers.
- Educating themselves about dance education through reputable blogs, books, and social media accounts.
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