Imagery in Dance

Dance teachers often use imagery to help their dancers visualize and understand more abstract comments.  This imagery is an integral part of training dancers - young and old.  One of our teachers - Ms. Tanya - has been using this important concept in her Cecchetti 3 ballet class to help with alignment and weight placement.  Ms. Tanya speaks to the girls about their 'mustaches' and how they need to 'align' themselves under their mustaches. 

"In our class we use the image of a mustache in a number of ways. For example, I tell them to hold their bottoms under their mustache (to avoid tucking the pelvis under) and not sticking out behind their head (to avoid a tipped pelvis). We use the image of a mustache in posé and posé coupé. For instance; 'Bring your mustache to your toe, not your toe to your mustache". We also use it in arabesque. "Don't dip your mustache in the milk" - to help keep their back lengthened and prevent them from releasing the back forward."

On Halloween, the girls all had the opportunity to 'sport' their mustaches and put the image into action!

Please read this excellent article on the use of imagery in dance by Lynnette Young Overby, Ph.D. and Jan Dunn, M.S. - The History and Research of Dance Imagery:  Implications for Teachers