02/17/2026
Immersing myself in the work...into dance...into being a teacher...into artistry
As I taught my Advanced Level Ballet dancers last night - I got off on a tangent in their adagio. They danced it so lovely, some wobbles and off balance moments...but truly they are mature and skilled dancers.
I asked them to dance it again and to take risks, to go a little futher, to be more expressive in their arms and their spines, to release in their head and neck...and to truly embody the work.
They did.
They did a wonderful job taking the notes and the corrections.
And then I explained that we need to go there...to push the boundaries...to ask more of yourselves...and to go further than we think.
Then we practice.
Then we practice building strength and confidence to support those risks...then we manage and evaluate those risks to narrow it down to precision and accurate calculation to know exactly where we need to be in our bodies to hold the balances, to recover with ease and effortless in steps, and to complete our turns with accuracy.
All in a fleeting moment in time and space, to rhythm and steps, and to our own free will.
Our minds and bodys are always changing and evolving...but that's where the artistry comes into play...that's when we trust the work, our own practice, the repetitions, the rehearsal phase. Then we do it all in front of a live audience for them to experience it WITH us.
It's in the work...I didn't plan to go into a discussion on artistry, but together they have shown me their level and where we need to go next.
My goal is to create wonderful, creative, intelligent movers; and for them to have a wonderful life of dance/performance ahead of them in whatever capacity that means.
Bravo to another great night of dance.
Photo:
(I am sharing a previous performance picture of Sophia and Adelaide)
