How to become a better dancer
Recently I have seen many youtube videos of people talking about how to become a better dancer, here’s my two cents on this subject. Depends on the dance form you are pursuing, some are harder than others, here’s what you need to do:
Training. You need to do is to get some training, for classical or harder dance forms, I would suggest finding a teacher or a class that suits your style or needs, for easier dance form such as folkloric dances (but this also depends), you can learn it through online tutorial or an online portal, of course not all folkloric dances can be learned online, there isn’t one size fits all.
Consistent practice. You need consistent practice of this dance form for it to get anywhere, without practice, you can get it into your body, not too mention the stuff that comes later, techniques, grace, flow etc. You need to dedicate some time in your life for the dance form you want to get better at and make a plan to practice at least 3 times a week. I personally practice 5 times a week, but it’s not mindless practice, I tried to include corrections from my teachers, perfecting little details, work on dance choreographies I have learned and work on my abhinaya (facial expression). What it really helps to have a critical eye to self critique your own dance, I suggest investing on a tripod and film yourself practice and then watch it to see where you could have done better.
Eye training. Watch dance videos of dancers who you aspire to, this helps you train your eyes to differentiate what’s good versus what’s bad, and what’s in their dance that you can borrow or adapt to, and what you can learn from their dances that you can apply it to your own dance.
Flexibility training. As dancers we need to be more flexible of people of other professions. I find being more flexible helped with my turnout, bending, and when I have to perform high kicks. For flexibility you don’t need any coaches, you can work on this on your own following my flexibility series or any tutorials on flexibility. We are not trying to be gymist, we don’t need to be doing extreme stretches, and always always listen to your body, overstretching can cause injury, and with adults, flexiblity comes slow and with time, so be patient.
Improve your stamina. To be a good dancer requires good stamina, so you can dance for a long time. I suggest getting strength and cardio training that helps you improve your endurance. I have exercise modules that can help you with your strength and endurance. Personally I don’t do any endurance or strength training because Bharatanatyam itself is strength and endurance training and these days my practice is easily 1.5 hours continuously.