Over the years, I have practiced many styles of dance ranging from ballet to ballroom dancing. To me, dance is more than just a sport or something to do for fun. It’s a time a space where I’m free to let go of my worries. It allows me to try new ideas or moves without judgement. I love to dance to because it’s where I met some of my closest friends. It’s a place where we have grown in ways that are hard to describe, but to say the least I believe it’s for the better.
Ballet is very clean and sharp, and the shapes aren’t organic like modern or contemporary. It doesn’t allow many levels, being able to roll on the floor or do flips. Ballet is a lot more about being big and bold. Though I have always enjoyed ballet, I find it one of the more challenging styles due to having the need for a ton of core strength and flexibility. I have practiced it the most and have always enjoyed my classes for it. I will say some of the moves in ballet overlap in many styles, specifically contemporary.
For me, jazz is something I associate with theatre, so I don’t normally like to perform jazz. Though, I have taken many jazz classes, I don’t like it because the style is very upbeat and mostly used in musicals. Similarly to tap, it is a lot of footwork. I also feel that it’s hard to be creative and to tell a story. Of course, the costume you wear or the location of your performance can make a big difference, but I prefer slower movements and not singing while I dance.
Contemporary is a style that allows for many organic shapes and movement. I believe it allows you to tell stories and convey messages. I have seen detailed stories with amazing choreography that emotionally moves the audience. I find that you have a lot more freedom to move and to play a character. I have created my own pieces before, and one piece was about having to learn to live your life without someone you love. I don’t think any other style would have expressed this story as strongly. I think one nice thing about this style is the fact that you are able to lay on the ground or do acrobatics. Having those additional levels adds different ways to tell the story.
I think contemporary dance helps people communicate messages. You have the power to control your body and have the ability to work with others to enhance the meaning. I was stage manager for a dance show once, and there was a duet to a song by Sam Smith. It was so heartbreaking, and every time I saw it, I always found something new to take in. I always found different emotions written on the girls’ faces. It was so touching. I found that the way they moved and used different levels to add to the performance really made the piece amazing. It was one of the best contemporary pieces I have ever seen performed.
All styles I think are unique in their own way. Although I don’t enjoy performing all of them, I have respect to all types of performers, because the time and energy it takes to perform is outstanding.