Did you know that most likely you have your “dance face”? I mean that one particular look that you see on your photos and videos over and over again. ⁣⁣⠀⠀⁣⁣⠀

For instance, variations of dance face among beginner dancers:⁣⁣⠀

Counting face: What is the beat?! How many more hip drops are left?!?!⁣⁣⠀
Side Look: Am I doing the right part of the choreo? Let me try to follow the dancer on my right cos she always remembers!⁣⁣⠀
Apologizing: Sorry for me being here... don’t worry, my dance is only 3 mins and then you can continue your evening....⁣⁣⠀
Frozen smile: The teacher told us to smile, but my face is paralyzed! The edges of my lips are going down! No! No! I must force the biggest smile ever!!!⁣⁣⠀

This podcast episode may be of your interest too. Check it out HERE.

But even among more advanced dancers:⁣⁣⠀

Femme fatale: Do you wanna see how the ‘real’ seduction looks like!⁣⁣⠀
Let me explain the song: I did my homework, learnt the translation of lyrics, and now I’m gonna explain you every single word with my face, so better get ready for a pantomime session...⁣⁣⠀
Feeling the emotions: omg! This moment breaks my heart, I’m so much into it that I’m about to faint, so please call an ambulance in advance!⁣⁣⠀

Why is this happening? Why you feel stuck with the same face expression no matter which song you choose to dance too?⁣⁣⠀It’s because often we are limited in our emotional vocabulary for stage. Yes, we should pay attention not only to the movement vocabulary, but also to our vocabulary of dance emotions.⁣⁣⠀

We often are lacking training in ACTING skills.⁣⁣⠀

How to solve it? Shake it up!⁣⁣⠀

Stop focusing only on your choreos, and start learning from other teachers. Try to understand the mood and character they embodies in the dance. ⁣
Get out of your comfort zone! Go to the least favorite, or most ‘unnatural’ style for you from the mood/emotions point of view (even within the belly dance genre). You may not take it on stage, but such practice will greatly expand your emotional and acting potential.⁣⁣

Is this topic interesting? Do you want to hear more about the dance character and emotional expressions?

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Author: Iana Komarnytska
Photographer: Pedro Bonatto