Styling (Part 1)

As a student learning to dance, there are many hurdles to overcome in the initial stages before you can feel comfortable in the dance. This is true regardless of the type of dance form-whether that be Casino, Rock and Roll, Jive or the Waltz. At the beginning, all focus is on mastering the basic steps and it can seem to take forever to commit this to memory. However, in a matter of weeks, many students find that the basics almost become second nature and what used to take them three hours to master, now only takes an hour to execute almost to perfection. It is almost as if something “clicks”. Learning a new move is now easier and the capacity to learn two, three, or four moves within a class increases. It is like learning a new language- the first few months are hard and it is easy to feel like every new vocabulary or word you learn in turn forces out another that was committed to memory. But there comes a point when your understanding increases exponentially and you know enough grammar, vocabs and words that you can understand close to 70-80% of what is being said in a conversation. I believe dancers have a similar feeling. You feel yourself more connected to the dance, your partner and the music once your entire mind is no longer focused on having to recall every step in advance. For some, this is the stage where their interest in styling and body movement develop. To learn a complex pattern of moves is no longer as much of a hurdle and you start to notice how other dancers with more experience have the ability to make simple moves look incredible…with the simple extension of an arm at the right moment, or a shoulder shake added at the end, almost like an after-thought. This is your next challenge, but also the next frustration.

As teachers, a common phrase we hear from beginner students is “I have two left feet” or “I have never danced before and I am going to struggle to learn the basics- I have absolutely no rhythm”. There is an assumption that the ability to dance and be rhythmical is a skill that you either possess or do not. I myself said these exact words many a time while I was learning to dance. However, I soon learnt that this was a myth. Rhythm, styling, dance, it could all be taught and learnt in a similar manner to a language. Our students soon find our that they are much more rhythmical and graceful than they initially believed, and it is always a pleasure to see that moment when everything comes together, and they feel comfortable in their own skin when dancing. It is at this point that the question of “styling” comes in. We have all seen the beautiful dancer on the dance floor who does the basic step with such great hip movement that it makes you wish you could be her. Or the leader who can do a simple “Di Le Que No” and make it look like he owns the dance. But to get from the point where you can execute a sequence of steps perfectly, to adding your own individuality to these steps can seem daunting and near impossible. It's not true. Just as it can take weeks to perfect a move, styling and body movement is a skill that needs to be taught and practised before you get the result that you want. I cannot even remember the number of times I practised body rolls in front of the mirror (and let me tell you it was not a pretty sight) until it flowed naturally. But it did, eventually. Perhaps there is nothing more awkward than watching yourself move in front of a mirror and finding your shoulders are moving in the opposite direction to the way you command them to move, or watching yourself do footwork with hip rotation and seeing that your hips seem to have taken a life of their own and are completely out of synch with your feet! Persevere with this awkwardness though, and you will be rewarded with that moment when it “clicks”.