Lightness is the famously elusive quality that can make a dancer seem to float on air. But as with all things dance, what looks like pure ease onstage takes an incredible amount of effort behind the scenes. “It’s the proverbial carrot that I dangle for my patients,” says Melissa Buffer, a Boston-area physical therapist who […]

There’s nothing more thrilling than watching a dancer who’s barreling through space suddenly change direction. But what might look effortless to the audience actually takes an immense amount of control and coordination. Regardless of the genre of dance, the importance of direc­tional changes is often overlooked in conversations about technique, written off as a mere […]

When you think of tension, you may think of a clenched jaw or the general feeling of strain. As the body’s response to physical and psychological stressors, the muscles can remain in a partially contracted state for extended periods of time, often leading to quicker fatigue and physical discomfort. However, some muscle tension is not […]

Breathing is so vital and automatic that it can often be the last thing on dancers’ minds. But aside from fueling your muscles and cells, a mindful breathing practice can bring dynamism and drama to your dancing. “Breathing, and not holding the breath in or out, creates a look of being alive that is noticeable […]

Dancers, like all people, are naturally frontal beings. Yet they’re constantly being tasked with moving backwards, and asked to sense what’s behind them to keep from trampling set pieces or their colleagues. Learning to activate your backspace can not only help you become a more three-dimensional dancer, but can make you more confident and fearless […]

When Elizabeth DeMent joined Big Dance Theater, she found herself dropped into a foreign realm where voicework was considered part and parcel of each production. A graduate of The Juilliard School with credits like the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Liz Gerring Dance Company and Patrick Corbin, DeMent felt like a fish out of water in the […]

Despite being one of the most-used parts of the body in everyday life, the hands can often be an afterthought in dance. Your dexterous digits, so valuable for writing, driving, texting and general gesticulating, can become limp and lifeless without some mindfulness. Though the role of the hands, wrists and fingers varies depending on your […]

When we think of musicality, we often imagine fleet-footed dancers who can cleverly play with a score’s rhythm. While that’s one way to be musical, the versatile dancer needs other tools in their toolbox: The ability to dance slowly is just as valuable as dancing quickly, and while some choreographers look for a strong emotive […]