There’s a difference between, “knowing” something and “mastering” it. A lot of times young dance students are not aware of this distinction. Dance teachers aim to challenge their dancers to develop and the more practice and effort put in, the closer to mastery we get. Whether we truly master anything is subjective, but the more we do- the more we grow.
So, what is the difference? Well, a dancer can say for example they, ‘know how to do a pirouette.’ But, can they master the turn? To know a skill, to a certain extent, is more generalized. Maybe they can execute it with some consistency, but mastering a skill is a deeper level of understanding. Mastering a skill takes consistent effort and desire to understand the how’s and why’s. It’s wanting to take the time to repeat that step over and over again until it’s not only muscle memory but is executed as close to perfect as one can get. It’s understanding all that the skill entails-the preparation, the transition, the timing, the landing, the somatic nuances, body placement, alignment, weigh distribution, the dynamics, the cause and effect, etc., etc. This takes time, practice and patience. It also takes a really attuned dance teacher to train and educate dancers in this way. The result? A long lasting comprehension of technique, study of movement and skill that dancers can apply and carry with them forever. This will coincide with a strong foundation with which to continue building upon as a dancer develops, grows and matures.
Good luck!
See you in the dance studio,
Jess
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