Dancing is an art form that I admire so much. I have been a dancer for 15 years, and never in my life have regretted being one. Being a dancer comes with you putting in a lot of effort and practicing until your feet give up. From my 15 years of dancing, I've noticed that the world sometimes views dancers as the perfect and poised. But this article is full of the expectations and the reality of what really goes on in the dance world.
Flexibility
Every dancer is flexible to some point and is trained to be, but flexibility that the public eye sees is not always what goes on.
Expectation: You are able to do splits and tricks with ease. Stretching for you is your time to show off your flexibility to the whole class. Your arabesques and side kicks are flawless.
Reality: Every muscle will hurt when you try to kick or do a spilt. You feel like you are under-appreciated in a way just because you're not flexible. You secretly don't like anyone who is too flexible. Training to be more flexible might help, but you have come to the conclusion that it might never happen.
Costumes
Most people see that perfect costume with the right flow when the dancer moves and the right colors on the outfit that match perfectly to the choreography and the song. The chances of that happening sound like a dream because most dancers have had a year of dance where they had to be stuck with a horrible costume.
Expectation: Dancers have the pretty and colorful costumes that fit them just right. The costume is also comfortable and does not cause any problems.
Reality: The costume sometimes doesn't match the theme of the song. It hurts in places you don't want it to be any trouble, making it harder to dance. It can be loose or tight, even when you get measured before.
I can relate to this reality a lot because I've had my share of bad dance costumes.
Choreography
When you look at dance videos anywhere, you see a flawless performance. It is like that most of the time, but sometimes, the choreo that you are stuck with can be hard to follow. Or you just don't like it.
Expectation: You can easily able to follow and get the right steps. This choreo is something you really want to perform and showcases your dancing ability.
Reality: When you first learn this choreography, you start to panic because you are not able to follow it or remember the steps. Time goes on, and the same thing keeps happening. This is the choreography that does not really fit your style, nor do you like it. We have all had this happen to us once.
Dance Teachers/Choreographers
All the dance teachers I have had in the past have been fantastic mentors and have made a huge difference in my dance career. But there are some teachers when I have just taken classes at studios who are just mean and put you down a lot. You can never seem to impress these choreographers.
Expectation: This teacher just gets you and your dance style. They know how to train you and make you a better dancer. Your dancing experience becomes a whole lot better when you are with them.
Reality: This choreographer is your literal nightmare. He/she wants to only point out everything that you are doing wrong. Everything this teacher tries to make you do is literally impossible, and they all always expect so much.
I am just glad I have not had any horrible experiences with teachers but I have had rude ones in the past.
Music
Now, music is obviously a vital part of dancing. The right kind of music can just make your performance so much better and make you dance in a way never thought possible.
Expectation: When you dance to this song, you feel so powerful, and you dance like nobody is watching (as cliché as it sounds) This song that was picked fits the dance so well, and you feel great while performing it.
Reality: Some songs you dance to are just don't fit and are not right for you. You end up dancing to it just because you have to.
Time and Effort
The amount of time that goes into making a perfect dance and putting on a good performing takes a lot of effort that so many dancers realize. But to the general public, most times, they only see the result and don't see the whole process behind the dance.
Expectation: That a dance can is put together in a few weeks, and you get everything on the first try. (Oh, how I wish this was true.)
Reality: You spend months learning a piece of dance, and sometimes, the dance can change, which sucks even more. A lot of sweat and tears go into that one dance. But when you perform it, it's definitely a great feeling.
Rehearsals and Practices
Dance rehearsals are not like normal rehearsals for other performances, like theatre. It usually consists of hours and hours of practice and sweat.
Expectation: You come in, and everything is already ready to go. Everyone in your group is present and ready to get up on stage and dance, the whole rehearsal, from the opening to the closing act.
Reality: Everyone is usually late, and quick changes for costumes are extra difficult when no one knows where to go. You finally get on stage at rehearsal and come to know you have to do the dance 4-8 times until everything is just right. The rehearsal takes usually about 5-6 hours, so you go in during the day and walk out at night.
Dance Videos and Pictures
All dancers know the feeling that we all get when someone asks to see your dance pictures or videos.
Expectation: You have the perfect quality video, where the lighting hits you just right, your costume is perfect, and the song is just the right match for the dance.
Reality: The videos are usually blurry and shot far away, especially the ones from recitals. My dance studio does not let the audience film the dances, so it only makes it worse when we get the CD after months and see ourselves dance on a bright stage where you can barely make out a face.
