Enhancing Body Lines in Dance. Learn how to Enhance your body lines
All
dancers have heard that they need to enhance their lines or lengthen
their lines. What are lines, or body lines, for dancers?
Dancers’
lines are the way in which their limbs extend through the space in
which they are dancing. Line describes the dancers’ use of the space
around them. Whether or not a dancer has exceptionally long limbs or
lengthy proportions does not matter in terms of lines. There are ways
for every dancer to elongate what he or she does have. Here are some
steps that dancers can take to find their perfect lines.
Be Aware of the Space Taken Up by the Body. Dancers
should always be conscious of their bodies, whether in motion or
standing still. There should be a constant effort to extend the body in
every direction, lengthening the neck, lowering the shoulders, and
extending the limbs.
Dancers should also be aware of what works
for their individual bodies. They should learn which angles can appear
to shorten their lines, and which angles add length to their limbs. In
most cases, parallel lines (an arm extended toward the back with the leg
up in first arabesque, for example) will give the illusion of length.
Keep
your chin up. Your head is an extension of your torso, just like your
arms and legs. Instead of always dancing in the mirror, which keeps you
looking directly at yourself, finish your lines by lifting your chin and
upper chest, and focusing your gaze beyond your fingertips.
Don’t
slouch, even during moments of stillness. If your shoulders round and
your chest caves inward, or you sink into your lower back or tuck your
hips, you’ll seem shorter than you really are. Instead, use oppositional
forces to create length in your spine: Imagine your body pressing into
the floor while simultaneously lifting to the ceiling. Use the mirror to
experiment with how subtle posture changes can lengthen or shorten you.
Use the Space around the Body to the Fullest. Unless
otherwise instructed in the choreography, legs should be fully extended
at all times. Straight, high leg-lines can make everything else on the
dancer appear longer. A more open attitude position, for example, can
make the upper body appear more open and lengthened through the torso.
Straighter arms with lowered shoulders can also make the arms and neck
lines look longer.
A dancer’s head is an extension of his or her
torso, and should always be lifted. Body lines can look more finished,
or polished, by lifting the chin instead of looking straight to the
front. The gaze should always be focused beyond the dancer’s fingertips,
to complete the illusion of extended lines.
Keep the Posture Intact While Extending the Lines. Even
during periods of stillness, dancers should never slouch. If the
shoulders pull forward, the chest caves in to the body, and the hips
tuck under, a dancer will seem shorter than he or she actually is.
Instead, dancers should continuously think about lengthening the spine -
pressing the body into the floor while simultaneously lifting to the
ceiling. Practicing this posture in the mirror can help dancers to
achieve perfect lines for their own bodies.
Continue to Focus on Extended Lines During Movement. Dancers
should remember to extend their lines through movements, as well.
Transitions are important between large movements, so that dancers
maintain their energy throughout a piece. Creating longer lines is not
only about the grande jete in the air; it is also important for the
transition steps that take the dancer into the air.
Travelling
steps should be taken as large as possible. If a dancer keeps his or her
movements small and in place, he or she will appear to be short or
timid on stage. The larger these steps can be, the longer the lines
appear on the dancer.
Dancers should also keep in mind that
stopping short after each step cuts off their lines. Extending an extra
inch through the feet or fingertips in any movement, before moving on to
the next step, has a large effect on the length of a dancer’s lines.
By practicing these techniques regularly, dancers can achieve longer, leaner, more effective lines in performance.
