Lesson Plan for Dance Schools on Centring
Instruction on Maintaining the Dancer's Balance Whilst Dancing
Sep 12, 2009
One of the fundamental elements of dance is finding the body’s centre. The dance teacher may use several teaching strategies to ensure the dancers centre their bodies prior to embarking upon their dance practice.
Moving Effectively During Dancing Classes
Centring the body entails the ability to contain and to organise one’s physical self whilst moving. The earth spins around its own centre. In a similar way, the teacher could explain how this applies to effective dance moves. The dancers must imagine a central point within their bodies as a sort of anchor from which all movement of the body radiate. The dance teacher may demonstrate how moving without using one’s centre will cause unsteadiness and loss of grace, by placing a penny on the edge of a spinning top. The centre becomes abruptly dislodged and the spinning top will wobble and collapse.
How to Improve the Dancer’s Balance
The teacher may help the dance students find the body’s centre. Within most people this is a spot an inch or so below the navel and at the centre of the pelvis. Some dancers have longer legs than others and the centre might be a little higher or lower than this. The idea of the body’s centre may seem theoretical until the students practice dancing.
Teaching Strategy for Centring Whilst Moving
The students may experience working from their centre by a simple practical exercise.
- Stand upright and imagine a string pulling the top of the head
- Lean forward, keeping the face forward
- Lift one leg behind the other keeping the knees straight
- Stand on one leg and allow the other leg to point backwards as far as it will go
- Carefully place one hand onto the base of the spine
- Feel the muscles working within the lower back
- Move the other arm outwards
- Imagine the centre of the body as an anchor from which these extremities radiate
Workout for the Dancer’s Legs
Many beginners may wobble. As the dancers practice this exercise, improvements will often result. The students must continue to use imagery as they practice. The dance teacher may check that the students are moving their bodies from a central point. Reminding the students of the imagery will help reinforce the idea of moving from a central point. This will encourage more control, balance and grace during the dancers’ performances.
Practice Centring for School of Dance
For an effective dance performance the dance teacher must instruct the students how to find their centre. Without doing so, the dancers’ movements may become unsteady and lack control. This can be seen when placing a penny on the edge of a spinning top and watching it wobble and collapse. In most people the centre point of the body lies an inch or so below the navel and at the centre of the pelvis. By imagining an anchor there, the dancers may practice simple leg movements whilst the teacher checks whether their bodies are properly centred and that they are practicing safely.
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