Do you ever feel stuck in a loop, repeating the same movements when you’re freestyle dancing? It’s a common frustration, and many dancers find themselves caught in this cycle. Let’s explore how you can break free from this repetition and truly elevate your Freestyle Dance.
Many dancers experience the feeling of move repetition. A student in our BTM program recently shared this exact concern – feeling limited by repeating moves. When faced with this, the natural reaction is often counterproductive.
What happens when you catch yourself repeating a move? Like many, this student explained that he starts consciously trying not to repeat it. Ironically, this focus on avoidance often amplifies the problem. The more you think about not repeating, the more you fixate on the movement, inadvertently increasing the likelihood of doing it again. This mental loop can lead to panic and further solidify the unwanted repetition.
This is a common pitfall. The very act of trying to suppress a movement by focusing on it brings it to the forefront of your mind, making it harder to avoid. So, how do you escape this cycle and enhance your freestyle dance vocabulary?
The solution is surprisingly simple in concept, yet requires dedicated practice. It’s a principle that even seasoned dancers continually refine. While complete mastery may be a lifelong pursuit, consistent application of this principle will lead to significant improvement and freedom in your freestyle.
Here’s the key to unlocking movement freedom:
Stop Judging Your Movements: Embrace Your Dance Vocabulary
Think of movements as words in a language. When we speak, we naturally use the same words repeatedly. What gives our speech variety and meaning is the context in which we use these words. The subject of conversation dictates the words we choose, and even repeated words take on new meaning within different sentences and phrases.
Dance movement functions similarly. Movement is your expressive vocabulary as a dancer. While the potential for creating new movements is vast, our physical bodies are finite. We have two arms, two legs, and a limited range of motion. Therefore, true movement freedom isn’t about eliminating repetition, but about changing your relationship with it. It’s about recognizing that you naturally develop movement patterns and preferences – these are part of your unique dance identity. Certain movements will inevitably reappear in your freestyle.
The key is to understand that repeating a movement isn’t the issue. The critical factor is what you do after that repeated movement.
Consider this: You might have a signature move you often use to initiate your dance. In one freestyle session, you start with this familiar move and then seamlessly transition into something completely new and unexpected. However, if you’re preoccupied with avoiding repetition, you might get stuck on that initial move, fearing to proceed and inadvertently repeating it further.
Instead, recognize that even a repeated move can be the beginning of a new “sentence” in your dance. It’s an introduction to what’s coming next. So, even if you revisit a movement, it exists within a fresh context and contributes to your overall dance pattern, rather than detracting from it. Don’t judge it negatively.
Movement is simply movement. Its value lies in how you utilize it and what you create with it. True creative freedom in dance comes from letting go of judgment.
Have you ever observed two dancers performing the same movement, yet been captivated by one while barely noticing the other? This highlights that the movement itself isn’t paramount. It’s the execution, the nuance, and what the dancer builds around the movement that truly makes the difference and captures attention.
Understand that as you dance, your movement vocabulary will naturally include recurring elements. Instead of criticizing these repetitions, see them as familiar phrases you can use to build more complex and interesting “sentences.” By developing what comes after a repeated movement, you transform it into a stepping stone for innovation.
Adopting this mindset liberates you from the fear of repetition. Repeating a move ceases to be a problem. As mentioned earlier, this approach is simple to grasp but requires consistent practice to internalize. The more you consciously apply this principle, the more naturally it will become, leading to greater freedom and creativity in your freestyle dance.
