Are you a better dancer in class/rehearsal or in performance?

I was always a performance dancer. What does that even mean?

Something about the stage, the audience, the lights, and the excitement generated by all those elements made me dance better onstage than I ever did in class or rehearsal.  

That’s the simple explanation. But it always bothered my teacher. She knew this about me, that performance was my best venue, but could she bank on it when handing out roles?

What about the dancer who is picture-perfect in class and dynamic in rehearsal? I’ve seen a few of those, one who was amazing at barre work but we don’t carry a barre onstage (except as a possible prop) and one dancer in particular who was incredible in class and rehearsal, then always seemed to blow it the night of the performance. Yet, she usually got great parts. Go figure.

What are we talking about? Consistency is an admirable quality. What you see is what you get. But every dance teacher and dancer I know wants more and sometimes, that spark only manifests during a performance. 

With so few performances this year, let’s work extra hard to stay sharp. Let’s perform in class and be bold in rehearsal. Let’s endure for better days! 

Stay Strong and Dance!