What
is "Dance Expression"?
Dance expression is something that can make ice
dancing really fun. It is using the way you skate to show the character of the music.
I like to explain that are two ingredients in dance expression -
attitude and skating technique. Let's take them one at a time.
ATTITUDE
By "attitude" I mean using your face and posture and body
language to convey the personality of the particular dance rhythm. To do
this, it is necessary to understand the different rhythms, so let's start
with that.
Waltzes - The waltz is a romantic dance - it's what Cinderella dances
to at the ball! The attitude for this needs to be soft and
smooth and elegant. A soft serene smile with light, smooth, and well
controlled movements will sell these dances.
Tangos and Paso Doble - These are strong and proud dances. The
attitude needs to be bold and assertive. The head needs to be
very erect with a strong proud smile, and the body movements will be sharp
and precise.
Foxtrots - The foxtrots are close to the waltzes, but more sophisticated and a little sassy. Here the smile should be
self-assured and the body movements should be smooth but with a little bounce.
14 Step, Killian, Quickstep - These are quick, lively dances where
the attitude is "I'm having a blast!" This is the
place for the great big smiles with lots of energy, speed, lightness, and some
bounce.
Blues - The blues are slow, sad dances. The skater needs to convey a
sense of melancholy through very stretched, smooth, slow movements. A smile here needs to be small and sad.
Those are the main categories of rhythms, and you can see that "attitude" is just acting out the character of the music.
SKATING TECHNIQUES
Various aspects of skating technique can either enhance or detract from the expression of the dance. Let's discuss those.
Timing - Expression and timing are very tightly intertwined. The
1-2,3 count of the waltz is part of what gives it lightness and lilt. A skater who can't stay with that timing will not be expressing the
music. Similarly with the other dances - to express the music
you must be exactly on the beat.
Carriage - A skater who is looking down or is piked forward or is bobbing on every stroke will not be able to convey the different
attitudes of the dance rhythms. Developing good core body
strength and posture are vital to dance as well as all other aspects of
skating.
Knee action/stroking - Developing deep and controlled knee action will really convince the judges that a skater understands expression.
The stroking and knee action on waltzes must be very smooth while the tangos are sharp and strong. This is where correct timing of
the knee bend and the stroking needs to be developed - the skating knee
should reach its fully bent position just as the stroke happens.
It is incorrect and loses power to stroke as the knee is still coming down, and it gives the dances a limping look.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR TESTING?
Mastery of all these aspects of expression are expected of gold dancers. From the Preliminary
through Pre Gold dances, the level
of expression needed increases just as the difficulty and general skating requirements of the dances increase. On the dances
through Pre Bronze and Bronze, skaters can get away with not much expression,
but they will probably have some comments about it. At the Pre Silver level and above, skaters who are still getting comments like
"stiff," "looking down," "leaning
forward," "poor timing," or "no expression" will find it increasingly difficult to pass.
At
any level, very good expression may win a skater the benefit of the doubt
over some edge, pattern, or step errors.
I'm always ready to answer any
questions.
- Ann Ward
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