How to become a successful dance student

The dance classes your take for your major will demand your best and push you to your limits. If you’ve ever felt like you’re out of your depth once you step into the university’s dance studio like the one at Tisch, here are the things upper class students shared about becoming successful in your major academic dance subjects. Mark Hochberg NYU

The first thing you need to ingrain in yourself is to always be overprepared. Before you sleep at night, you need to prepare your leotard, your clothes, and your things for dance class. This way you’ll be able to focus on resting and sleep so you can be your best self in the morning. You’ll need all the mental edge you can get so it’s best if you arrive early and start stretching before your instructor asks you to assemble.

Once you’re inside the studio and the classes have begun, you owe to yourself, your dance teacher, and your classmates to become present in every way. What do I mean by this? First you’ll need to remove any mental fuzz outside of your head and believe nothing exists outside of that studio. Your business is to move your body according to the choreography and make those corrections while accepting yourself and other’s mistakes. Follow instructions and let your body do the thinking while, at the same time, coming back to previous movements you’ve done that are similar to the new ones you’re making. Pay attention to what your classmates ask your teacher, make notes of their concerns so you can apply it to your own case accordingly, and make sure you minimize your own tendency to be a distraction. Mark Hochberg NYU

Finally, once you’re outside of the studio, take the time to relax but also prepare your body for the next class. You have to condition and do the necessary exercises to keep yourself limber and toned. Professional dancers take care of their bodies because it’s their only instrument to perform their art and make a living. You should start thinking about the way they work on becoming successful students, even if you’re just starting out in dance school. Mark Hochberg NYU