WAG How to ''polish'' routines

[All Chalked Up]

How can I have that ''something'' to make me stand out from the others? I am a bit of a mediocre dancer, definitely my weakness, (but improving since dance is something I can practice more with the knee injury), but tumbling is strong and my leaps and turns are pretty good, I just lack that bit of polish that the gold medal winner always seems to have. Any advice as to how I can get that 10.00?

 

[Midwestmommy]

Well, polishing technique seems like more of a thing to get from your coaches. That "something special," needs to come from you. Not a coach here, but I will say the talons/claws/severe wrist bends that seemed to be being taught by some gyms as "dance technique" appear to be on the decline except for a few gyms that seem to consider it a signature style or something. That makes me very happy. The "something special" really needs to come from you in terms of dance, for lack of a better work you have to "feel" it. Posey posey isn't dance. But you can get by with it in gymnastics it seems. I LOVE a routine that shows personality and interpretation of music, but it is still the exception rather than the rule. Do you live in an area that has a professional contemporary dance company? Go watch some professional dance.... What style clicks with you (ballet/lyrical-contemporary/jazz/hip hop/broadway)? Whatever it is, watch some dancers who are really good at it. Pick a few moves that you want to learn and fit your music, maybe you can talk your coach into incorporating them. If you aren't near some good professional companies, you can find dance online. Also, some of the dance competition companies (such as Hall of Fame) post their regional and national award winners on their websites, you might find some inspiration there. Heck, even watch some old episodes of "So You Think You Can Dance" and see if there is something there you love and can be inspired by....

 

[gymbeam]

midwestmommy, i'd love to know if these talons you're describing are what i'm visualizing them to be! lol. can you share a photo?

 

[leotardmakermum]

I feel that polish is more than just dance. If your toes need to be pointed, then make sure they're pointed. If you're supposed to have certain muscles tight, then make sure they're tight. If your swing is meant to be big, make sure it is big.

The opposite to polished is sloppy. We know what sloppy looks like. It looks tired. It looks like I don't care. It looks like I haven't quite mastered this. It looks like I am unsure. It looks floppy when it should be tight. It looks half-hearted when it should be full-on. It looks soft when it should be crisp.

Do exactly what you're supposed to be doing, and do it well. Do it to the nth degree.

Some of it is attitude. If you believe you're doing your best, then you probably are. If you don't, you probably aren't.

 

[COz]

What @leotardmakermum said!

Adding some fancy dance moves won't make it look like you're suddenly a great dancer. Polish, just the way she said

 

[Aero]

"Polishing" a routine is always the last step. The routine must be practiced to the point where it can be performed well just from unconscious habit. In other words, it should be so familiar to you, that you don't really have to think about it anymore; your body just goes on autopilot. Once this is achieved, it frees up the mind to focus on other areas, like the little details. There are a million things that represent a polished routine. That leads me to my next point: it comes from years of practice and experience, as well as channeling your passion into what you're doing. The more years you have in the sport, and the degree of love you have for it both play a strong role in how polished you look while performing.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

I agree with @leotardmakermum, a lot of it is attitude. Going out there and "selling" it makes a big difference. Since chatting to pink she is now smiling on beam and is making her movements more sure her scores have definately improved

 

[gymmomtoo]

Smile and show off your routine--look like you're enjoying it. Finish your skills. As leotardmom said--opposite of sloppy!

 

[stargazer]

I'm not gonna lie... I kind of pretended I was Jordyn Wieber when I did my beam and floor routines so that I could try to exude confidence in the same she does, even when I was nervous. I was 18 and it still helped! It reminded me that in order to have a presence out there when I perform I have to look and feel the part, and it especially helped me keep my eyes off the floor and made my dance movements a lot crisper. Fake it till you make it