Focus vs. Energy
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Photo credit: Tony bellissimo, ried Martin
From: Tremaine Dance Conventions
Thoughts from Indianapolis…
I don’t think one is necessarily separate from the other. In fact, I actually think you can have both exist at the same time in a learning environment. Ideally, once a student digests and mentally breaks down the concept being taught to them, it is then their responsibility to physically manifest it and present it to the teacher and the room. This is the sacred, silently understood contract between the teacher and student. If the teacher is honestly giving the students every bit of energy they have to help them understand fully what is expected of them, then the students agree to earnestly return every bit of that energy through hard work and commitment to the teacher’s vision. This is how we were trained growing up. This is truly a concept that I practiced as a student, and still believe in to this day now as a teacher.
Something has changed though. Somewhere along the line, focus and energy have become separated. I find that most students these days either have one or the other. They are either full of energy, but aren’t able to focus on the task at hand, or they are so internally focused on what is being given to them, that they forget to actually contribute back to energy in the room.
I found the latter to be true this past weekend in Indianapolis. Most of the dancers were so mentally focused on figuring out the material, and were so far back in their brains that they forgot to look outside of themselves for help and inspiration. Trust me… I certainly appreciate a smart dancer that is able to mentally grasp the concepts I am teaching. However, I wonder about this… what does it matter if you’re not willing to put it out into the room to see how it resonates? We are in a performance based art where our bodies are the only instrument we have to express our feelings and to show our mastery of a very demanding discipline. We are magical beasts that get to affect our audience in whatever way we so choose just by the way we MOVE. It is both a gift and a challenge.
I grew up a “technical” dancer. I understand the mental strength it takes to fully grasp the mechanics of the body, and I loved the challenge of mastering dance technique. I was one of those analytical, quiet dancers who was a perfectionist to a fault. As a teenager, I had many teachers who helped me with the concept I am writing about. They drew out of me a level of participation in class that I did not know I was capable of. I can only hope to return that favor to this generation. I have great reverence for all of the teachers I have taken from over the course of my dance career, and out of respect for them, I feel it is my duty to continue to uphold the principles that they so graciously instilled in me. It is an honor and a responsibility that I gladly accept.
Simply put, one of my favorite teachers always used to say “be responsible for the energy you bring into a room”. This concept has helped me be a better student and teacher. I hope it can inspire you to do the same. After all… aren’t we all either the student or the teacher in any given situation? Or even better… both at the same time?
In love and dance,
Keri