When you’re a dancer, sitting out might make you feel like you’re not doing enough. You want to get the most out of every class you take. And sometimes, that means you can be really hard on yourself when you might be laid up by an injury or having a difficult day with your body. Well, I know I can be really hard on myself.
The reality is, though, as dancers we do get injured, have off days, and if we are consistently training and taking classes, our bodies will need breaks…. but we’re still expected to attend classes and rehearsals.
Sitting Out Is Still Participating
While earning my MA at Mills College, I had to take a set number of technique classes, and our grade depended on our participation. That meant showing up for class, even if we were injured. If we had to sit out, our instructors required us to take notes, so that we could still engage mentally with the movement material.
When I tore my hamstring (again) in February 2015, I sat out for nearly three weeks of technique classes. While I felt completely devastated by not being able to participate, I now realize that this was an opportunity to refine my eye for watching dance and learning material in a new way.
It also gave me an opportunity to work smarter when I was healed enough to participate.
5 Ways Watching Class Can Improve Your Skills
- You can rest your body while still observing and learning. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in pushing ourselves and our bodies that we forget that recovery is essential to being strong dancers. Plus, being in the studio classroom with your hard-working, talented colleagues is a great antidote to self-pity.
- You can see how others apply the cues and techniques presented in class. Then you can ask yourself if you are doing the same when you return to the floor. I noticed in one of my technique classes at Mills that several students allowed their pelvis to over-tuck during battement exercises, and now I pay better attention to that in my own body. You can also feel how the energy of the room shifts when an instructor asks dancers to be bigger, commit more, and think less.
- You can be present and supportive of your fellow dancers. Energy in the room depends on who is there and how engaged they are with the material. If you’re not there, your energy isn’t there. I know that when my fellow dancers are sitting out, I can still feel their engagement and support from the sidelines.
- You can take notes in your dance journal. Taking notes is another form of motor memory. When you sit out and observe, you can write what you see, which helps commit new ideas to memory. I know I will be referring to my notes for years to come. Plus, notes are far more permanent than a combination that you learn once and never repeat.
- Your instructors will not think you are a failure. They won’t think you’re weak, or that you aren’t dedicated if you sit out. It’s more likely that they will appreciate that you took care of yourself that day, and that you were present for everyone else in class.
Additional Sitting Out Strategies
This isn’t to say that you should sit out whenever you’re tired or not feeling up to dancing. And I don’t think that taking notes are a wholesale substitute for dancing. When there’s a choice between dancing and not dancing, the answer should be “dance, of course!” But if you attend a regular class, and are laid up with an injury, I recommend still going to class.
Be polite and quiet if you are sitting on the sidelines. Communicate with your instructor what is happening with your body, as well as what you are doing to actively rehabilitate yourself. Remind them if a recurring injury flairs up.
If you don’t have a plan, your instructor can help direct you to body workers, PTs, and other professionals who can help. Your instructor will appreciate that you let them know your situation, and they will also note that you still showed up for class, even if you weren’t able to do everything.
That kind of commitment goes a long way, not only in the dance studio, but also on the stage, and your life outside the studio.
Have you had to sit out class because of injury? What did you learn from that experience?
Tell us in the comments!
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4 Responses
It is extremely important to listen to your own body’s experience of dance. I have been to classes where instructors taught improper use of the body. In those situations I will stand by the side of the room as others participate or I will adjust the movements to make them safe for myself. I won’t consciously put my body in what I consider dangerous situations. Other times, teachers do not stretch enough for what my body needs, so again I go to the side of the room to stretch as necessary. I try to do these things in a way that does not distract others but I feel it personally necessary to take care of what my body needs. Another fantastic remedy most do not take advantage of is to do part of the dance being taught while protecting an injury. For instance, do just the footwork or just the upper body work. Using these techniques I now dance at a higher level than ever at the age of 73 with 40 years of dance experience.
Yes, I have had to “sit out”. I broke my foot a couple of years ago so could not dance for about 10 weeks. I still went to class every week. I did what I called “chair dancing”, doing mostly the upper body movements while seated, doing lower body and footwork in my head. I also just observed a lot. I did not feel like I was missing out, and is some ways, it gave me a whole different perspective on everything.
Thank you for sharing your story. Sitting out when we’re recovering also gives us a great appreciation for movement when we can start dancing full-out again.
Thank you so much for sharing such a beautiful article !! I really loved it…ya sometimes just sit and watch what other are doing and observing things can help you much more.