Cultivating Creativity: a new expectation for dancer wellness
Today’s dancer is called upon to collaborate, contribute and choreograph like never before - even in classical ballet settings. How do we as dancers cultivate this skill and keep it sharp? And what does this have to do with dance wellness?? The good news is that the “creative” parts of our brain can be exercised, and it’s fun! Yes, it requires regular commitment, just like any other skill. But the reward is that when called upon to use this skill in your dance settings, you will encounter far less STRESS (an INHIBITOR to creativity), and be far more successful!
There are three important things to keep in mind:
Creativity takes regular practice
Keep it FUN!
It doesn’t have to be “new” - look for inspiration, and use it as a launch pad to add your own spice. (Just be sure to give credit where credit is due!)
What does this have to do with injury prevention and dancer health? STRESS MANAGEMENT! If we are stressed out by a chorographic demand we are unprepared to meet, this will exponentially increase our risk of injury. (site evidence?) Also, don’t underestimate the value of creative endeavors in RELEASING tension in our minds. Research in the dance field relating to motivation and learning even shows that students learn faster and retain better when given creative tasks in class. (site evidence!) Here are some practical suggestions:
Take 20-30 min/week: freestyle dance to music you love. Start to notice patterns and combinations that are worth remembering, and make note. Consider the use of video to help with this, but remember that your KINETIC memory is most valuable for use in the studio, so practice those combs!
Explore other forms of dance occasionally to keep a fresh perspective on movement. Watch a video, try some moves, maybe take a class! (Flamenco, African Dance or disco anyone?). There’s so much available online these day.
Did you know that writing, visual art mediums (like painting, sculpting, etc) and composing music also stimulate this area of the brain? Consider pulling out a sketchbook or trying a writing prompt to get the creative juices flowing.
Don’t underestimate the value of charades! Explore how to portray an animal or emotion or setting with movement. If this is hard for you, just ask a child to demonstrate, and see if you get inspired!
Most of all, HAVE FUN WITH IT! The creative part of our brain is most active when we are CURIOUS and find something NOVEL.
What’s YOUR favorite way to stimulate your creative juices? I would love to hear from you!
