Improvisational Dance

Understanding Improvisational Dance

Improvisation helps develop one's creativity, mental flexibility and thinking skills.

Benefits can include: building a more robust imagination and ability to generate new

ideas spontaneously and the ability to present without preconceived ideas.

Improvisational dance, also known as “improv,” is described by Wikipedia as “the

process of spontaneously creating movement.” Improv dance focuses on instinctual,

unpredictable, free movement. This type of dance can be a mode of refiguring

subjectivity and forming connections to other physical, spatial and temporal forms.

Improv dance frees the body and the mind from habitual movement and can be

dramatic and thought provoking. This style of dance can lead to deeper understanding

and can uncover concealed thoughts, authentic feelings and inspirations for an

individual.

Improvisational dance can make you a better dancer

Progress allows for growth, and growth is never comfortable. Improv dance is one of those things that pushes you out of your comfort zone. Especially if you are someone who has always been given choreography. For someone new to improv dance, it can feel awkward and a bit scary not knowing what to do next. At first dancers might feel embarrassed and hold back the creative movement exploration because they feel the pressure of other dancers’ eyes watching or judging them; but for the dancers that push through and move beyond the initial growing pains of improv, the rewards can be very fruitful. It’s important to remember that there is no right and wrong when it comes to improv. Dancers have more freedom and can be less technically strict on themselves. The creative thinking of dancer’s through the improvisational dance movement and structure improves more and more with improv dance. Musicality can be extremely hard to teach and improvisational dance is a technique that can help improve a dancer's musicality. It forces one to listen closer and to interpret the music in a way that helps the dancer find their own specific movement that either compliment or contrast the music. This type of growth empowers dancers through the process of making movement choices developing greater levels of confidence.

Improvisational dance improves well-being

The National Library of Medicine published a wonderful article on Improvisational Dance-based Psychological training of College Students, and it discussed exploring “Freud’s psychoanalytic unconscious creativity theory and other related creativity theories used to explore the important value of improvisation in dance training and the relationship between improvisational dance and creativity (De Oliveira Moreira and Drawin, 2015).” The study done with these students revealed that the subjects experienced meaningful self-expression and emotional release, helping to improve their well-being in and out of the studio. Therefore, dance, and imparticularly improvisational dance can be used to help an individual improve their well being, develop cognitive skills and acquire a more creative mindset. If you, or someone

you know are searching for a healthy life-style habit that can bring about positive change and improve well-being, send them here to Providance Performing Arts Center in Royse City. Our doors are always open!