Thread: How to get students to relaaaax....

So I have one particular student in my beginner class who has a super hard time keeping a relaxedbody posture...everything she does is very tense and looks robotic, and therefore her moves aren't correct.:Aconfused: I've tried visualization, verbal instruction/encouragement, and physically moving her into position, and all of these things work but for only about 5 minutes! I know there are girls out there who "just won't get it", but she genuinely loves the dance and so long as she's willing to keep coming to class, I'm willing to keep trying...
Anybody have any suggestions as to what else to do?
We do, of course, warm up and stretch beforehand, btw.

tequila? lol j/k

Is she breathing evenly when she dances? Sometimes I noticed students would get stiff b/c they weren't keeping a nice relaxed breathing rhythm...

Originally Posted by harmoney76

So I have one particular student in my beginner class who has a super hard time keeping a relaxedbody posture...everything she does is very tense and looks robotic, and therefore her moves aren't correct.:Aconfused: I've tried visualization, verbal instruction/encouragement, and physically moving her into position, and all of these things work but for only about 5 minutes! I know there are girls out there who "just won't get it", but she genuinely loves the dance and so long as she's willing to keep coming to class, I'm willing to keep trying...
Anybody have any suggestions as to what else to do?
We do, of course, warm up and stretch beforehand, btw.

I've seen this!

I think it's just a matter of time and patience, one of my (now) most impressive students has this tendency and the last thing to go was an inexpressive face, finally she's relaxed that too and it's beautiful.

Even so, when she's tense or unhappy she gets tight but she now knows what it's like to really dance so it will come back, it's kind of a mind over matter thing I guess - I keep mentioning that.

I have this student for 3 years. She has psycological limitations.. She always was very tensed, dancing not with hands, but with her fists. After those years, she get to soften, I always tell her to breath and relaxe her hands.
2 years ago, first student show: very tensed but knew the chorégraphy better than anybody else!
This year, everybody said that she was more relax et enjoing. so it takes time sometimes, it depends on the individual. and with your good words, she would finally open, i Think so.

Just took Ranya Renee's workshop and it really helped me with this! She is vigilant about getting you to dance with your mouth slightly open, breathing deeply through the mouth, even quietly humming/sighing through the movement. The breath is used as a flow of energy to and from the audience, or even from your image in the mirror. She also recommends yawning before dancing to relax the face.
I'm telling you, the results are amazing! This stuff works! I had my first crack at using these techniques when I danced at a reunion last weekend and got so many lovely comments on how expressive they found my dancing.

Originally Posted by ShoshannaQ

Just took Ranya Renee's workshop and it really helped me with this! She is vigilant about getting you to dance with your mouth slightly open, breathing deeply through the mouth, even quietly humming/sighing through the movement. The breath is used as a flow of energy to and from the audience, or even from your image in the mirror. She also recommends yawning before dancing to relax the face.
I'm telling you, the results are amazing! This stuff works! I had my first crack at using these techniques when I danced at a reunion last weekend and got so many lovely comments on how expressive they found my dancing.

OOO I shall try this!!! Myself, too!

Originally Posted by harmoney76

OOO I shall try this!!! Myself, too!

Sounds like she's one of those people with a constant tension in their bodies. You can help her "help herself" by giving her a routine to follow (& the others will benefit too).
For instance when they get ready to execute a combination or choreography (or improvise) in class, tell them "check your body position, deep breath, shoulders down, relax, think about your [choreography, combination, etc.]". All this is the prep before the performance, know what I mean?

If you don't actually tell them how to prep, they'll probably misuse those precious few seconds by chatting or getting unfocused, etc. etc.

Originally Posted by harmoney76

OOO I shall try this!!! Myself, too!

Sounds like she's one of those people with a constant tension in their bodies. You can help her "help herself" by giving her a routine to follow (& the others will benefit too).
For instance when they get ready to execute a combination or choreography (or improvise) in class, tell them "check your body position, deep breath, shoulders down, relax, think about your [choreography, combination, etc.]". All this is the prep before the performance, know what I mean?

If you don't actually tell them how to prep, they'll probably misuse those precious few seconds by chatting or getting unfocused, etc. etc.

I taught a group of girls last weekend, for a birthday party, and lo and behold, the birthday girl did the same thing! My mom mentioned to me the whole "belly dancers are genetically different" concept, and after 1 hour of reeeeallly working with this girl, I've come to the same conclusion. I will still try, for love of the dance, but I think that there will always be someone who won't "get it". ..cr.:

even worse than any student issue I have ever had, my son is the most tense person I know & I was seriously worried he would injure himself badly! It is a constant struggle, but a couple things that seem to be working:
I taught him how to fall, like they do in drama classes or on the ski slopes. we practiced every day before violin lessons for about a month, using a bean bag as cushioning so he could trust the landing surface. You have to go totally limp so you don't hurt yourself, and it is *essential* to injury prevention when you are skiing, so I'm pretty sure most folks can do this!
I've been doing a relaxation technique since I was 12- don't know what it's called, but I have taught it to a lot of people over the years and it is always appreciated! I sometimes use it at the end of class. have everyone lie down, keep breathing slow & steady. starting from the feet & working up, tense a group of muscles (so flex the feet, tense the calves to start) and then release. focus on relaxing that muscle group until it feels like the tension is just dripping away. Go all the way up to the muscles in the face. Then go back & do a mental check to make sure every single muscle has released. I find this is really helpful in making that mind-body connection and helps people figure out how to move specific body parts when dancing too- so good for isolation work.

The boy still tenses up ridiculously at times, but now he knows *how* to relax when I ask him to!

Originally Posted by Lara L

even worse than any student issue I have ever had, my son is the most tense person I know & I was seriously worried he would injure himself badly! It is a constant struggle, but a couple things that seem to be working:
I taught him how to fall, like they do in drama classes or on the ski slopes. we practiced every day before violin lessons for about a month, using a bean bag as cushioning so he could trust the landing surface. You have to go totally limp so you don't hurt yourself, and it is *essential* to injury prevention when you are skiing, so I'm pretty sure most folks can do this!
I've been doing a relaxation technique since I was 12- don't know what it's called, but I have taught it to a lot of people over the years and it is always appreciated! I sometimes use it at the end of class. have everyone lie down, keep breathing slow & steady. starting from the feet & working up, tense a group of muscles (so flex the feet, tense the calves to start) and then release. focus on relaxing that muscle group until it feels like the tension is just dripping away. Go all the way up to the muscles in the face. Then go back & do a mental check to make sure every single muscle has released. I find this is really helpful in making that mind-body connection and helps people figure out how to move specific body parts when dancing too- so good for isolation work.

The boy still tenses up ridiculously at times, but now he knows *how* to relax when I ask him to!

You know, I think I might try this BEFORE we start class......g.: