Hi there. would love to hear from other teachers on how they encourage the use of expression within dancing and also how to dance with visible energy.

I have a lovely student who is an honours student but I feel she has so much more to offer. I can see the dancer within wanting to escape and would be interested in hearing on how others would free the dancer within.

Spangles,

I'm not a dance teacher, just a dancer's parent. But perhaps it would help others to know whether your challenge with this dancer is on a part in a story ballet, or in a more abstract piece, or in technique class. Perhaps this suggestion could serve as a starting point for discussion.

When I was teaching college, in a different subject, there was a movement toward "writing to learn." Perhaps a one-paragraph writing assignment might let you access this dancer's artistic side through her intellectual side:

A character study if it's a part in a story ballet, "What's your motivation, here?"
Make up the plot for the piece you've already set on her.

Good luck,
Frank

I'm sorry, what I meant, Spangles, was that you could give her a writing assignment with a question like that.