How To Do Lyrical Dance

Lyrical dance is one of the most beautiful forms of modern dance that allows the dancer to not just move to the music, but to mirror it. The art can be closely related to ballet, as the breadth and range of motion requires flexibility and grace, set to mostly full instrumentation works of music.

The lyrical dancer must have a good ear for nuance in the music and the sensitivity to transform the sound into movement. As with ballet, the lyrical dance tells a story with a beginning, middle and end to which the audience may interpret and comprehend. The articulation is done by expressing emotion, gesturing and making a connection with the audience. To relate a true emotion, the dance must be real, living and breathing her character to the fullest. When a dancer slips out of role, the integrity is lost and the audience will realize it before she does.

Training for lyrical dance is highly disciplined and requires many years of dedication to achieve a sense of fluency combined with technical excellence. Splits and arabesques are common staples to a well-rounded routine, and must be perfected to execute the steps with ease.

The best body types for this kind of dance are those with long limbs and expressive faces. Although anyone can train effectively for technique, a stage presentation may require a partner, and for best results in performance, the dancers should have well-defined bodies that can articulate in a myriad of ways. Hands must be stretched and lengthened to reach the eyes of the back row in the audience, as every inch of the dancer is used to interpret the music.
Choreography for the lyrical dancer has no boundaries, and has proven quite competitive to reach for movement and emotion not seen before. There are few restrictions to the dance elements and new vision and concept is greatly encouraged. The dancer must know the limits of his or her own body and craft a routine to maximize their assets.

The study of lyrical dance is quite compatible with ballet, tap and modern, as it strives for new motion and creativity and may thus borrow from all forms of dance. Unlike classical ballet that works within the confines of traditional movement, the lyrical dancer is a free spirit that moves the way he or she is motivated. Many dancers from a rigid background have crossed over to lyrical dance to push their bodies to the limit and reach for a creative climax.