In recent years, I feel I’ve spent more and more of my time asking “But why?” in relation to so many of the things we do in dance just because that’s the way it’s always been done.
The world of dance comes with a heavy rule book created decades ago and rooted in such tradition that at times, to step away from it feels sacrilege. From the uniform to hair, the music, structure of class, behaviour, and the very physique of a dancer, all there in black and white, a script never to be wavered from.
But how much do these rules really help our dancers and how much do they hinder or even exclude those who are not neurotypical?
Rules are designed to control, to foster conformity, two things I’ve always struggled with. The argument is, that it instils discipline, but does it really? I’ve seen plenty of classes full of dancers all looking immaculate with hair scraped back, like little clones, standing silently awaiting instructions, with poor work ethic, bad attitudes and zero etiquette. The rules weren’t working there!
If we have a rigid system, it is only ever going to attract and suit a narrow section of society and will ultimately produce rigid thinkers in an industry where creativity is everything we desire. The most innovative and revolutionary individuals are those who were often considered rebels and stepped outside the system to find their own path.
First, we have the uniform, skin-tight, unforgiving! Many dancers feel self-conscious about their shape or size, especially our teens whose bodies are changing, others just feel naked and exposed, vulnerable, and then there are those who have sensitivity to certain materials or restrictive clothing. What happens to them in our rigid system? We either force them to conform and in the process cause them a great deal of distress, potentially harmful, or they give up dancing, which is a great loss to them and maybe an even greater loss to the world of dance. Yes, we need to be able to see their bodies to ensure correct technique, alignment, and muscular engagement, but this can be achieved with clothing that is close fitting rather than skin tight, accompanied with conversations about anatomy and descriptive cues on how a movement feels, which in turn leads to a far deeper understanding in our students. A flexible uniform allows these dancers to move with ease, enabling them to embrace their bodies as they dance and freeing their minds from stress redirecting them towards learning and growth.
Dancers are often expected to stand still, silently in class between exercises, and in the very strictest of environments, to not even ask questions. For those who are neurodiverse, being still can be incredibly stressful. Movement and stimming often serve to soothe and self-regulate emotions and can help individuals concentrate and focus, so again our rules risk doing harm by forcing these students to suppress their behaviours and removing their ability to calm and comfort themselves. We are also sending them the message that there is something wrong with them, something unacceptable so causing shame and impacting their feelings of self-worth which will stay with them for many years beyond their time with us.
Asking questions is a valuable learning tool for some, visual, aural, and kinaesthetic learners will make up only part of the class, social and verbal learners need to discuss the information given in order to process it fully. For all of our dancers to thrive we need to accommodate every learning style possible.
I’ve had the conversation about the need for people to “fit in” and “act normal” in an audition setting otherwise they’re not going to get work, or be accepted on a programme, and yes, sadly there are many uneducated, small-minded people out there who will judge, but should we force our dancers to conform to some ridiculous notion of what “normal” is because of the ignorance of others?
Absolutely not!!
My job is to support my dancers to become the best version of themselves as an artist and as a human. Sometimes that includes finding ways to work with their differences or despite them, but never to hide who they are or be untrue to themselves.
Traditionally, a ballet class begins at the barre where we spend a good half an hour doing stationary exercises. The dancer with ADHD will find this very frustrating and will struggle to settle for this length of time, probably resulting in them being told off for fidgeting and not concentrating. These reprimands are likely not the first or last that child will receive and their self-image and self-worth will ultimately suffer. And why? All because we are inflexible with our class structure. Why must we stand there for half an hour? Could we not do a couple of barre exercises and then allow them to move and burn up some energy before returning to do a couple more? How much would this really impact our class? And how much would it benefit those individuals who need to move regularly in order to stay focused and thrive?
Creating spaces that are neurodiverse friendly does not mean creating a space that is unfriendly to those who are neurotypical, far from it. We are all on a spectrum and we all have traits of some sort or other. A space that offers a multitude of teaching styles, that is flexible and adaptable to the needs of everyone in the room, is going to benefit everyone in the room.
I have learnt far more from my neurodiverse dancers than from any others in how to communicate and deliver information, adapt my classes, and vary my teaching strategies. I am always curious as to how they experience the world and because I ask questions and listen without judgement, they open up and share their insight and experiences with me. I am without a doubt, a better teacher because of them, so what a loss is it to the dance world that so many of these creative, innovative, and inspirational humans give up because the space they are in is governed by a set of rules that were designed without them in mind.
So, start asking yourself “But why?” every time you do something in class, set a rule or guideline, ask “But why?” Who is it really serving? What is it really teaching? Does it help or hinder? And keep asking “But why?” Chances are you’ll run out of answers pretty quickly and realise it was an unnecessary and unhelpful standard to begin with, and if the answer is “because that’s the way it’s always been!”, then it’s definitely time for a change!
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