Through their bodies and faces, dancers evoke emotions and tell stories. Body language, eye contact, and movement will be used instead of words to convey dancers’ feelings and ideas. Here are some ways your child can practice facial expressions while dancing if they want to improve their ability to connect with the audience.
Let your heart lead the way
Encourage your child to focus on how dance makes them feel if they are passionate about dance. Dancing from the heart shows people’s natural emotions on their faces and in the way they perform. It will also help them relax, and their dance will be more authentic if they let the music take control.
Take time to smile and enjoy yourself
It’s natural to smile when we hear or see something that makes us happy, but practicing a natural smile is also important for dancers. A dancing facial expression is more natural if it is practiced often. This process is called muscle memory. Help your child practice his smile by making it fun and encouraging him to look at his smile in the mirror. Show him what a fake smile looks like and what a real smile looks like.
Try out different emotions
Expressive dancers know how to change their facial expressions with ease. Depending on the style of dance your child has chosen, help them practice different expressions. Play different types of music to show him how different music can evoke different emotions.
Make eye contact
As any professional performer will tell you, eye contact is extremely important when addressing an audience. Even if it seems unnatural, they will try to make eye contact with people in different parts of the audience so they can feel more connected to the performance. Help your child make eye contact by looking them in the eye during the performance. Once he learns to do this, it will become second nature and drastically improve the impact of his performance.
Tips for practicing facial expressions
- Relax your jaw to make your face look more relaxed and softer
- Raise your eyebrows slightly to make your eyes look bigger and more interested
- Use your eyes to find balance during your performance – focus on a single point in space when you turn, and make eye contact when you need to express yourself to the audience
Develop Your Child’s Dance Skills at GrannyMaster
GrannyMaster offers children’s dance classes online. Our instructors have worked in the performance industry for years and know how to help your child develop the skills they need to become an incredible dancer. With passion, creativity, and excitement, our instructors will motivate your child to dance.
We offer dance classes for children of all ages and skill levels, so contact us today to enroll your child or learn more about our programs. Our instructors will explain how and what we teach, and what your child needs to do to prepare for their first class.
