"Dance like no one is watching"

[Duvet]

"Dance like no one is watching" is often given as advice for gaining confidence and connecting to yourself freed from inhibitions.

Two questions -

1.Where does the quote come from?
I see it attributed to William Watson Purkey, a writer on inspirational teaching, as part of a longer quote;

“You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching,Love like you'll never be hurt,
Sing like there's nobody listening,
And live like it's heaven on earth.”

This sounds more like a poem then an inspirational tagline, and I can't find it in of Purkey's on-line books (its exact source is never attributed or dated - only the author is given).

A bit more exploring found that a version comes from a 1987 Country and Western song 'Come from the Heart' by Susanna Clark and Richard Leigh;
“You’ve got to sing like you don’t need the money.
Love like you’ll never get hurt.
You’ve got to dance like nobody’s watchin’.
It’s gotta come from the heart if you want it to work.”
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMaQ1EjmGkk

Does anyone have an older quote for this - it seems such a common phrase in use nowadays.


2. Is is applicable to bellydance?
As advice on how to live your life; "You’ve got to dance like nobody’s watchin’. It’s gotta come from the heart if you want it to work” - it is great. But within belly dance (or any performance dance) should you really be dancing like nobody is watching? So much of bellydance is about interaction with the audience at some level that whilst you can practise like nobody is watching, surely dancing like no body is watching can be disengaging for an audience?

 

[Zorba]

I've always said "Dance like EVERYONE is watching!" :lol:

 

[Dani]

What people mean by "dance like no one is watching" is that you can't take any skill too seriously, because then it isn't about the passion. You need to be able to let yourself go when you dance. When you let yourself go, your dance becomes solely yours with a style and shine that can't be copied. (maybe the moves can, but it's never the same.) If you think too much about the routine, or if your audience will like what you do, your dance becomes more mechanical and less spirited. Fake and real smiles on dancers are very easy to distinguish. Yes, when you perform, sometimes it helps to throw in one or two moves that you know they will enjoy (Floor undulations for clueless businessmen, for example), but don't forget that you dance to make YOURSELF happy. I also agree with Zorba in a way. Dance like everyone is watching, show the world what you can do!
Not sure if that helps at all, but that's my point of view. ^_^

 

[Aniseteph]

Dance like everyone is watching works so much better on so many levels, it shows the proper attitude.

 

[Zorba]

I recollect the time - we were dancing a Hassapiko in a Greek dance class when we became aware of someone watching us from the door. Our dancing change dramatically! Chests puffed out, shoulders rolled back, we stepped higher, etc, etc. What we should have been doing all along, of course...

Thus, "Dance like EVERYBODY'S watching!!".

 

[Shanazel]

Audiences produce energy, dancers produce energy, and when the two get together there is energy exchange that isn't possible with just one or the other.

 

[Selene]

Today I couldn't agree more with Zorba. Last Saturday while I was teaching the little ones (Im a substitute teacher for the basic level and the kid's classes) We were practicing the choreography we've been working on and the girls were joking around (they are 6-8 year olds) and giggling while dancing, and "singing" the song, not really doing it as if they were on stage. But as soon as some parents asked if they could watch the last minutes of the class, the girls changed completely! The faces were epic hahahah they were dancing and acting just as if they were on the big stage, and those last minutes of practice were really great!

So from now on "Dance like EVERYBODY'S watching!!" is what I will do!:dance:

 

[Zorba]

It happened again yesterday - I arrived 5 minutes early to a rehearsal, and there were 2 gals already there (not associated with our rehearsal) practicing. So I sat and watched them. One of remarked afterward that she was glad I showed up - it stopped her from being lazy!

"Dance like EVERYBODY'S watching!!"

 

[Jeanne]

For dance performers, I also agree with Zorba's idea to dance like everyone is watching -- your goal, after all, is to develop your best presentation for your audience. I think the advice to dance like no one is watching is meant to encourage inhibited people (who might be afraid to dance at all) to cut loose and do whatever they feel like without worrying about who sees them. And there are plenty of people who could use that encouragement!

 

[Kashmir]

Maybe it should be "practice like everyone is watching but dance like no-one is". That is, spend conscious time developing your physical skills and knowledge - but when it comes to actually dancing let it flow.

 

[DreamHunter]

"Dance like no one is watching" is often given as advice for gaining confidence and connecting to yourself freed from inhibitions.

Two questions -

1.Where does the quote come from?
I see it attributed to William Watson Purkey, a writer on inspirational teaching, as part of a longer quote;

“You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching,Love like you'll never be hurt,
Sing like there's nobody listening,
And live like it's heaven on earth.”

This sounds more like a poem then an inspirational tagline, and I can't find it in of Purkey's on-line books (its exact source is never attributed or dated - only the author is given).

That would be a bit like advising someone shy, like a poor communicator, to, 'Talk to someone like he/she is not looking at you'.

That ain't how it works, I don't think, and is not the ultimate objective of the effort, which is to truly overcome the shyness, in the first place.

You hv to force yourself to cross that all-important threshold. Which is, getting to the stage where you can look directly into someone's eyes, while performing, without feeling vulnerable/scared on one hand, or acting hostile/defensive on the other. Casual & Relaxed (on the outside), but Fearless & Confident (on the inside), that would be the catch phrase, I would say, and the zone that one should aim for.

Easier said than done for some, I guess. But only after one has accepted that as the truth, can one move on, and progressively improve.

Dancing is a form of communication. You won't succeed until you learn to accept & acknowledge the person/people watching you (or interacting with you) as a friend(s), rather than a threat/foe waiting to pounce on you & crush you.

Tell you what. Wouldn't be much fun watching a dancer who's dancing while looking like she reckons that she was the only person in the room. Nope. Wud feel creepy. One might as well not be there. LOL

 

[Duvet]

You hv to force yourself to cross that all-important threshold. Which is, getting to the stage where you can look directly into someone's eyes, while performing, without feeling vulnerable/scared on one hand, or acting hostile/defensive on the other. Casual & Relaxed (on the outside), but Fearless & Confident (on the inside), that would be the catch phrase, I would say, and the zone that one should aim for.

I think you got the jist, Dreamhunter! That first performance - dancing with others or as a soloist - is a big step to take. But you have to take that step despite feeling vulnerable and scared, and only with repetition do you realise that its not about 'them' looking at 'you', but about 'us' (them & you) sharing the experience.

 

[DreamHunter]

Well, ain't much different from someone doing his first public speaking session. He thinks he's nervous and that the entire audience can read him and know that he's nervous. But the reality is, they're nervous too, cos they don't really know what deal they're getting, maybe they're getting an evil monster who's out to bully them & make a fool of them all.

So, once you've mastered the skill, you'd be able to sense & observe your audience relaxing & settling down, beginning from the moment that they hv sensed & convinced themselves that you're a relaxed, experienced presenter (whether you're a dancer or an orator) who's only gonna gv them a good time worth their while.