Mirror, mirror on the wall...

[Freya]

How do you feel about dancing with or without a mirror?

I was just reading an article on the Gilded Serpent website discussing body-image, dance and mirrors, and it reminded me of something that I have been pondering for quite some time: What are the pro’s and con’s of dancing with or with without mirrors?

Personally I have never had a problem with seeing myself in the mirror, whether I am dancing or not. Sometimes, of course, when looking in the mirror, I’ve seen better days, but usually I’m quite happy and pleased with what I see. I did not realize that danicng in front of mirrors could even be an issue for beginner bellydancers until I tried convincing one of my very dearest friends that she should give bellydancing a try.

She’s the most beautiful girl with those big expressive eyes that movie stars long for—eyes that commmunicate every nuance of emotion and that light up a room. Music is in her body, she has a great singing voice, and loves to dance. The sparkles and glamour of the classic bedlah are also just her thing. When we were roomates in New York I would play ME music for breakfast, lunch, and party—she loved it! We’d go to clubs with ME music and we danced the night away. So why did it take me so long to convince her to give bellydance classes a try? Body image, I think, unfortunately. She used to absolutely abhor mirrors, and hated shopping for clothes because she could not stand the dressing rooms. It got better once we started hitting the bargain shops of New York where there were no fitting rooms and hardly any mirrors. You just had to try the darn thing on over your clothes and imagine what it would look like. Her mirror phobia days are over now and she’s ventured into dance classes. A bit apprehensive at first, she said “Well you know me and mirrors, I don’t know how I’ll react if I can see myself from every angle in the studio.” I’m happy to report that she emerged victorious from the dance studio. “I absolutely loved it and did not care for a moment about the mirrors, I actually enjoyed them,” she said—“It was a new experience, and I’m hooked on the dance…” We are now thinking of stealing camels and riding off to Egypt to dance and smoke waterpipes…

My first two teachers had classes in studios with mirrors, which, I take it, is most common. However, I also danced with a few friends in private appartment with no mirrors for about a year or two, and I really enjoyed it. It gave me the opportunity to focus on what was going on in my body—every little muscle twitch—and how my body reacted to the music. I just felt the music in my body and was never hampered by analyzing every move in the mirror. We also had a lot of laughs, and talks about love and life. Most girls in ME countries probably learn the dance in the intimate and relaxed atmosphere of a friend or family members living room—this is at least my impression from my ME and turkish girl friends. Personally, I think I developed a lot of my feel for the music in this comfortable and friendly atmosphere, and I am to this day much more comfortable with improvisation than choreography. In fact, I am a recovering coreography-disaster…!

There is a time for mirrors too, though, and I’ve found mine. I’m dancing at a great studio now with the most wonderful teachers, and really making an effort to improve my technique and learn choreographies. These days I am very proud of myself! This spring I successfully managed to remember my first full coreography, and this summer I managed to remember quite a bit of the delicious coreography I learned in Lubna Emam’s workshop at the Stockholm Bellydance Festival.

In conclusion to this long post my questions for you are the following:

Do you think the use of mirrors are an asset to learning the correct moves, are they absolutely necessary, or are they dispensable?

Would it make sense to have improvisation classes without mirrors? (I realize this is a leading question!)

Perhaps all beginner classes should be tought in comfortable settings without mirrors?

What do you think? Mirrors or no mirrors? Or is there a time for everything?


Freya

 

[Kiadorin]

I guess I'm what some might call a mirror-addict. I love to have them around when I'm practicing - not because I'm vain (there are things about me that I find difficult to face sometimes), but because it's the closest I can come to seeing through someone else's eyes. I am a predominantly visual learner and I often need to see my mistakes before I can begin to correct them. As such, I don't think I'd get far (technique-wise, anyway) in a class that never allowed mirrors at all.

 

[Aniseteph]

Mirrors - hate 'em. I think it's down to personal image/esteem issues in my case. I think there's a lot to be said for beginning without them as Freya says.

I used to look at myself trying to dance and it was so cringingly awful and not what I wanted to look like I found it very offputting. If I worry about what it looks like I can't concentrate on learning the feel of a move, so I rely on my teacher correcting me if I'm going wrong.

Now, nearly 2 yrs on and with the basic moves there, I'm getting better at actually using the mirror; to see what I'm doing, what happens if I do it differently, or what it feels like to make it smoother etc etc. I even improvised in front of the mirror once and came over all empowered which was very unexpected...

 

[gwinity]

I've never had a dance class with a mirrored wall, but I think that's a good thing for me. Still being such a raw beginner, I want to know how a move feels, and get it right under instruction from my teacher, rather than seeing myself move like a dying epileptic spider on acid. If I feel what the perfected movement should be, my body will remember it (over time); if I see it, I won't know what I'm doing away from a mirror.

I have mirrored surfaces at home that I use when breaking down moves and practicing, but in a class? No way. Seeing people moving better than me is intimidating enough - seeing myself in amongst them would be infinitely worse!

And yeah - that body image thing, too.

 

[Yasmine Bint Al Nubia]

Mirror,Mirror On

Hi Everyone, I read the same article(probably a the same time you did). as a new student, having a mirror really helped me visualize what I wa doing. Like Kiadorin, I'm a visual learner too. But when I attend seminars usually there are no mirrors and I learn best when the teacher mirrors me.
As a teacher I have taught with and without mirrors and it presents challenges for the teacher. It means you really can't turn your back on the students because you won't see what they are doing. Also students see the teacher and in their mind's eye they believe they are doing the exact same move, when in fact they lose the ability to appreciate their body's true interpretation. So I've learned to face my students and mirror their actions and then turn away to face the mirror so I can guage everyone's progress simultaneously.
The downside for the student is of course poor body image, and unrealistic expectations of what the think they should be doing versus what they are actually are doing. And if I can see everyone then so can all of the students and they tend to mentally compare themselves with each other. The worse is when one student has to point out what mistakes other students are doing.
Other dance forms use mirrors in the studio too. However, our teacher will cover the mirrors if we have learned a choreography for a staged show. She says there are no mirrors in the audience.
Yasmine

 

[Rebecca_]

mirror.... hm.... I just installed a giant 4ft x 4ft mirror in my room so that I can see myself when I practice at home. For me, I really need the mirror to make sure that I have everything right. If I'm not looking in a mirror, my hands might start clawing instead of looking graceful or something like that.
In my opinion, there is certainly a time for not having mirrors. Improvising is one of them. It's hard to become a manifestation of the music when you are constantly trying to correct yourself in the mirror. Also, when we are out performing, we are facing an audience, not a mirror. It's good practice to dance without a mirror so that we can perform without feeling strange.
When I first started out, I think I really needed that mirror. Since my instructor faced the mirror, I could easily look and compare what she was doing, and what I was doing. Keep dancing all!

 

[Norma]

Well, in "real" life, I despise mirrors. I use one to get ready for work in the morning, naturally, then I spend the rest of the day avoiding them.

Otherwise...I take classes at two different studios. One is used for ballet and along one wall has great mirrors, i.e. they are all the same. The other is in a lady's fitness gym and while three walls have mirrors, they are not as good quality. Some make you look short and fat, others tall and thin. I appreciate having them because they do help me, but I always try to stand in front of the same one so at least I'm getting the same view of myself from class to class.

At home, I practice without them.

 

[Maria_Aya]

As a student I dont care for mirrors, as a teacher I NEED THEM !!!
I want to check every sec the teqnics of the students, and the wall to wall mirror give the full on checkin students.
First we practice the movements, compos, choreo's, to the mirror and after we go round the class room, changing points of view, even going to the diagonial. (this is very effective to stuck a movement in mind)

maria aya

 

[Safran]

I have had the majority of my classes in studios with mirrors and I find them very helpful. Especially for beginners when it comes to learning the correct posture, or shimmying without the company of fingers twitching (yep, I've done that in the beginning ), or movement of the hands etc. When you see yourself from the mirror then you can "check up" on yourself more often than just reacting to the instructors remarks.

And I do think that mirrors help the job of the instructior a lot easier when it comes to observing students. It is so much easier to learn the movement when the teacher showing it is standing in the same direction as you. So, the teacher should either have her eyes at the back of her head or just have a mirror.

But, I also believe that when you really want to learn dancing, you have to not only realise "how it looks like" but also "how it feels like". And that is why it is good to dance towards an un-mirrored wall every now and then. This will also teach how to use your space as there are people around you. And, you'll learn how to deal with your attention - dancing "into" a mirror it is so easy just to keep looking at yourself, vain as we are

 

[Shanazel]

Mirrors are a tool, and once my students grasp this, they quit worrying about how they look and start concentrating on what they are doing. Teaching without mirrors would be a nightmare- like Maria, I depend on them to let me keep track of what my class is doing. BUT (and it is a big but) mirror use can become mirror abuse, and I insist my students practice with their backs to the mirrors a good protion of the time, especially when preparing to dance for an audience. Yasmine's teacher is right- there are no mirrors in an audience.

 

[Freya]

Thank you all for sharing your thoughts on this!

I hadn't thought of mirrors from the perspective of a teacher, and it was useful to hear your opinions. It sounds like teaching BD without mirrors would be almost as rough as teaching math without a blackboard It's true, it does make it easier when the teacher is facing the same direction as you are. An extra set of eyes in the back of the head? Extreme nausea guaranteed when spinning...

It's strange, I'm an extremely visual person--I work with images, I think and remember in images, orient myself when i'm out and about with vision (as opposed to numbers and streetnames)--but mirrors don't really do much for me when it comes to dancing. In class, when we are working on technique, combos etc. I mostly look at the teacher anyway. And when I am dancing it almost as if I don't have eyes anymore...that probably sounds weird, but really, if I could I would keep my eyes closed the whole time. Not to great for the audience, huh...

I was so puzzled when I was practicing with a friend at her house and she said she had trouble remembering the choreo without a mirror, because to me it's more of a distraction. Everyone has different learning styles I guess (I think A'isha has an interesting article about that on her website??). I definately have my own problems remembering choreo but I think I've figured out my way for dealing with that: write it down and repeat, repeat, repeat... (Any other suggestions welcome!)

 

[Freya]

"like a dying epileptic spider on acid."
Gwinity! That's just too funny!!!!

This really makes sense to me as well:
"If I feel what the perfected movement should be, my body will remember it (over time); if I see it, I won't know what I'm doing away from a mirror"

 

[Saaraelli_]

I think I need a mirror because I feel like I can understand my mistakes when I see it on the mirror. My eyes are kept on the teacher usually, I kind of feel her movement in my body when I see her movement. That feels rather weird, does it happen to you people too?
When I dance my back on the mirror, away from it, I don't feel so sure and relaxed. I guess it is so because I am a beginner and I really need to see what I am doing. At the first BD lessons I did not like to see me on the mirror, it felt so weird but soon I realized how much I can learn when I see me moving.
This is a very interesting topic.

 

[Moon]

For me, it is important to dance both with mirror and without mirror. During lessons, I look what the teacher is doing most of the time. When practicing at home, I don;t have a large mirror, but sometimes I use the window as mirror when it's dark outside. Our teacher makes us dance without the mirror too in the lesson. She even doesn't use it al all during the first lesson of the beginners group.

 

[gisela]

Mixed feelings about mirrors here. They are very helpful in learning and I definitely prefer a dance studio with mirrors. BUT... I have a real hard time dealing with my own appearance and how I look. It's something I have been struggeling with for twenty years so it's not gonna just go away. I do think that bellydancing helps me both deal with it and from time to time forget about it, but the mirrors and also the costume issue is problematic. The mirror thing I kind of solved by positioning myself so my reflection is right where two mirrors meet. That way I look really thin

 

[Moon]

The mirror thing I kind of solved by positioning myself so my reflection is right where two mirrors meet. That way I look really thin

What a nice solution
I guess the mirrors in my dance studio are slightly different. There is one spot where 2 mirrors meet and if I see my reflection there, I look bigger

 

[Aniseteph]

Hey Moon, I've got the same sort of mirrors as you!
I'm wide enough already, thank you mirrors...

 

[Yshka]

First we practice the movements, compos, choreo's, to the mirror and after we go round the class room, changing points of view, even going to the diagonial. (this is very effective to stuck a movement in mind)

My teacher does this too, IMO very effective. That way you'll learn to both look at yourself in a mirror (as a tool, not a judgmental thing about your appearance etc.) AND have the benefits of getting a feel for the movements away from the mirror.

For me personally, I like dancing in front of a mirror. I must admit there also used to be some things I'd rather not look at, but I'm getting over it by looking at myself and in a way knowing that that is me and it CAN look good.
I think dancing without a mirror works for getting a feel for the moves, it's good when improvising and indeed like some of you stated before, to learn how to use space around you.

Nevertheless I feel dancing with mirrors is essential in learning correct posture and moves. Getting a feel for them is evenly important, there needs to be a good balance in both mirror use as dancing without in class.

 

[Safran]

In yesteday's class I actually realised there is another reason I need mirrors. The thing is, I am rather tall, at least taller than all my instructors have been. So, when I keep concentrating on the teacher making a move, I sometimes try doing it on the very same height or level. And then, checking myself from the mirror I realise how ridiculous I look and I can adjust the movement suitable for my body.

 

[Amanda (was Aziyade)]

I grew up in ballet, so mirrors are something I'm used to. My basement studio has two mirrored walls, and all of our classes are at dance studios, with usually two or three mirrored walls.

One of the neatest studios I went to had a mirrored wall with a curtain, where you could pull the curtain and hide the mirror. I keep meaning to do that at home.


Do you think the use of mirrors are an asset to learning the correct moves, are they absolutely necessary, or are they dispensable?

I can't imagine a dance class without mirrors, but that's what I'm familiar with. I DO however, teach a recreational class in the SCA and we don't have mirrors there. Here's what I've observed:

PROS of having mirrors:

1. Instant self-correction. You can tell at a glance if the tailbone is tucked, or if the knees are locked, or if the movement is lopsided.

2. Students tend to pay more attention to facial expressions and gaze of the eye.

3. Students tend to pay more attention to the angle of the body. Not every move is directed straight forward, as they explore the space on the angles in front and back of them.

4. More attention is paid to arms and upper body energy.

5. For some students, seeing the movement on their body seems to sort of "set" in memory what the movement is supposed to be.


CONS of having mirrors:

1. Some beginning students tend to be more concerned with what the movement LOOKS like rather than what it feels like. They don't have a very large range of motion so they really overextend or exaggerate movement to make it look as big as they think it should be.

2. Obsessive staring at their own image, to the exclusion of what everyone else (or the teacher) is doing.

3. Reliance on the mirrror for spatial awareness. (You take some students away from the mirror, or turn them around in a different direction and they just CAN'T dance the choreography. It's like they rely on the mirror to function as compass North, and without the mirror, they're lost.)

4. Reliance on the mirror for correction in balancing a prop.
Heavens, I found this out the hard way. When you're balancing a prop, and you spend ALL your time rehearsing in the mirror, you get used to seeing the tiny little balance problems, and you can see the imbalance before you feel it, so you adjust. Take the mirror away and you have to wait to FEEL the problem before you adjust. THAT changes everything. (Knowing this now, I practice away from the mirror MUCH more.)

Now I'm told that some students have body issues and don't like watching themselves in the mirror, but I personally haven't encountered that. But then we treat our classes just like any other DANCE class, and that probably discourages those students who are there for spiritual awakening or an aerobic workout.


Would it make sense to have improvisation classes without mirrors?

When I improv at home, I rarely look at the mirror. But then I drill every step that I might use in improv in the mirror. Our studio doesn't teach improv classes per se, but we have done the circle dance thing, and then we always turn away from the mirrors.


Perhaps all beginner classes should be tought in comfortable settings without mirrors?

I think that totally depends on your philosophy about how you approach teaching the dance. We treat it as a dance class, with a warm-up, a "barre" so to speak, of drills, and then a choreography/technique section with a cool-down. We have a set syllabus, and don't vary from that. The goal of our school is to teach you how to DANCE in the Middle Eastern fashion, and teach you as much about the music and culture as we can. We think mirrors are necessary because you need to learn to equate movement with its visual component.

Other teachers approach teaching this dance in a more individual and personal way -- like as a method towards spiritual enlightenment, or body awareness, or as a moving mediation. Their goal is more towards personal expression, and I can see their point in NOT using mirrors. It doesn't matter what it looks like -- it's all about the feeling.

I always sort of thought that in true Egyptian style, you wouldn't really need mirrors, but a workshop with Shareen el Safy last weekend changed that. There's often a difference between where a movement LOOKS like it's coming from and where it truly IS coming from. When I went home and practiced some of the corrections she gave me, I could see by my navel movement what she was talking about.


(Hey Moon -- we always used to fight over one specific spot in our ballet studio. That was where the mirrored wall sort of caved backwards a tiny bit and if you stood in that spot you looked taller and thinner. LOL)