Facial expressions are an enormous a part of aggressive dance performances, and what dancers ought to be doing with their mouths onstage has lengthy been a matter of nice debate. Many academics, choreographers, and judges are staunchly in opposition to lip-syncing of any variety, whereas others imagine that it may be a light-hearted, applicable type of expression. In keeping with Consider Nationwide Expertise Competitors decide Andrew Sivco, who has a musical theater background, lip-syncing is never well worth the danger. “Usually, it is extremely distracting when dancers lip-sync,” he says. “It turns into troublesome to concentrate on approach when there’s an excessive amount of mouth concerned within the efficiency.”

Nail the Requirements

Sivco acknowledges that generally dancers lip-sync once they lose concentrate on the technical parts of their efficiency, particularly within the latter half of the competitors season, when routines have been practiced and carried out numerous instances. Moderately than making a option to lip-sync, dancers might carry out the motion mechanically as an alternative of emotionally participating with their routine. “Particularly in group dances, it is not uncommon to see some folks by accident mouthing phrases whereas others usually are not,” Sivco says. “Expression must be cohesive, and the main focus ought to actually be on the emotion.” He provides that through the rehearsal course of, breaking a dance down with simply counts, versus solely teaching with lyrics, might assist performers keep in mind to attach emotionally with the choreography.

Intentional Presentation

Lindsey Henderson-Rübsamen, assistant director of the competitors crew at PDT Dance Arts in Texas, agrees that lip-syncing mustn’t typically be inspired. “Dancers ought to be capable of use motion and vitality to carry out as an alternative of mimicking the music,” she says. “The one time we permit them to lip-sync is throughout musical theater numbers, as a result of that’s the solely time they may seemingly carry out that manner professionally.”

When Henderson-Rübsamen’s college students do have to lip-sync for a musical theater routine, she makes certain dancers are intentional with the usage of their mouths. “Our musical theater instructor is a vocal coach and piano teacher, too,” she says. “She is going to print out the lyrics, and the dancers will sit and study the music first.” Whereas studying the lyrics, Henderson-Rübsamen says dancers start studying to open their mouths and pronounce vowels properly so lyrics could be seen clearly. This manner, lip-syncing turns into an intentional a part of the routine somewhat than an afterthought.

Emotional Execution

Henderson-Rübsamen believes that lip-syncing unintentionally is nearly like counting out eight-counts—it makes dancers appear to be they’re considering. “It turns into a crutch for dancers who have no idea find out how to specific emotion another manner, and that turns into a distraction from the piece itself,” she says. To assist dancers study to be expressive with feelings as an alternative of falling again on lip-syncing, she focuses on the sensation behind the choreography and the music. “We speak about how a sure lyric makes them really feel,” she explains. “If the lyric is unhappy, I’ll ask them to cease and take into consideration a time they have been unhappy to make an emotional connection that can come throughout genuinely.” Henderson-Rübsamen factors out that whereas some lyrics could appear too emotionally superior for sure dancers, there’s all the time a connection to be made. “A 7-year-old has not skilled heartbreak from a romantic breakup,” she says, “however they perceive the emotion of heartbreak in a unique context—the lack of a pet, pal, or grandparent, as an example. It’s as much as academics to assist them make the connection.”

Moreover, Henderson-Rübsamen means that having dancers stand instantly in entrance of the mirror and mark the choreography whereas utilizing their faces to carry out their feelings might assist battle in opposition to lip-syncing habitually. “When dancers must intentionally take a look at themselves and watch their faces, they start to acknowledge the moments they lip-sync—typically, they don’t even notice how ceaselessly they’re returning to that behavior.”

The Backside Line

“More often than not, even in musical theater numbers, lip-syncing is simply not obligatory,” Sivco says. “Try to be centered on what character you might be portraying, and that won’t be decided by whether or not you’ll be able to lip-sync properly.” Nonetheless, if dancers are going to lip-sync, he suggests utilizing it rigorously, to boost a quantity. “In very particular moments, if a music has spoken traces {that a} dancer can break free to ship or throughout a transition, it may well work very properly,” Sivco says. However since a big a part of a contest rating displays efficiency, he encourages weighing the selection rigorously to verify it serves as greater than a distraction from the dance.