What is Lyrical dance?
What is Lyrical dance?
Lyrical dance is a form of dance that combines elements of ballet, jazz, modern, acrobatics, and other dance styles. It focuses on the expression of the dancers’ emotions, being fluid, and interpreting song lyrics. While lyrical does not always harp on technique or precision of the dancer it is important that they have a strong foundation of ballet and or jazz. Lyrical dance is usually a faster paced dance than ballet but not as fast as jazz.
What’s the History of it?
While the exact history of lyrical dance is not known, this form of dance has grown in popularity through the twentieth century. There are three main theories’ about how lyrical dance has become so popular.
1. Broadway: Dream ballet sequences in popular shows like “Oklahoma” and “West Side Story” requires the dancers to be able to express their emotions to advance the character development and the story line. Story telling and showing emotion are two main elements of lyrical dance.
2. Competition circuits: Throughout the recent years coemptions have seen less and less classical ballet numbers and more lyrical numbers. Lyrical is seen as a more exciting and flashier version of ballet and many choreographers think it will catch and hold the judge’s attention for longer than a classical ballet piece.
3. Pop culture: Television shows such as “So You Think You Can Dance”, “The Masked Dancer”, and “Dance Moms” feature lyrical dance more than other styles. Theatrical shows like “Cirque du Soleil” have even showcases lyrical dance in the storyline.
Is it style or is it technique?
There is a big misconception that lyrical dance does not require technique. Lyrical dance pulls training from many genres such as ballet and jazz and combines them to form a new style. Therefore it is very important for a dancer to have a solid base in other styles. The style of lyrical takes steps from other genres and turns, tilts, or switches it up to push the dancer from what they know as the norm. You may hear it called “Lyrical technique” when its actually “Lyrical style.”
What do you wear?
In the classroom, what you wear is based on your studio dress code. Most teachers will require a leotard, tights, lyrical shoes, and hair pulled back. Some teachers may allow students to wear coverups during class. On stage the costume will depend on the song or the message the student or class is trying to convey. Some costumes may be very simple with a single color and no rhinestones while others may be colorful and blinged out. For example, if the song has a sad meaning the costumes may be black, blue, grey or white. If the song has a happy meaning the costumes could be colorful and sparkly. The two black costumes pictured above where from a dance where they were saying a tearful goodbye to someone. The picture below was from a dance where it embraced playfulness and childhood fun.
