When you're dancing and choreographing why do you need mirrors?

Question

All dancers say that they're vital and can't practice without them, any dancers - why?!

thanks!

Answer 1

All of these reasons are really good, but you don't ALWAYS need mirrors, you can still roughly make up a dance without them. They help a lot though.

Answer 2

So you can watch your steps/posture/timing, etc. You want to see what you look like so you know what you need to improve on.

Answer 3

this is so you can see what you look like when you are dancing, and how you look compared to others. it helps the dancers with the placement of their arms, in relevation to others, and how together the group looks.

Answer 4

you can't practice as well without knowing what youre doing... how else would you improve?

Answer 5

Being able to look over into a mirror allows you to see what you are doing, and if it fits with the music. It's extremely hard to know exactly how you are moving if you don't have something there to look at, as you can't exactly watch yourself. Also, you can check your posture, technique, and how the choreography flows together. Watching yourself dance is also a really good way to see what you need to improve on.

If mirrors aren't available, set up a video camera and tape your class/rehearsal so that you can see what you're doing.

Answer 6

so you can see yourself and other dancers and get the timing right hope this help some =^..^=

Answer 7

to see yourself and make corrections so you can see what youre doing wrong.

Answer 8

Dancers need mirrors in a studio or a dance room for a few different reasons.

- Because you get to see what you are doing wrong and you can correct yourself ( your posture, your facial expressions, with larger groups you look at your spacing, your patterns...etc)

- if the teacher is demonstrating a step or a movement you will be able to watch her in the mirror, so it's easier to learn

- choreographerrs like to have there mirrors because if they create or choreographe something they will be able to see the audiences point of view in the mirror and the picture of the movement ( if it looks funny)

Answer 9

you need to see yourself in the mirror in order to self correct yourself..you cant always rely on teachers to correct u cuz theres other students too

Answer 10

You need the mirros because you need to no what you look like while doing it, because if you don't, the moves can be horrible, it will probably be sloppy, and the mirros help you clean it up. Without the mirrors you would have no idea what you aare doing with learning the dance!

Answer 11

I agree with LK and Tony.  Most of the times my teachers (that's plural) would either draw the curtain close or we would face the side without the mirror. Most of the dancers who missed the mirror are the one that loved to looked at themselves. Our school has produced a lot of good dancers - some were recruited by Alvin Ailey, and some had become professional dancers.  We have a good program when I was going to that University.

I use the mirror if I'm by myself creating a dance. After I have moved to the 2nd level, I hardly look at the mirror - and so did my fellow dance majors.

When I'm teaching my choreography, I have my dancers face away from the mirror or if there's a curtain - it stayed hidden. Those with strong techniques don't have to rely on mirrors. If we need our choreographies cleaned up, then we have our fellow dance majors or teacher helping us clean our dances, and not rely on mirrors.

Time I tend to look in the mirror was to checked my outfit.

Answer 12

I think the mirror is only so helpful when rehearsing.

Most of the time the mirror actually works against you in that you become more concerned with how you look rather than just dancing and having the movement be completely honest.