Face technique is not something that most dancers think of when someone says technique. We often focus on what we consider the fundamentals of dance – basic core strength, correct use of the feet, legs and arms, beautiful lines, turn out- as technique. Using your face along with your movement should not be an afterthought and used every time you dance. The use of your face as an essential technical aspect of your dancing, both in class and performances though most dancers do not use their face until the performance. 

When using your face it is important to any performance to emotionally connect to an audience. It can be frustrating when an audience does not get the correct emotion you are trying to display in a dance. If your movements are reflecting sadness but your face is disengaged, there will be a disconnect. You want to work on using your face to make sure the audience understands the piece. 

One thing most dancers try to do is change up their facials. You could perform every dance with a fixed smile on your face, pointed upwards at your audience, and that would be fine but it can become monotonous and boring. Emotion in dance should be forced, and the more you focus on your feelings while you dance, the more this will come through naturally. Once you get comfortable on stage you then need to let go of any rigidity and allow your eyes to drop down and your facial expression to change when needed.

I think most emotion comes from the eyes. You know when you see someone smiling but they don’t mean it? You can usually tell from their eyes. Your eyes should reflect the emotions of the dance and they will portray the emotion to the audience. The eyes really do a lot of work, so try to express whatever you’re feeling, whether it is joy, sadness, fear or passion. Practice at home in front of the mirror, focusing only on your eyes, and see what range of expressions you can create with just the top half of your face. 

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