Misty Copeland – Photo Rosalie O’Connor
Not everything is about technique.
CBS reran a 60 Minutes segment about ABT soloist Misty Copeland tonight. When asked, “What caught your eye?” American Ballet Theatre Director, Kevin McKenzie, replied:
“She has a proportion to her body and she has a response to music — a visceral response to music — and a coordination that are all the ingredients of a major ballet dancer.”
Need to hear that again, dancers? Start the video at 8:30.
Musicianship makes a critical difference between technical skill and dance artistry. This is one hindrance of starting ballet lessons at a very young age — too often, ballet classes can train musical instincts out of a dancer!
Instead, that “visceral response to music” should be nurtured and developed.