Grooming is an essential part of life. As any stylist will tell you, being well-groomed can sometimes be more important than wearing great clothes. It has always been considered an important part of the training of young dancers both in the classroom and for those entering exams.
Grooming helps the dancer feel correctly prepared for his or her work enabling them to perform at their very best and aren’t distracting themselves and/or others by unruly hair getting in their way or sloppy attire that seems to jump higher than the bodies that are wearing it.
More importantly it shows respect for the teacher.
Taking good care of oneself shows them that there is a mindfulness within the student, a sense of being prepared to receive correction and guidance as the teacher can then see and be fully aware of the students posture and placement.
Every afternoon I see the students readying themselves and helping their friends and siblings in this almost ritualistic event and it’s beauty makes me smile. There is so much trust, so much intimacy in caring for each other and helping each other look and feel their best and thereby fulfilling one of their basic instincts: socializing, cooperating and learning from each other.
“The important thing when it comes to grooming, as when it comes to clothes, is you do not want anything to distract from the strength of your ideas.” Vanessa Friedman
