The Invisible Yardstick Holding Modern Dance Back
For decades, the world of modern dance has operated under a lingering shadow of its predecessor, classical ballet. We claim to be a genre of liberation, yet we still lean on a rigid, invisible yardstick to measure whether a dancer is 'improving.' We look at the height of an extension, the number of rotations in a turn, or the terrifyingly linear progression of a syllabus. But if modern dance was born as a rebellion against the rigid hierarchies of the past, why are we still using their metrics to define our success?
It is my perspective that the current way we measure progress in modern dance is not just outdated; it is actively stifling the very creativity we claim to prize. When we prioritize external aesthetics over internal experience, we turn a living art form into a competitive sport. It is time to stop asking 'how high?' and start asking 'how deep?'
Technical Perfection as a False God
Let’s be clear: technique matters. It provides the vocabulary necessary to speak through movement and the safety required to sustain a long career. However, the industry has developed an unhealthy obsession with technical perfection as the primary indicator of growth. This obsession suggests that a dancer who can execute a perfect contraction but has no sense of their own artistic voice is somehow 'ahead' of a dancer who moves with profound intentionality but lacks a 180-degree split.
This reliance on athletic markers creates a culture of comparison that is antithetical to the spirit of modern dance. When we measure progress solely through physical feats, we exclude bodies that don’t fit a specific mold and ignore the psychological and emotional development that is essential to powerful performance. We are training athletes who can mimic shapes, rather than artists who can command space.
The Problem with Linear Progression
In most online and physical dance spaces, progress is framed as a ladder. You move from Level 1 to Level 2, checking off skills like items on a grocery list. But artistic growth is rarely linear. It is cyclical, messy, and often involves periods of 'unlearning' that might look like regression to an outside observer. A dancer might spend an entire year working on the subtlety of their breath—a shift that won't show up in a technical exam but will fundamentally transform their presence on stage. If our metrics can’t account for that, the metrics are broken, not the dancer.
A New Framework for Measuring Growth
If we move away from the traditional hierarchy of 'higher, faster, stronger,' what takes its place? We need a framework that values the dancer’s agency and their relationship with their own body. In my view, we should be tracking progress through categories that actually reflect the complexity of modern dance:
- Somatic Literacy: The ability to articulate what is happening inside the body during movement. Progress is measured by a dancer’s increasing awareness of their nervous system and their ability to self-regulate.
- Creative Autonomy: The transition from needing a teacher’s constant correction to being able to make informed, artistic choices. A dancer is progressing when they start to question the 'why' behind a movement.
- Depth of Inquiry: How much curiosity is the dancer bringing to the floor? Are they exploring the edges of their range, or are they playing it safe within the lines of the choreography?
- Adaptability: The capacity to translate a concept across different styles or environments. This is especially vital in our new digital landscape, where the ability to adapt to a screen or a small home studio is a skill in itself.
Why Digital Spaces Demand This Shift
The rise of digital dance education has accelerated the need for this rethink. In a virtual setting, a teacher cannot physically adjust a student’s alignment. This might seem like a limitation, but it is actually a massive opportunity for empowerment. It forces the student to become their own primary observer. It shifts the authority from the person at the front of the room to the person doing the work.
Online platforms like the Dance Liberation Network are uniquely positioned to lead this revolution. In a digital space, we aren't just teaching steps; we are teaching the tools of self-assessment. When a dancer learns to measure their progress by the clarity of their own intention rather than the approval of a judge, they become unstoppable. They are no longer performing for a grade; they are dancing for themselves.
The Courage to Be Subjective
The resistance to this shift usually comes from a fear of subjectivity. People want 'hard data' and 'clear results.' They want to know that if they pay for a course, they will come out with a specific, quantifiable skill. But art is inherently subjective. To try and force it into a data-driven box is to strip it of its soul.
We must have the courage to tell students—and ourselves—that progress might look like a moment of stillness, a better understanding of a concept, or the bravery to move in a way that feels 'ugly' but honest. We need to celebrate the dancer who finally finds their own rhythm, even if that rhythm doesn't match the metronome.
Modern dance was never meant to be a polished product; it was meant to be a process of discovery. By rethinking how we measure progress, we can finally stop chasing a ghost of perfection and start building a future where every dancer has the tools to define their own success. It is time to reclaim the 'liberation' in modern dance.