Dance can be many different things: exercise, fun, enjoyment, a form of expression and so on. It can also mean many different things to people, and as dance is such a universal art form everyone has varied experiences, ideas, and motivations. I chatted to three dancers to learn what dance meant to them. I asked them the questions below: 

  1. Name, age or year, number of years dancing
  2. What styles of dance have you/do you do, and which style do you enjoy the most?
  3. When did you first start dancing, and what initially drew you to it?
  4. What does dance mean to you?
  5. Do you value technique or freedom of expression/movement in dance more?
  6. What advice do you have for those wanting to get into dance?

Maarie Apanui-Barr 

21. Dancer for 11 years.

The styles of dance that I enjoy the most are Jazz and Contemporary dance. Although I have primarily been trained in Hip Hop, I’d like to believe that at my core, I am a Jazz/Contemporary dancer. When it comes to Jazz, I feel as if it is the style of dance that makes me the happiest. It allows me to be as sassy and as playful as possible, while being able to add a touch of technique with my movement. With Contemporary, I’d call it my “serious” style, and I truly believe that it is the style that I am the most naturally gifted at. I love it because I feel as if I am able to express my emotions intensely and flow through movement in a way that allows me to truly feel free. 

I first started dancing at the age of 10, which most people would consider late. Particularly, because I started in Ballet. What drew me to it was a book about Tchaikovsky’s ballets and all of the musical scores that he composed for different Ballet’s. The moment I danced my first Ballet class; I instantly fell in love with dance. 

Dance means everything to me. It is my first love, the thing that makes me the happiest and is also something I truly cannot live without. I think I’d be an entirely different person if I didn’t have dance incorporated into my life. 

As wonderful as technique is and as difficult as it is to train for beautiful technique. My eyes will always draw to the dancer who allows themselves to express themselves freely through movement. To me, it underpins the passions of what dance is about, which is using your body to tell a story or to express something. As wonderful as technical dancers are, if there’s no passion or love for what they do shown in their dancing, I instantly feel disconnected from what they are doing. However, a dancer who may not have the best technique, but has all of the passion and freedom to move, will always be the dancer that pulls my eye.  

In terms of advice, I’d say to just give dance a go. I’d also encourage people to find a low-pressure environment to dance in (such as a gym class or a beginner adults’ class) and just go for it. I know it’s easier said than done. But once you give it a go, you’ll be able to decide whether it’s something that you enjoy or not. Just know as well that you’re not going to be instantly incredible at dance if you’ve never done it before. But if you continue to work hard and build your dance skills, undoubtedly, you’ll be great at it one day. 

Lucy Mills 

18. Dancer for 12 years.

I first started in jazz for 7 years and then switched to hip hop in year 10. I switched because hip hop felt more natural to me as a dancer as the style had more flexibility, but jazz still shows in some of my more feminine dances.  

I first started dancing in year 3 when I was 7. I liked Jump Jam at school, so my mum signed me up for exam jazz classes 

Dance means everything to me. It gives me a space to not think about school or work and just feel confident in my abilities and have fun. It sounds cheesy, but it’s true.  

Both are very important for dancing, but it also depends on the style. Jazz and hip hop, I feel, are quite attitude based, but I also value technique because in a 

Just do it. Have a try at all the styles and whichever one or ones feels right to you, then go for it and move. 

Jenna Stephenson

16. Dancer for 12 years.

I have done many different styles of dance in the past such as jazz, hip hop, contemporary, ballet, acro, and tap and have enjoyed learning all styles- however I can confidently say that my favorite style of dance would be jazz.  

I started dancing when I was four years old. I was initially drawn to dance because of my older sister when I saw how much fun it looked when I would go and watch her recitals. Since then, I fell in love with the creative freedom I am able to have with my dancing.  

To me, dance is a way of not only being creative and expressing myself, but also a way of relaxation. I find that whenever I am dancing it takes away from stress and I can just focus on having fun.  

Although I do value technique in my dancing, I believe that freedom of expression is more important for me. I find that by expressing myself through dance, I am able to enjoy it more and let loose and have fun. 

Some advice I would give to those wanting to get into dance would be to give it a go and not fear failure. Dance is all about expressing yourself and having fun, and there is no wrong way to do it- which is what I love about it.