From Steps to Expression: Exploring Emotion through Breath in Dance
One of the most exciting parts of my research is seeing how it comes alive in the studio. Recently, I had the opportunity to work with two talented competitive ballroom dancers who were looking to take their performance to the next level. Both had strong technique and presence, yet no matter which style they danced the waltz, cha cha, or tango their body attitudes remained largely the same. The artistry was missing an emotional dimension.
To explore this, we began with the breath. Breath is one of the most powerful tools a dancer has, not only for stamina and grounding but also for shaping emotion in the body. By altering how we breathed, we discovered entirely new body attitudes and ways of expressing emotion.
Short, quick breaths created anxious, nervous qualities. Walking with this breath rhythm produced tightness and urgency in the body.
Deep, full breaths that we imagined pulling into the stomach and chest evoked anger. We used imagery of a fire burning in the belly, feeding the muscles with intensity and heat.
Joyful breath emerged when the dancers explored their own personal imagery of happiness. The shift was striking, as if a heavy layer of armor had been lifted, and their movements became light, buoyant, and free.
Once the dancers embodied these emotions through breath and imagery, we applied the concepts to their routines. The transformation was immediate. Instead of simply executing steps, they began expressing emotions with their full bodies. Their dancing gained depth, authenticity, and presence.
As Brodie and Lobel remind us, “Breathing, emotions and movement are normally strongly interwoven, with each influencing the others. Young dancers often hold their breath, interfering with their movement’s integrity and precluding expressivity” (Brodie & Lobel, 2012).
This insight captures the shift we observed: by reclaiming their breath, the dancers reconnected to the expressive core of their movement.
This experience reminded me of a simple but powerful truth: expression and movement begin with breath. When dancers connect breath to movement and emotion, steps transform into storytelling.
References
Brodie, J., & Lobel, E. (2012). Dance and somatic inquiry in studios and communities: A collection of scholarly investigations. University of Florida Digital Collections. https://ufdc.ufl.edu/IR00002732
