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What is Lyrical Dance?

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Lyrical dance is a modern dance form which fuses modern dance, jazz, and ballet. This form is often referred to as contemporary dance. It requires excellent technique to perform, as the moves are often difficult and precise. Moreover, the dancer should be aware of his or her facial expressions while dancing.

The origins of lyrical dance are unclear. The form is most often seen in live shows of contemporary music artists and some types of stage shows. The goal of the dancer is to convey the emotion of a song's lyrics through dance. Intense emotional expression of the face and body are necessary to tell a story that evolves along the lines of the song to which the dance is performed.

Lyrical dance conveys the emotion of a song.
Lyrical dance conveys the emotion of a song.

Unlike other dance forms, lyrical dance is far less concerned with a dancer's physique. Often, excellent jazz and ballet dancers are drawn to the lyrical style because they lack the traditional dancer's build. It is quite common to see dancers who are not extremely thin; however, lyrical dance demands a high degree of flexibility and complicated lifts, so dancers with a nontraditional build still need to be in excellent physical shape to perform lyrical pieces.

Often times those trained as ballet dancers who lack a traditional dancer's build are drawn to lyrical dance.
Often times those trained as ballet dancers who lack a traditional dancer's build are drawn to lyrical dance.

Lyrical dance also appeals to both those who are slightly older and slightly younger. Some dance teachers comment that it is quite difficult to teach this style of dance to younger students, as they simply lack the ability to convey emotions they have yet to experience to any great degree. There are exceptions, of course, but one frequently sees many lyrical dances performed by dancers who at the age of 25 to 30 are considered too "old" for ballet. Despite their possible lack of experience, many younger dancers are attracted to this style for its focus on emotion.

Lyrical dances are typically performed by people who are considered too old to perform ballet on stage.
Lyrical dances are typically performed by people who are considered too old to perform ballet on stage.

Characteristic of this dance style is flowing dance moves that connect throughout the dance. The upper body movements are generally quite different from ballet styles, and one often sees body angles unfamiliar to either jazz or ballet. In some ways, the upper body movements resemble traditional African dance forms.

Lyrical dance is often performed with toes pointed in partner lifts or in leg lifts. Common practice often demands leg lifts with toes flexed, which is much more challenging to the dancer's flexibility. Choreography frequently features partners, as interpreting ballads often means interpreting the intensity of love relationships or lost love.

Toned legs are typically a bi-product of lyrical dancing.
Toned legs are typically a bi-product of lyrical dancing.

As an evolving form, most practitioners and choreographers are better known for either their contributions to the jazz or ballet world. The form has received much attention from various television dance competition shows. Choreographers like Mia Michaels, who has her own successful lyrical company, have become well known for this style.

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Tricia has a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and has been a frequent MusicalExpert contributor for many years. She is especially passionate about reading and writing, although her other interests include medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion. Tricia lives in Northern California and is currently working on her first novel.

Learn more...
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Tricia has a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and has been a frequent MusicalExpert contributor for many years. She is especially passionate about reading and writing, although her other interests include medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion. Tricia lives in Northern California and is currently working on her first novel.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

anon972152

Lyrical dance is beautiful and fun to watch, but it's also extremely popular in the world of competitive dance.

anon928848

Lyrical dance is so fun! The expressions really magnify the beauty of the dance. I agree with you.

anon308656

Do you know what country lyrical dance originated from?

anon21838

Facial expressions are *not* a big component of Lyrical. A key facet of lyrical dance is to convey emotions directly with the *body's* fluidity, sharpness, and *timing*. Facial expressions are less important and often discouraged because they would be tacky and replace the physical expression demanded by truly embodying the choreography and merging physically with the music. Facial expressions factor far more prominently, for example, in theater dance (i.e., Broadway musicals). The acting in Lyrical dance comes from the *body* and *timing*.

Lyrical dance is closest to ballet, not African dance. It can be best described as Ballet set to contemporary, popular, alternative music -- everything from ballads to thrashy.

anon13188

Dancer-- Im A Lyrical Dancer myself and it is such a pretty dance ... especially if the dancers have a lot of emotion....if interested search Lost-By Anouk....its a beautiful lyrical song that my bffl dances to..thanks for writing such a good piece on lyrical dancing

WGwriter

Anon13100-

I'm totally with you. Mia is an amazing choreographer, and I'm really looking forward to another season of "So you Think You Can Dance." Plus, this year they're adding ballet! I think it starts the second to last or last weekend of May and I can't wait! I only wish there weren't soooo many commercials.

T. Ellis-Christensen

anon13100

Mia's routines are amazing. My favorite routines on So You Think You Can Dance that she did were the Park Bench and the one that was with Neil and Lacey, and they resembled her and her father.

Lyrical is something I've always been interested in because it has so many awkward movements that you can't help but watch.

cayenne

Lyrical dance can also express emotions quite beautifully - I have had two friends who had people close to them perform lyrical dance at their weddings and seen others do it at church services and it is really moving.

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    • Lyrical dance conveys the emotion of a song.
      By: nanettegrebe
      Lyrical dance conveys the emotion of a song.
    • Often times those trained as ballet dancers who lack a traditional dancer's build are drawn to lyrical dance.
      By: Zsolnai Gergely
      Often times those trained as ballet dancers who lack a traditional dancer's build are drawn to lyrical dance.
    • Lyrical dances are typically performed by people who are considered too old to perform ballet on stage.
      By: serega1551
      Lyrical dances are typically performed by people who are considered too old to perform ballet on stage.
    • Toned legs are typically a bi-product of lyrical dancing.
      By: VladGavriloff
      Toned legs are typically a bi-product of lyrical dancing.