Kendall Baab
A personal dance trainer & dance scientist from Los Angeles on how technique can improve and affect a dancer’s performance and how strength training can improve your art.
What is your dancing style?
Contemporary/modern
What made you choose this style?
I grew up doing various styles, but in college, I found my love for modern dance.
When and how did you start dancing?
I started at the age of 4 when my mom enrolled me in a ballet/tap combo class.
What does dance mean to you?
Dance feels like an unlimited way to move my body. Dance has been a constant in my life.
How have you seen the dance industry evolve over the years?
I think there is a lot of pressure in the dance world to be perfect.
How different is dance around the world?
Even something as simple as the terminology for specific tricks or jumps is different around the world. It’s interesting to work with various dancers who have different names for different skills.
What styles do you feel will dominate the dance scene in the next ten years?
This is hard to say. I hope that multicultural styles will have more of a presence in the competitive world.
Do you feel online learning is the same as offline?
Of course, in-person learning is traditional and familiar to all of us. Online learning comes with its difficulties, but it can provide a great sense of autonomy to dancers and opportunities from all over the world.
Do you prefer to perform or teach and why?
I’ve had a few opportunities to perform in my dance career, and it was amazing. However, as my career evolves, teaching is what I am passionate about. Not only teaching students how to dance, but how to enhance their dance technique through science-based practices. That is the type of training I wish I had when I was younger.
What is the importance of technique in dancing?
Technique is everything. Proper technique will help prevent injury and prolong your dance career whether you’re 10 years old or 30 years old! I see a lot of young dancers who want to learn all the new tricks that circulate through the dance industry, and while they can learn how to do them, the technique and placement of the body is often compromised to get the leg higher and without any regards to safety. Working on the technical foundations will set you up for success!
How does technique affect a dancer’s performance?
Technique is everything. Proper technique will help prevent injury and prolong your dance career. From a strong technical foundation, you can then add an artistic and expressive layer to the choreography that is more sophisticated, which is ultimately the goal.
Any tips for dancers to improve their art?
Strength training!! And listening to your body! Which means taking rest when you need it, fuelling your body with enough food for energy, or speaking up for yourself when something doesn’t feel right.
How are fitness and dance related?
Fitness components such as strength and conditioning training will only enhance a dancer’s performance when done correctly. Ideally, this type of training will make your technique effortless, and you can train the body to adapt to different skills. It’s truly an amazing cross-training method that is highly under-utilized in the dance world.
If you weren’t a dancer, what would you have been?
I could see myself being a high school teacher or a researcher!
Describe yourself or tell us your story in under 25 words
I am a certified personal dance trainer and dance scientist working with dancers of all ages to prevent injury & enhance their dance techniques!
