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The word ‘dance’ means a
series of rhythmic and patterned bodily
movements usually performed to music.
There is a vocabulary within the field
of dance where such words as: ‘elevation’-
the ability to jump high in the air; ‘capriole’-
a movement in dance; ‘galop’-
a Hungarian dance; ‘haut, en’
- a position with arms raised above the
head and ‘air, en l’- a step
lifted from the ground, are used. These
may have a familiar ring to the dressage
rider.
I have spent some time looking through
a set of notes, written specifically for
anyone wishing to learn the skills of
the dance floor. It has been both fascinating
and exciting, for me, as there are just
so many similar concepts between Dancing
and Classical training. . I read through
a list of helpful hints for people wishing
to take up dancing. These I have listed
below:
Come with the correct frame of mind
Concentrate and focus - try to develop
a ‘feel’ for the movements
Practice regularly, forming good habits
through your repetition
Try to continue regular training with
an instructor, with whom you feel some
personal empathy in communications.
Always spend time warming up to avoid
any physical injury
If a movement does not work, in dance,
this may be due to incorrect balance in
the body
Start and understand the basics before
trying to progress
Do not constantly criticize your partner
- have fun and lighten up!
All of these instructions seem very similar
to our concepts in training!
I continued searching through interesting
articles, relating to dance, until the
teachings of one particular woman really
caught my imagination.
DANCE COMES FROM THE SOUL
Martha Graham was born in Pennsylvania
and spanning over many years she had an
incredible career in dancing. She believed
that creative dance came from the soul
and movement was created by the tension
of contracted muscle from the pelvis.
This continued in a flow of energy released
from the body, as the body became more
relaxed. She was teaching the art of controlled
breathing into the pelvic floor.
Martha went on to explain how dance could
be felt in the contraction and release
from the intensified moments of exhalation
and inhalation. This increased the emotional
activity, so that this experience was
teaching the ‘body’ and it
was not about only learning with the mind
The contraction originates in the pelvis
of the dancer and the energy release causes
a flexion of the spine. It occurred to
me that this is a similar mobility of
the spine that occurs when the rider takes
the deeper outward breath and allows the
release of the lower spine and the seat.
This information was music to my ears!
I have experienced through my teaching
and riding, the spine responding to the
lateral breathing, but I had no idea that
similar concepts were used in the techniques
of dance.
LATERAL BREATHING ENHANCES HARMONY
AND FLUIDITY OF MOVEMENT
When I read through Martha’s teachings,
I realized that her concepts were borne
of similar ideas to my breathing techniques
for the rider. Martha taught that out
of emotion will come form and that movement
will become an expression of feeling.
If we as riders can convey these feelings
to our horses then we will become emotionally
in tune and in harmony with them.
Martha sought to give visible substance
to things which can be felt and she called
this ‘the ability to chart the graph
of the heart.’ Following similar
principles we understand how we can ‘Ride
From the Heart’.
The Competition Rider
It is now common practice for competitive
riders to employ sports psychologists
to help them cope with the more stressful
environment of the competition arena.
Some riders find competition stimulating;
others may feel that competition is necessary
to prove the progress of their training.
All this addresses the needs and feelings
of the rider but the horse has to find
his own level of tolerance when on the
competition circuit.
Breathing techniques, however, can really
benefit not only the rider but also the
attitude of the horse. The deeper awareness
and practice of this way of breathing
will immediately help a rider to become
more self aware. The rider is then in
the right place mentally, physically and
spiritually to ‘connect’ with
the mind of the horse. In the potentially
over-exciting atmosphere of a competition,
the steady breathing of a horse’s
‘herd leader’ can transmit
calmness and security to the horse. This
will help him to relax, so he can pay
more attention and listen to his rider
more effectively.
.For instance, there may be moments of
extra tension: perhaps you have insufficient
time for warming up or your last training
session at home has left feelings of despondency
over aspects of the test. The atmosphere
of the competition serves to highlight
areas of training which may be less than
fulfilling your aspirations. When you
can become more self-aware, only then
will you be more observant of when a horse
becomes tense. It is then possible to
become more effective by the use of lighter
aids and to respond to his tension and
mood with breathing techniques to help
him relax his mind and become more calm.
In this way he will be able to perform
with more fluidity in movement and focus
of mind.
These techniques should help both horse
and rider to keep relaxed and focused
on their work. The aim of competition
is to demonstrate the level of training
achieved in the partnership of both horse
and rider. The judge will be looking for
harmonious, invisible aids and the application
of these techniques can produce a more
artistic combination of horse and rider,
working together, as one.
LESS CAN BE MORE
Classical Master, Nuno Oliveira, truly
rode from the heart as he understood,
the mind and physical capability of, the
horse with an incredible empathy. He used
to say that he wanted to make the horse
look more beautiful and proud. His riding
was from the heart and not a repetition
of mechanical exercises. There can be
no beauty without love, therefore to dance
with the horse we must ‘feel’
and allow ‘emotion’ to be
able to ride from our heart.
. The horse will quickly perceive our
joy or our stress, our lightness or strength
of aids. We are blessed with his sensitivity
to tune into our mood, body language and
voice tone. He will receive and transmit
all our feelings and once we understand
the power of our influence, we can readily
communicate with the horse.
He will become the mirror of our mind
and our greatest friend.
Jenny’s web site is www.spanishdressagehorses.com
See clips from NEW training DVD and book,
‘Ride From the Heart’
you can Buy the DVD online by
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