What is in (the coaching of) a 50 Second Variation?

I keep my office door open welcoming all questions. ------------------ Recently, a parent shared that she has been wondering, what her daughter has been doing all these months in her coaching sessions to learn a 50 second variation, with the incredulous tone that demonstrated humor in her 'out of the loopness'. In respect to her daughter's new journey of working with a coach on a classical ballet variation, I could tell she was wondering, but didn't want to ask, Doesn't she have it already? Being glad she voiced her curiosity, I smiled back and began to explain. Then I realized my timing was off. She didn't want to know now. She wanted to leave the experience in her daughter's realm. Terrific for her daughter and kudos to her as a parent. ------------------ Nonetheless, conveying all that coaching (a student or young dancer to performance level of a classical variation) entails is important. Every coach handles the process differently from dancer to dancer, but all of the issues are addressed. ------------------ The time involved is longer for the novice than for the experienced dancer. One dancer may be experienced with one kind of role and not another. To the outsider, dance is dance and one role is like another. To the insider, the subtleties between one classical role and another are large and grows more vast when comparing a romantic era role to a classical role or neoclassic role....not to mention character or contemporary roles. Each time a dancer embarks on learning the portrayal of a new (to them) choreographer's style, the process consumes more time. ------------------ Not dissimilar to a dance rehearsal, coaching sessions work on many facets of the dance: the repertoire and technique, the musicality and phrasing, the character development and acting, as well as the obvious physical, intellectual and psychological training to prepare for the stage and audience. Make-up for the role under bright stage lights is tricky and deserves special attention during the process. Even the costume's weight, dimension, and movement which impact the dancer's use of force, energy, speed, and characterization is worthy of devoted time. Not all concepts are presented at once nor are they presented in any particular order. ------------------ Unlike a dance rehearsal, the personalization of the process and the fine tuning of every detail is deeper and more intense in coaching sessions. Sometimes, only one small section of the dance is the focus of the first several sessions working and reworking epaulment (upper body language), and the lines of the movement in relation to the lines of the classical stage. Other times, the whole variation is taught; then the coach layers and weaves in the many facets of the role as the work continues. Through the process, the coach does not always work on the movement, the artistry, or the staging, instead focuses the performer on the mental, physical and emotional toughness to meet expectations. While the coaching process is broken down into this explanation, one cannot underestimate fostering the dancer's trust in their own instincts. ------------------ Knowing all the work of guiding emerging dancers from student to performer is difficult to relay because so much of the inner most experiences do not trickle down from body to body, but from a passionate heart to a trusting heart, from the coach's inspiration to the dancer's imagination, and from the studio to the stage. ------------------ Rarely does a dancer or coach feel the performer is ready by the performance date as there is always more detail to bring out, but at some point the dancer must go on. Rest assured in the value of the coaching process. With accumulating coaching seasons, the coach and dancer can dig deeper, produce more quickly and making the dancer more versatile and valuable to a company.