Trained VS. Self-Taught: A False Dichotomy in Dance

What is art?

Art to me is an escape from reality. A way to express our thoughts, feelings, emotions and experiences.

Throughout my artistic journey, I have encountered many situations where people were engaged in conversations on the differences between the qualifications of a trained/ technical dancer versus a self-taught dancer. The debate on whether one is more equipped to succeed in their professional artistic career than the other. This led me to question myself on what determines the longevity and accomplishments in an artistic journey. Also, at the end of the day, does your academia or life experiences matter in evaluating or appreciating your talent and your gift?

A technically trained dancer or professional is defined as one who has received formal training from an educational institution, whereas a self-taught dancer is one who learned through discovery and learning from others within the dance community. Although in theory, these two seem clear cut, in reality the lines are blurred, or at times non-existent. Every dancer at one point or another will go through some form of formal training whether it’s through classes, and/or workshops, residencies, or mentorship programs. Just like how every dancer at some point, through discovery, will use their life experiences to develop their own artistic voice that is not taught in an educational institution.

In saying that, I am curious if we can or will ever reach a point where we can debunk the idea of technical segregation. Dance is not a singular entity, there are hundreds if not thousands of different genres across the globe so who determines which “technique” supersedes another?

Stephen Wang writes in his book, Triple Crown Leadership, “No matter what job you have in life, 5 % of your success will be determined by your academic credentials, 15% by your professional experiences and 80% by your communication skills.”

Do you agree? Do you believe that technical training, life experiences, or a combination of both will help you be successful in your artistic journey?

What are your thoughts? Please comment on this blog if you would like to participate and share your experiences in this community discussion. If you have thoughts that you would rather not share publicly, please email me at info@danceimmersion.ca.

Yours truly,

Zahra