The dancer I value is a movement poet. They intuitively invest movement with depth and gravity. They recite a line of dance with imagination beyond what the steps alone possess.

Steps are empty vessels until a dancer infuses them with meaning and physical poetry. I don’t think this can be learned I think it is inborn and comes naturally from a place that is not the conscious mind. It’s a gift. I have found that many dancers have this gift, but have not tapped into it. The dancer I am looking for can’t resist it. It’s automatic. It’s who they are.
(…)
I don’t care about your height, your face, your race or body type. It’s the way that you dance that matters. I am looking for the dancer with movement imagination who imbues the phrase with something poetic.

Excerpt of “Letter to a Young Dancer”.

Links to complete letter:   Alessandra Ferri’s FB Page, posted on 5th April 2015
or on the site of Skidmore College.

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I was so pleased when I read this! What he wants, and what he asks from his dancers, is what can turn a performance into an unforgettable experience for US.

And what pleased me more: AFTER this description, he goes on and writes about the need of technical skill too – but the quality above is a pre-condition, the first thing Lubovitch looks for!