Defining Artistry in Ballet: 9 Elements Adult Dancers Can Work On

Based on my conversation with Chelsea Weidmann on After Class: The Adult Ballet Podcast. This article contains Amazon affiliate links that, if used, allow me to make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Artistry can feel elusive... Teachers ask for it, audiences notice it, but how do we actually cultivate it? Ballet researcher & teacher Chelsea Weidmann (creator of GeekyBallerina.com and author of Artistry Inside Ballet Technique), breaks artistry down into nine concrete elements, giving adult dancers a practical roadmap to develop and enjoy their artistry both in the studio and on the stage.

The Nine Elements

1. Breath

Breath is both a physiological necessity and an artistic tool that can transform movement into dance. How and when you inhale and exhale and where you choose to place breath in a phrase changes the quality of your movement.

2. Somatic Awareness

Somatic awareness is knowing of what your body is actually doing in the moment (not what you hope it looks like). This awareness includes things like knowing where you're holding tension, how high is your leg placed in an extension, and what shape are you making with your foot. Somatic awareness is the foundation for honest technical and artistic change.

3. Line

Line includes three categories: (1) static lines (e.g. the body five positions), (2) curved/dynamic lines (e.g. port de bras and epaulement), and (3) the illusion of line (e.g. the impression of length we are trying to create in our movements and extensions). Illusion of line is the most advanced (and fun) of these three categories, and the one that ballet dancers are always chasing. It's the ability to appear as though we are taking up more space than the body actually occupies.

4. Body Carriage

Body carriage is the intentional way you place weight, tilt, and subtle shifts of balance — an expressive choice of posture beyond skeletal alignment. It’s how small shifts in the placement of your body communicate inner choices (for example, choosing to hunch in order to depict an elderly character, or Juliet leaning toward where Romeo stands on stage in order to convey her desire to be near him).

5. Three-Dimensional Movement

Three-dimensional movement acknowledges the depth of the space all around you, both on the horizontal and vertical planes. Because we utilize the mirror so often, many dancers conceptualize their bodies and dancing as two-dimensional, almost like a paper-doll, according to Chelsea. But thinking of you body and your movement as three dimensional (i.e. having depth) improves turnout, spatial awareness, and the richness of your shapes.

6. Eyeline

Eyeline is the directional line of the gaze — a laser-like extension from your eyes, that helps create expansiveness in your movement, and is essential in conveying emotion and character qualities. Though subtle, eyeline dramatically changes how movement reads.

7. Dynamics

Dynamics are the energy qualities of movement — such as, sharp v. soft, quick v. sustained — the modulation of energy without changing technical structure. Exploring dynamics lets you vary intention and texture within the same steps.

8. Musicality

Musicality is how movement and music relate and how the music and movement either lead or follow each other. This is largely based on choices to emphasis certain aspects of the music, which counts are used to move vs. pause, etc. Strong musicality makes movement feel inevitable and organic.

9. Acting

Acting is the willingness to behave as if something is true — to make choices and be vulnerable so that our movement carries emotional truth. For adults, acting is often the scariest element, but it’s also how connection and meaning really starts to come through our dancing.

Ideas for Working on Each Element

A short guide to getting started... Work on one element at a time, and choose the one that excites you most to start. Or if you can’t decide, begin with breath. As Chelsea points out, you can only meaningfully focus on one new thing at a time, and starting with what feels fun or accessible will keep you motivated.

Breath

Try inhaling as your body expands and exhaling as it contracts, then experiment the opposite way and notice which supports your movement (i.e. for turns, test inhaling on preparation and exhaling during the turn and vice versa, or for plies try inhaling as you bend, and exhaling as you straighten, and vice versa). Use short combinations to discover your preferred breath-pattern and see how breath changes quality and stability.

Somatic awareness

The first thing for adults to work on when it comes to somatic awareness is tension. Notice the tension in your body and, when you find habitual tension (daily habits like brushing teeth or lifting dishes can often reveal it) work on mindfully relaxing the contracted muscles.

Line

Give yourself permission to take up space and push your sense of length beyond comfort; record a combination or center work and then challenge yourself to do it again with more length and stretch in your port de bras and extensions. Consciously choose to to expand your limbs and energy in class, rather than compressing.

Body carriage

Play with subtle shifts of weight and placement in everyday combinations (for example, transfer weight fractionally toward or away from another dancer or imaginary partner). Experiment with small tilts and weight placement to communicate direction or intention without changing core alignment.

Three-dimensional movement

Turn away from the mirror and notice how doing so brings awareness the back and sides of your body. Practice dancing without facing the mirror to cultivate awareness of the space you're in and how you can move through it while maintaining turnout and alignment.

Eyeline

Practice balance and port de bras while choosing different eyelines; film or study performances and notice where professionals send their gaze. Treat your eyeline as an extension of line — a subtle shift of focus can enhance expansiveness and character.

Dynamics

Be intentional about bringing the correct dynamics to each exercise. Frappe, for example, should have a strong, sharp energy, while adagio should be soft and light. Train yourself to utilize & convey the correct energy as you execute each step. For steps where the dynamics are not set, play with using different energy!

Musicality

Try aligning your movement to different musical elements (phrasing, accents, instrumentation) so movement and music begin to feel connected.

Acting

Give yourself permission to experiment and use a character prompt for your at-home practice. Take a YouTube class as Kitri! This Don Quixote barre is perfect for practicing some acting 😄

Final thoughts & next steps

Chelsea’s nine-element framework turns artistry from a vague concept into a set of tangible practices. For adult dancers, getting started is simple: choose one element at a time, start where it’s fun, or start with breath if you can’t choose. Over time, your small experiments will accumulate into a richer, more expressive practice in class and onstage.

Huge thank you to Chelsea Weidmann for her thoughtful research and generosity in sharing her knowledge! 💞

You can find Chelsea at GeekyBallerina.com. (Make sure and subscribe to her newsletter — it's SUCH a good one). Her book Artistry Inside Ballet Technique — Volume One is available on Amazon.

If you liked this post, listen to our full conversation below! 👇🏼

Until next time, happy dancing!

xx Hannah