Dancers at the University of Arizona recently performed Jerome Robbins’ Antique Epigraphs, an ensemble piece for eight women that requires intricate linear formations and walking in unison. “It was super-challenging for us,” says dance professor Melissa Lowe. “Students needed a heightened sense of awareness, or it wasn’t going to happen.” Lowe asked dancers to use their intuition and aural sensibilities to help determine where they needed to be, when they should be there and how to get to those places—together.

Teaching dancers to work in unison, whether as a large corps de ballet or small ensemble group, is an integral part of their training. It requires teamwork, attention to detail and thoughtful preparation for a successful group effort. Teachers need to provide the right steps and counts to ensure cohesiveness, of course. But how you set the material will also encourage dancers to be in line and in sync—while still allowing them to be individuals.

Make sure they show up

Photo by Ed Flores, courtesy of University of Arizona

University of Arizona students at the end of Balanchine’s Serenade

Missing dancers can be disastrous for a group piece. “If it’s a studio production, there has to be an agreement up front for students who want to be involved,” says Lorita Travaglia, ballet mistress at Colorado Ballet. “When one person is missing and doesn’t know what they’re doing, it really does affect the whole group.” Understanding the importance of commitment is a crucial part of dancers’ (and their families’) training. “They have the responsibility to everyone, not just themselves,” she says.