I learned to solve all my Interior Design problems by dancing.
It’s true. Doesn’t matter what type of dancing. Belly dancing, Persian dancing, salsa, and more. There are lessons there. And, it is a lot more fun to learn them dancing than in a classroom
Art Is Guided by the Same Principles
The older I get, the more I realize the connections between all things artistic. The same principles apply to making the magic happen in Interior Design or any other art form. You just need to open your eyes, listen, and feel it to notice.
And sometimes that includes feeling the principles in how you move your body and express yourself.
It always seems to come back to this alignment between art, science, and energy that I combine when I am creating a perfect space for myself or you.
Interconnectedness of Dance and Design
There are lots of connections between dancing and designing a room.
Movement & Flow: Just as in dance, where fluidity and grace are key, a well-designed space should enable ease of movement and a harmonious flow between its different parts.
Balance & Symmetry: Whether it’s balancing your weight on one foot during a pirouette or ensuring that the furniture in a room is symmetrically arranged, the concept of equilibrium is pivotal in both realms.
Emotion & Expression: A dance is more than just steps; it’s about expressing emotion. Similarly, a room is not just furniture and walls; it’s about conveying a mood or sentiment.
Attention to Detail: In dance, every hand movement, every facial expression matters. In design, it’s the same – from the color of the throw pillows to the texture of a rug, every choice contributes to the whole.
Rhythm: As in dance, rhythm in design can be established by repeating patterns, colors, or shapes, creating a visual tempo that guides the eye.
The Spotlight: Just as a dancer uses the focal point on stage to captivate the audience, so does an interior designer use a centerpiece or focal point to draw attention in a room.
Adaptability: Dancers adjust to the music, the space, the partner. Similarly, a good interior designer adjusts to the constraints of a space, the needs of the client, and the available resources.
I get inspired by dance and apply it to art and design. It’s a testament to the universal language of art and creativity and how understanding one form can inspire creativity in another.
Solving Design Dilemmas
So what do I mean I learned to solve all my Interior Design problems by dancing? There are so many ways and examples,
such as how to mix styles.
Mixing Styles
Merging dance styles isn’t about merely mashing two forms together; it’s about putting them together in a manner that feels organic and new while still respecting their origins.
Let’s draw a parallel to interior design:
Imagine if you’re merging two distinct design styles, say, mid-century modern with rustic. Here’s how this dance choreography analogy can be applied:
Understand the Base Style: Just as in choreography, it’s vital to understand the core essence of your primary design style. If mid-century modern is your predominant style, recognize its key features: clean lines, organic curves, and functional form.
Introduce Elements from the Secondary Style: Now, take elements from the rustic design: raw wood, handmade items, and weathered materials, and incorporate them in a way that complements the mid-century modern vibe.
Maintain Essence: While adding the rustic elements, it’s crucial to maintain the essence of the mid-century modern style. It’s not about cluttering the space with mismatched items but choosing elements that augment the primary style.
Fusion, Not Confusion: The goal is to create a cohesive look that feels fresh and unique but still rooted in its origins. Every choice should be deliberate and not just a random addition.
Telling a New Story: The merged style should narrate a new tale, one that carries the legacies of both styles but stands on its own.
In the same way, a choreographer uses movement to weave a story that fuses two dance styles, an interior designer can blend elements to create a space that sings a fresh, harmonious song of its own.
The beauty lies in the balance, in understanding the essence, and in ensuring the fusion creates something novel while staying true to its roots.
Eclectic Versus Fusion
For example, I see dancers that want to do a belly dance/flamenco fusion. They do some classical belly dance moves, then some flamenco moves, and then back to belly dance. They alternate the twor recognizable elements and assume because they are together in one piece, they have created a “fusion” of styles. Really, it is just a bunch of moves mixed together.
It reminds me of what many people do in a room and they call it “eclectic”. That is an elegant way of saying, “I threw a bunch of things together that are unrelated into a room with no plan or story”.
A real dance artist will know the classical Egyptian moves and feeling well, and also the flamenco. They will notice where moves are similar in their feeling, flow, intention. They will naturally notice where a move of one style could “go with the flow” and move into something from the other style seamlessly and beautifully, creating a new “move” in the process, different from the 2 separate moves that inspired it.
They know the rules of both styles enough to break them and create something even more powerful by doing so.
Making Magic with a True Fusion of Styles
True fusion, be it in dance, design, or any other art form, is about creating a harmonious blend where the result is a beautiful and novel offspring of its parent elements, rather than just a juxtaposition.
Superficial Fusion vs. Deep Fusion: In the dance example, merely alternating between belly dance and flamenco is superficial fusion, much like putting different styles of furniture in a room without a connecting theme. It lacks depth and intention.
Understanding the Essence: True fusion requires a deep understanding of both styles. It’s about recognizing the essence of each and finding places where they want to combine naturally. Like noticing the rhythmic footwork in both flamenco and certain belly dance styles and blending them to create a novel movement.
The Narrative: Every dance tells a story. The same goes for a well-designed room. This narrative gets lost when styles are jumbled together without thought. But when fused with understanding, they tell a compelling tale that carries the flavor of both, but the uniqueness of something new.
Breaking Rules Creatively: Knowing rules well means you can break them intentionally, not accidentally. It’s the difference between creating a masterpiece and making a mess. A dancer or designer who understands both styles can take risks, pushing boundaries to create something revolutionary.
The Emotional Connect: Beyond moves or objects, both dance and design are about evoking emotion. A true fusion evokes feelings that resonate with both styles but also elicits something new.
Whether it’s dance or Interior Design, true fusion is an art. It’s not about mere combination but integration. The resultant creation should not only reflect its parent styles but should also stand on its own, captivating and novel.
The Art of Mixing Styles in Dance
In my choreographies, I frequently delve into the realm of fusion, an artful blending of different dance styles. For example, I united contemporary and ancient forms, by pairing modern silk butterfly wings with the ancient art of Persian Miniature dance.
Persian Miniature dancing is a classical tradition where dancers animate the pages of ancient paintings.
My dance weaves a tale of metamorphosis of a person from innocent childhood to the wisdom of old age, conveying a narrative of resilience, growth, and beauty, much like the emergence of a butterfly from its cocoon with a modern design element to help tell the story.
That is the artistry, the magic, the creative force that makes something beautiful. It is the unique expression of the dancer. It tells their story. No one else can do that.
Use that same artistry to create your perfect space, which is a unique expression of you. It is the dance or alignment of creativity, color and connection that tells your story.
The Art of Mixing Styles in Design
I am personally drawn to creating what I call “Modern Global” style—a unique blend that echoes a simplified and more elegant version of Bohemian style, drawing inspiration from the vibrant colors, intricate textures, artistry, and eco-conscious sensibilities of diverse cultures such as Morocco, India, Turkey, Mexico, and Greece, among others. These designs are inherently tied to nature, evoking the myriad hues and rhythms of the great outdoors.
This style marries the vibrancy, artistic flair, and resonance of Global Style with the elegant simplicity of modern design. It’s a harmonious dance between the two: exuding elegance, and highlighting art, celebrating curves and an organic fluidity.
In essence, “Modern Global” is a curated symphony of the world’s artistic treasures, distilled through a contemporary lens.
The understanding of mixing styles I gained as a dancer helps me get to know and express your story and style, as we are all unique.
Are You Ready to Create Your Perfect Space?
Are you ready to tell your unique story and find the alignment of all the things you love that will create the perfect space for you? Enlist the help of an expert to take that trip to your perfect space in a Ferrari instead of a stagecoach. Try my Aligned Design consultation and let’s get started.
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I appreciate your insight into how dance and design are related. I too think that most creative endeavours are related and if you explore creativity in different ways it will build your artistry in all areas.
Great point that exploring that can help build your artistry! Love that.
Combining design with dance, it is a natural flow! I wouldn’t have thought but it makes perfect sense!
Haha, one of those weird connection you never make unless you do both things, and then it is so obvious:)
Great analogy, Mary Ann and a fascinating lens with which to view design as a way to tell your own story! Well done!
Thank you!
What a refreshing and inspiring post! I have always felt that we do our best work when we employ all of our senses! Love your creativity, and such a fun post to read!
Thank you so much!