t is all about the small details. That is what makes a professional dancer.? So says American Ballet Theatre instructor Brian Reeder, and as any student of his classes will agree, he might be charming, gracious, and a constant source of perfect, sweat-covered movement, but his bright blue eyes don?t miss a thing. Whether it is physically adjusting a foot, leg or arm position, or reminding the dancers to tuck their butts in and keep their backs straight, his is a mission of perfection.

It is, after all, the way he himself was trained from childhood.

?I tell the dancers, ?You all want to eat the cake, but not to learn the recipe. You have to learn the recipe or you can?t bake the cake?,? Mr. Tidwell says. ?Repetition is the name of the game. I remember as a student saying, ?Do I have to do that again?? and the answer was: ?Yes, because it?s not right?. Dance is a physical vocabulary.?

Indeed, the process of perfecting technique is akin to that of a piano student learning scales and arpeggios ? not fun, but a vital building block in perfecting one?s art.

Mr. Reeder admits that partnering remains his favourite part of teaching because it was what he enjoyed most as a dancer.

?It takes two to dance. Solo work is really nice, but there is something special about dancing on stage with someone else and sharing the experience, not just the technique. A lot of times I will ask my students, ?What colour are her eyes? What colour hair does he have?? as a way of beginning to get them used to the essence of sharing with someone, and having that cameraderie and that relationship.?

Of course, the ABT instructor admits that ?everyone wants to be a solo dancer?.

?Dancers kind of forget what is special about connecting with someone on stage,? he says. ?Partnering goes beyond the dance class. There is a psychological element too.?

In Bermuda, Mr. Tidwell has been particularly struck by the local dancers? sense of fear in partnering work.

?The girls especially are really afraid, but I am trying to get them to realise that this is what the guy is for, and they can trust him to catch them and not let them fall. Getting people to trust each other and have a relationship is sometimes a big loophole for them to jump through, but hopefully that will come out of the classes.?

While acknowledging that technical classes in solo work involve an element of narcissism (Is my body ideal? Are my arms beautiful? My leaps breathtaking?) the instructor says partnering forces dancers to look in the mirror.

?You have to be aware of helping each other out. It takes teamwork. People forget that. They are more concerned about multiple pirouettes ? what I call tricks, showing off,? he says.

Reflecting on the local dancers? participation in the summer intensive programme, Mr. Tidwell says the classes can only yield positive benefits.

?It opens up people?s eyes, which is good. ?What do dancers from other places really look like?? We all have that experience. It?s not just happening here in Bermuda, it also happens to students who come to the US from all over. That is how you keep working hard. You don?t want to get lazy, and you need a competitive edge sometimes by looking at other students who are as good as you or better.

?If you all want to be dancers that?s wonderful, but if you are going to be a banker or something else in life, the knowledge you gain about sharing space with another person, taking direction well, and remembering things from day to day, all come from dance. Don?t get concerned that what you are learning isn?t useful.?

Explaining that dancing is ?multi-tasking? involving such things as the correct positioning of the head, feet and arms at the same time, Mr. Reeder says one of his goals has been trying to train the young students to think of all of these elements simultaneously whilst not missing out on the dynamics.

?It takes wits,? he says. And let no-one be fooled, his mind is a sharp as his eyes. ?I can always tell when the dancers are thinking of something else. You have to stay in rehearsal all the time.?

Whether or not a student is naturally gifted is not an issue in making a great dancer in this instructor?s opinion. Instead, it is all about commitment, dedication and hard work.

?That is the point we are trying to get across here,? Mr. Streeter says. ?The Bermudians might look across at the foreign students and think, ?Wow, they are really good dancers?, but they can be good too if they don?t give up, and stay focussed. It takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears, and it cannot be a part time thing to become a dancer. I tell them I am here to better them by observing them, telling them what they are doing wrong, and give constructive criticism, and they are not to take offence at that. Dance is joy ? that movement, that experience.?

Summing up his time in Bermuda, the freelance teacher and choreographer says: ?Bermuda is beautiful. Who wouldn?t want to work here? It has been a learning experience for everyone, but we knew it would be. There are no surprises here. I think there will be some changes ? but for the positive. Each project you do is honing your craft.?