Perfect for dance! Simple and cool finishing poses
In dance, you can’t do without those crisp, striking poses where you freeze perfectly to mark scene changes and transitions.
Unlike magazine models who are there to showcase products, the key is to present yourself clearly as the star.
This time, we’ll introduce decisive poses that are perfect for those dance situations.
From poses that make one member stand out to unified group poses that create cohesion, try using them while paying attention to timing and combinations of shapes.
Of course, they’re great to incorporate into dance, but they’re also recommended for photo shoots when you’re unsure how to pose—use them to create a sense of dynamism.
Perfect for dance! Simple and cool finishing poses (1–10)
JoJo pose
These are the striking stances known as “JoJo poses,” taken by characters in Hirohiko Araki’s manga JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.
A major feature is the wide variety of poses available, so choose one that fits your choreography.
Most poses share a deep back arch that looks demanding on the body, and it’s important to firmly engage your legs to maintain balance.
Focus on each joint in your body one by one and aim for a stance that looks even more stylish.
Spread your arms wide
A simple pose where you spread both arms wide; by firmly engaging your hands, you can create a sense of release.
Precisely because the shape is simple, how it connects with the preceding choreography is important.
I recommend maximizing the contrast with smaller, more contained movements beforehand to make the shape feel larger.
The angle of your arms when spreading them is also key—tilting them upward makes your whole body appear even bigger.
Be mindful to keep your neck angle and leg stance on the larger side as well, and use the pose to clearly convey a sense of liberation.
The Rock
Locking is a dance genre characterized by sharp, punctuated freezes.
How about incorporating “the Lock,” a fundamental locking move, as your signature pose? It’s a motion where you bend and pull up the lower arm, making sure to engage your whole body with solid tension.
Since this shape is iconic of locking, it will read as locking even if the choreography before and after isn’t strictly in that style.
Rather than moving on immediately from the Lock position, leave a moment of stillness—the lingering pause will convey power.
cover one’s face
A pose where you hide your face with your hands or arms—how you cover the face and the angle of the arms—are important points.
Rather than covering everything, intentionally leaving gaps so the face peeks through gives the expression a sharper impression.
Because only part of the face is visible, it’s best to pay close attention to the tilt of the head, the direction of the gaze, and how you shape the expression.
It’s also important, for emphasizing the upper body, to consider from which direction you bring the arms in and how you position the hips and legs.
Point(s)
Extending your arm firmly and pointing your index finger is one of the basic moves in lock dance.
It’s more than just pointing—what matters is the image of shooting your arm out quickly from inside your body.
Aim your finger in the intended direction with sharpness in mind.
The standard approach is to point to the side or diagonally upward and lock your body to match, but it’s best to shape it to feel more powerful while considering the flow of the choreography before and after.
In a group, everyone pointing in the same direction can create unity, while deliberately pointing in different directions can produce a sense of expansiveness, which also seems fun.
turning around
This is a signature pose focused on the look you strike when turning around after facing backward in a routine.
The key is revealing your expression as you turn, starting with your face hidden, so be sure to clearly showcase an expression that matches the music when you face front.
If you only turn your head, your gaze won’t fully face forward, so it’s important to imagine twisting your whole body from the waist.
It could be interesting to vary the movement—like turning to face front using just a body twist, or turning as if peeking up from below—by experimenting with how you move your body.
arms-crossed pose
It’s a powerful signature pose: standing with your arms crossed and eyes fixed straight ahead.
First, the way you cross your arms and the height matter—cross them firmly at a slightly higher position to create tension and project strength through your stance.
The direction of your face and how you stand also help emphasize the power in your arms.
I recommend a straight posture, feet shoulder-width apart, facing forward.
The more fluid the preceding choreography is, the more important it becomes to engage your whole body and come to a solid, decisive stop.
standing at attention
A simple pose of just standing with beautiful posture—even though nothing is happening, you can still feel the power.
Michael Jackson is famous for the performance where he stands upright and holds still for a while; he captivated audiences with that stance alone.
It’s important to convey strength throughout the body through the way you stand, paying close attention to details like how the feet are positioned, the placement of the arms, and the direction of the face.
Because the pose is so simple it hardly even looks like a pose, it might also be important to be mindful of how long you hold that posture.
Superhero landing
This pose is inspired by the hero entrance scenes in action movies, where they jump down from a height and land.
It’s a simple shape: one knee up, back slightly rounded, and the gaze directed downward.
If you round your back too much, it can look like you’re crouching, so let’s aim for an angle that looks cooler.
Since it’s used in landing scenes, it’s recommended as a finishing pose right after a jump in choreography.
Pay attention to the tilt of the head and the shape of the hands as well, and refine it into a pose that’s uniquely yours.
cutesy act; playing up a fake-cute persona (burikko)
It’s a simple pose that highlights cuteness.
It’s important to incorporate it with an eye on balance with the choreography before and after.
Bring your clasped hands under your chin, and be mindful of expressions and stance that further accentuate it.
Combining it with unstable shapes like a forward-leaning posture can add a pop feel, which I also recommend.
Repeating this pose multiple times should effectively showcase both cuteness and a touch of calculated charm.