Choosing the right variation is one of the most important decisions in a dancer’s development. It’s not just about difficulty or how “impressive” the variation looks, it has to match where the dancer is technically and artistically right now. For example, Giselle is a very difficult variation not because of the steps alone, but because of the emotional texture and vulnerability it requires. When you dance Giselle, you can’t simply execute the choreography. You have to feel her softness, her sinc