Should you “hold in” your abdominals when you dance?

I was sitting in a circle at a dance workshop, and people were sharing their experiences and asking questions that came up during the practice. We talked about rhythm, tension, the role of eyes in confidence, power postures, self-defense moves. I was stretching and listening and truly not being there in my role as a movement teacher, and then a question snapped me out of my student state of mind.

“Do you guys activate your core when you dance? Do you hold it to turn it on?”

I didn’t know what...