CONTROL Resonant The Dancer — Push or Ground Slam?

Boss tactics Day-one hotfix Updated Oct 7, 2026

The Dancer (often called the ballerina Resonant) is the West Incursion Zone boss in the Patterned Theater. You need Shift from The Incursion Fault before you can reach it. After the fight, The Gap asks you to pick Push or Ground Slam — neither locks the story. Launch hotfix reduced Dancer health and Falter; update the game first if the fight feels spongy.

CONTROL Resonant Push vs Ground Slam comparison — telekinetic shove versus aerial ground slam
Push vs Ground Slam — The Dancer reward choice
Verdict — Push or Ground Slam? Default Ground Slam for most first playthroughs that lean melee and need metal roof Ability Barriers (site path: Barrage → Ground Slam → Ignite). Take Push (~200 Power) when you want cheap knockback into ledges and hazards. Ground Slam hits harder but costs ~630 Power and must be used from the air. You can swap later at The Gap.

Push vs Ground Slam comparison

PushGround Slam
RoleKnockback / crowd controlBurst damage / Falter / barriers
Damage (reported)~50–130 Raw~230–600 Raw (scales with height + Ability Strength)
Falter (reported)~5–20~20–40
Power cost~200~630
How it worksShove enemies (ledges / hazards)Midair slam only — stronger from higher up
Best forCrowds, spacing, vertical streetsMelee DPS, openers, metal roof panels
ExplorationCombat utilitySmashes metal Ability Barriers

Menu values scale with Ability Strength — check The Gap tooltips for your numbers. Ability catalog: Abilities.

Which is better?

  • Ground Slam — better raw damage and Falter; preferred if you want exploration barriers and a big aerial opener (and can bank Power)
  • Push — better everyday crowd control; easier to spam; strong anywhere Manhattan has ledges or hazards
  • Neither is a trap — Reset Items at The Gap let you change later; Pope’s Research tokens can unlock the other eventually

How to get Push or Ground Slam / reach The Dancer

  1. Progress into West Incursion (west of Central / Field Office).
  2. Clear The Incursion Fault for Shift — required to approach the Theater.
  3. Follow West Incursion markers to the Theater / House of Mirrors area.
  4. Enter the stage through the curtain tear — fight starts on approach (or after you touch the Dancer).
  5. Win, finish the Gap sequence, choose Push or Ground Slam.

How far in? Mid-early story — after you have Central access and can finish the Incursion Fault; before the Enemy of My Enemy gate that also needs The Deserter. Order guide: Where to go next.

Prep (if the fight feels too hard)

  • Comfortable Aberrant Strength helps (coverage often cites ~30+).
  • Talents that reward Perfect Dodge / Retaliation pair well — Dancer telegraphs, then recovers.
  • Drill secondary (Weaken) is a strong pairing if unlocked.
  • Use Assist Mode if melee timing is still new — phases stay the same, pressure drops.

Phase 1 — punish recovery, do not mash

  • Let lunges, spins, pounces, and baton combos finish, then land a short string.
  • On the spinning dash: keep moving laterally until the spin fully stops — one dodge is often not enough.
  • Do not dodge toward the boss mid-combo; wait for the commit, then react.
  • Preserve health — phase 2 restores pressure with a fresh bar.

Phase 2 — air puppets, stomps, deadly combo

  • After the first “defeat,” the Dancer goes airborne and throws two puppet / corpse projectiles — dodge or sprint the rim; do not stand under the boss.
  • Keep both the Dancer and the stage in view, then re-engage after it lands.
  • Close-range AoE stomps come out fast — bait by stepping in, dodge out on the raised leg, punish the recovery.
  • Around mid second bar, watch for a four-hit baton string ending in a ground slam — the deadliest pattern; one hit often chains the rest. Back off and dodge the full string before punishing.

Spotlight / finish

Late phase, the theater darkens and a spotlight locks onto the Dancer. Stay inside the steady spotlight; drifting out triggers a pull under her feet. When the stage flashes and she wraps in blue light / Severe Falter, commit damage and execute (L3 / finish prompt). Prioritize dodging the long baton string over greedy hits while the spotlight is active.

After The Dancer The Dancer and The Deserter are both required before Enemy of My Enemy. Clearing a Resonant can cycle enemies stronger in the zone — gather upgrades before rushing Deserter if streets feel harder. Fire pick after Deserter: Ignite or Inferno. Builds: best builds.

FAQ

Push or Ground Slam — which should I pick?

Ground Slam for most melee / Ability Barrier needs; Push for cheap crowd control and ledge kills. Same answer for “what’s stronger” — stronger raw hit is Ground Slam; more flexible everyday tool is often Push.

Is The Dancer the ballerina boss?

Yes. Official name is The Dancer (West Incursion Theater / Patterned Theater).

How do I beat The Dancer?

Dodge committed combos, punish recoveries, survive phase-2 puppets and stomps, stay in the late spotlight, and unload on the blue Falter window. Details above.

Can I get both Push and Ground Slam?

Not from the same Resonant pick. Change with a Reset Item at The Gap, or unlock the other later with a Resonant Token from Pope’s Research.

Related: Boss hub · Combat · Beginner build