Become a Better Dancer by taking on The Challenge

Photo: Sofia Cortez

In a world of mindfulness with parents trying to give their best to their kids by providing “more”, we all may be entering a dangerous zone where our kids become unaware of the benefits of pushing beyond their comfort zone. In order for the to advance to their next level, they must take on the challenge.

Often we are choosing activities by how “good” they make us feel and not so much by the after effect or the consequence it brings. Truth be told, we forget to acknowledge the opportunities for challenge.

If you want to become a better dancer, become a better student. You must learn to embrace challenge, look towards it and enjoy the process of overcoming it. Dancers like to look good so they focus on their poses, facial expressions and how well they connect their rhythmic moves to the music. That’s good but if you want to reach excellence, your will need to raise your bar of level of commitment.

The following three points, if you challenge yourself to them and commit to become consistent, will open doors to a much higher level for you as a dancer. They may seem simple but reality shows, even the most greatest dancers monitor their consistency.

1. Dance more.

We all know the more practice you intake, the better dancer. If you are beginning, I recommend at least 4 hours of dance per week to move forward at a good pace. You can choose 1 or different styles. For dancers with experience, I recommend 8 hours per week. If your dancing 10 hours or more per week, you can take on the challenge by participating in competitions to improve your level of mastery. With more dance, your body will understand moves better and connecting the vitality of each when they come together.

2. Show up with a great student attitude.

Dance teachers instill confidence in their students but a great student doesn’t inflate the ego with it. When in class, pretend you don’t know anything, review what you may know and take on the new with full attention.

3. Journal.

You can’t change what you don’t know or "remember”. As soon as you’re able to read and write, take notes about what you learn in class and what you need to focus on for next time. The exercise of journaling IS a “body” exercise. Dance requires for you to be capable of focusing. Journaling is proven to be one of the best practices to improve memory and cognitive skills.

Let me know in the comment box for this blog, how this helped you and what I can help you with further. I’ve danced & taught for many years and want to save you time so you can move forward faster in your dancer journey.