Riot and Frolic

I live in MN.  Land of humidity, mosquitoes, 10,000 lakes, and heavy snowfalls.

Minnesotans complaining about snow emergencies (the city declares these after snowfalls over 3" and then a bunch of confusing parking rules go into effect so that streets can get plowed) is like dancesport competitors complaining about conditions at a dance competition.  

Complaints often overheard at competitions:

• The floor is too slippery.
• The floor is too sticky.
• The floor is too small.
• The floor is too big.
• The judges are watching.
• The judges aren't watching.
• There were people in my way.
• We were the only people on the floor.
• There were too many people on the floor.
• The music was too slow.
• The music was too fast.
• The music was weird.
• I didn't recognize the music.
• The ballroom was too cold.
• The ballroom was too hot.
• There were too many people watching.
• There was no one watching.
• I didn't know anyone who was watching.
• My partner did things differently.
• My partner didn't do anything.

Dance competitions aren't about who is the best dancer.  They're about who the best dancer is under those conditions.  Like a Minnesotan who expects to coast through winter without picking up a snow shovel, a competitor who doesn't expect all these challenges is setting themselves unrealistic expectations for their experience.  And is likely to think of each hurdle as an Emergency.

Watching the final that you didn't make, you think, "I am TOTALLY better than her/him/them!"  But were you really?  Really?  Were you calm, cool, collected, and compelling to watch THE ENTIRE TIME you were on the floor?  Did you deal with adversity in a relaxed and proper manner?  DID YOU?

Here's my advice:

• The floor is too slippery. [Click the link.]
• The floor is too sticky. [Click the link.]
• The floor is too small. [Learn to steer.]
• The floor is too big. [It's not baseball.  You don't have to touch each corner.]
• The judges are watching. [That's their job.  You entered a competition, not a showcase.]
• The judges aren't watching. [They did.  They watched you, and everyone else.  And then they were done.]
• There were people in my way. [Go where people aren't in your way.]
• We were the only people on the floor. [A great way to showcase your awesomeness without having to pay for a solo!]
• There were too many people on the floor. [Everyone loves to dance.  Be calm.]
• The music was too slow. [Dance slower.]
• The music was too fast. [Dance faster.]
• The music was weird. [The music was challenging.]
• I didn't recognize the music. [Yay! New music!]
• The ballroom was too cold. [Yup.]
• The ballroom was too hot. [See above.]
• There were too many people watching. [Everyone loves dancing.  Be calm.  Make them love you.]
• There was no one watching. [Dance like no one is watching!]
• I didn't know anyone who was watching. [No pressure to impress friends and family.  See above!]
• My partner did things differently. [Your partner is saying the same thing.  Everyone reacts differently under stress.  Be nice.]
• My partner didn't do anything. [See above.]

My best advice is this: a competition is not your studio, so don't expect it to be.  It's not the same round of music  you play every day, with the same people around,  in the same square footage, on the same surface, without an active audience, and without people judging you.

Learn to not park on the Night Plow Routes the night after a snowstorm and stop thinking of it as an emergency.  Learn to not freak out when there's 24 other couples on the floor and give up that excuse.  All the excuses you create are all the reasons people can beat you.

One year ago: Eat It.