Riot and Frolic

You run a race: you have a time. You play a ball game: you have a score. You lift weights: you have a number.

But then you have figure skating, gymnastics, and ballroom dancing. The gains aren't measured in inches or times or home runs.  The scores are based on people's opinions, not on a concrete measureable, and there is constantly controversy in the results.  If you hadn't noticed, no one agrees on anything (see: politics, religion, any sports message board).

Yet, skating has compulsories, required elements, and  technical judges.  Gymnastics has difficulty and execution scores,  required element, and hundredths of points.  

(Although I DARE you to find fault in Mckayla Maroney's vault from the 2012 Olympics.)

Ballroom dancing is an art that, in its competitive form, has not yet been regulated into points and bonuses and requirements, for better or for worse.  There is little to no regulation in couples "dancing down" in levels that they have, in theory, passed out of.

Even if the scoring system were perfect, I've seen people win and not feel great about it (other couples of their caliber weren't there; it felt bad; other couples were sick).  I've seen people not make the final and celebrate (it felt amazing; the field was very tough; they made one cut; they got one call back; strangers cheered for them).

So how do you go to a dance competition and feel good about it?  

DO NOT MAKE GOALS BASED ON PLACEMENT.

• Unless you have LITERALLY competed against EVERY SINGLE OTHER COUPLE MANY TIMES and won every single time by placing first in all dances, you may not EXPECT to win.  
•  It is completely random and not based on anything you have control over.  You can't control if judges see you, when judges see you, how judges place you, who else shows up, or how well the other couples dance.  
• The only thing you have control over is HOW YOU DANCE.

You may, however, choose certain people to put on your "hit list".  

• If there is a fellow competitor who dances at the same level as you, but who you go back and forth with on scoring, or who scores slightly above you, you may have a goal to beat that person. 
• You must make a specific goal (beat So-and-so in the scholarship at Wherever; win the bolero in freestyles over him; take marks off of them in finals)
• You don't have to be rational about wanting to beat this person/couple.  Maybe she told you you "rock a lot of polka dots" or you heard him say "expresso" or you just think you're better than the other person.  If it movtivates you to do the following, then great.
• Do the following:

Lead up to your competition or event with short-term goals (1-2 weeks) that build toward long-term goals (end at your event).

• Footwork, posture, timing, musicality, performance: these are all very broad long-term goals.  If you need help setting dance goals, I suggest you buy this book.  Or talk to your teacher.  Duh.
• Nailing all your heel turns, keeping your eyes off the floor, listening to the music, holding your slows, and smiling are all short-term goals.  
• Short-term goals can be broken into VERY MEASUREABLE actions. 

"I will practice heel turns 10 minutes a day for the next month."  

"3 times this week, I will have my friend watch a dance and yell at me anytime I look down."  

"I will put my headphones on and practice with music 30 minutes a day until the competition."  

"I will count '1 2' on each slow in my routine this week."  

"I will videotape my cha-cha and watch it to make sure I am smiling the whole time on Friday."

• Write them down, check them off, move on to the next short-term one.  Get closer to the long-term goal.  Complete long-term goal.  Get a new one.  Repeat.  Get better.  
• At your event, your goal is not "get 1st place" (which is stupid), it is "have that awesome footwork I've practicing for 2 months."

Take videos.

• Videos suck.
• Videos are also a really obvious visual progression of your dancing.  Look at your "tape" from 6 months ago.  A) It's probably not as bad as you thought it was when you first watched it.  B) Comparing it to your new video, you'll be surprised at far you've come.

Trust your coaches' opinions.

• Teachers and coaches CAN tell you if you've improved, and not just to feed their own ego.

Trust your feelings.

• This one sounds really lame, but if you really ignore the placements you got, and you ask yourself "Was it fun/exciting/pretty/strong/easy/awesome/blissful?" and the answer is "yes", then you're doing it right.

Talk to strangers, or let them talk to you.

• Do strangers cheer for you?
• Do people you don't know say they love your dancing?
• Boom.  World rocked.  

While winning is great, it's not everything.  Have fun.  Dance more.  Eat a cookie.

Happy Friday.

Two years ago: Request for Bread, in which I make bread.