Riot and Frolic

I am typing in rhythm to this song, obviously:

Not progressing as quickly as you'd like?  Seeing other dancers who started when you did zoom into higher levels? 

First of all, THAT'S OKAY.  Stop comparing yourself to others.  Dance is a journey, yo. 

Second of all, if you're unsettled by your lack of progress or you have chosen to embrace your competitive nature around the dance floor, THAT'S OKAY, TOO.  I can help with that.

To ensure decent progress, make sure you're not doing any of the… 

Common Traps That Sabotage Your Dance Progress

Not Having a Goal

    Whether it's to make it through the first ten minutes of your studio's social dance or to win a national title, if you don't have a goal written down of what you'd like to accomplish when and why, your crystal ball ain't so crystal clear.  

    Think of things you would like to see yourself doing and write that shiz down.  Need more help?  Of course, I have a post for that: Measuring the Immeasurables.

Expecting Lessons Alone to Make You Great

    While it'd be great to become a fantastic dancer by watching YouTube videos, I think you know that you need to take actual, physical lessons to learn how to dance.  Group classes are a great start, but private lessons are where it's at.  And yet, if you think going to your lessons (even if it's every day) are going to help you become Riccardo and/or Yulia, it's not.  Even if it's five minutes a day, practice outside of the studio is essential to cementing techniques and actions into your primary motor cortex (in layman's terms, your muscle memory).  

    I like to tell students to practice simple exercises while they brush their teeth, or make their coffee, 'cause you CAN stand rockin' when you're in this place.  Any short, passive breaks throughout the day can be used to do helpful exercises that will greatly increase your progress. (Yes, this post will be coming soon as well, but ask your instructor!  We have so many!)

Avoiding Practice

    It's the same, but different as the preceding reason.  If you know you need to practice and kind of sort of halfway do it, you're scheming on a thing, that's a mirage. 

    I've witnessed more than a few dancers go to "practice" and end up a) watching videos of other dancers b) talking to other dancers c) watching other dancers d) starting a few exercises and then doing a,b, and c again.  

    Solo practice, especially, isn't the most spectacular (or inconspicuous-feeling) activity, but the pay-off is often worth the discomfort.  Besides the myriads of posts I have on the subject (When Practice Goes Bad, It's Called Practice for a Reason, The Myth of Practicing More), The Girl With The Tree Tattoo has a sweet PDF on how to practice (look for the "do you solo practice?" header) you could print out backwards and plaster on your forehead so it's always handy when you're in front of a mirror. 

    Because if you're not practicing, listen y'all all, it's a sabotage.

Practicing Fast

    Not fast as in "I have somewhere to go and have to bang out this session", but like "I can only do this at one speed and that's BALLS TO THE WALL". 

    If you can't do it slowly, it's doubtful you are really in control of the thing you're doing.  

    Sez one of my brilliant students: don't practice fast until it's easy, practice easy until it's fast.  SO GOOD.

    So make no mistakes and switch up your channel; try all different tempos for your practice sesh.  But especially slowly!

Not Doing Things That Feel Ridiculous

    There's a certain point in ballroom dancing where it's no longer as the beginning teacher advertised.  It is no longer "just walking".  DAMN IT. 

    Instructors will tell you to do things that feel stupid, unnatural, and unnecessary. But what YOU see, you might not get.  THESE NEW THINGS ARE AWESOME, PHYSICALLY SOUND, AND NECESSARY.  We will talk about your hip flexors and your ankles and your wrists and your fingers and sometimes you'll have to get over yourself and do stuff that feels silly and practice very specific directions on "how to hold hamburger" and you'll discover new ways your various joints can move without breaking anything.  

Bailing Out

    This seems to be a strictly female trait.  Females will throw up their hands mid-move, swerving out of frame, and exclaim some fundamental law of dance has been wronged.  Am/am, pro/am, and pro/pro ladies all do it.  STOP IT.  

    The poor leaders of the dance world are doing their best to lead patterns and choreography TO FRUITION and we're all, "But, yo, I'm out and I'm gone."  

    Ladies, we gotta stick around through a little vexation and do our best to be imperturbable.  Those leads have to have someone to lead if they are going to learn to… wait for it… lead.  And believe it of not, they DON'T do the same thing to us (mostly, because I'm always telling the leads it's their fault, but STILL).

    I'm telling y'all, it's SABOTAGE.