When you are looking to sign your child up for a new sport or a new activity, you may be overwhelmed with the options. First there’s the type of activity, then the location/company that you choose to participate with, then they start talking to you about “level of competitiveness” on day one. When I was growing up, the options were a lot more limited, and when my mom signed me up, I don’t think she had any ideas the lessons and benefits I was going to take away from dance, far beyond just the steps.
Working with Intention not FOR Attention
The world of social media has changed dance. While it can be an incredible tool to share artistry and ideas, while it has the potential to inspire new dancers, it also opens the door for judgement, comparison and unnecessary criticism. When your training is done in the studio, in a supportive and educational environment, you learn your “why”. And hopefully, that “why” is about much more than just “likes and followers” and is about how the movement feels and the confidence you gain in honing your skills and your craft and your life.
Progress over Perfection
When our sole goal is based on an “outcome”- the trophy, the title, the part, what we miss out on are the lessons learned along the way. Nothing is perfect. But the goal is to be a little bit better than yesterday. When we take an active part of the journey, we realize skills we have beyond the “great achievement”. At the end of the day, the trophies sit on a shelf, the certificates get filed away, even the crowns collect dust- but the work ethic, the tenacity, the resilience, stays.
How To Be Coachable
Learning to receive feedback and corrections without taking them personally is a skill. Being able to separate the person and the product/project is not easy. In a world where excuses are more consistent than accountability, where options are endless and commitments are not, it’s hard to admit that you may need to improve upon something. Dance teaches us that needing to improve upon a technical element does not mean you’re a bad dancer. Dance teaches us that there is always something to learn, and if you are committed to growth and feedback, your possibilities are endless.
Being A Part of Something Bigger Than Yourself
The work environment culture has shifted. So many jobs can now be done from home, over Zoom or on a conference call. Dance performance teaches us that you are a part of something bigger than just yourself, and every piece is needed to make that puzzle come to life. While you can invest in your training on a individualized level, when you are a part of a team and a performance, there are people relying on you. Every practice requires you to show up not just for yourself, but for others who need you- and maybe not just to stand next to them, but to literally catch them. And somewhere along the way, those people you commit to become family. And that “thing” you liked and tried, is now a passion.
You Can Do Hard Things
It’s as simple as that. Learning you can do hard things both mentally and physically, sets you up for the challenges you’ll face along the way. You learn a 3-minute dance, now memorizing a speech doesn’t feel so daunting. You pushed yourself to learn a new skill, now that new job doesn’t seem so scary. You allowed yourself to be vulnerable to feedback and self-expression, now you feel limitless. The “hard” will be different every day, but every day, you can do it.
When all is said and done. When the classes have stopped, when the interests have changed, they’ll realize it was never really about the steps or the applause, but the confidence they created and the standards they set for themselves.
Any content, resident submissions, guest columns, advertisements, and advertorials are not necessarily endorsed by or represent the views of Best Version Media LLC (BVM) or any municipality, homeowners associations, businesses, or organizations that this publication serves. BVM is not responsible for the reliability, suitability, or timeliness of any content submitted, inclusive of materials generated or composed through artificial intelligence (AI). All content submitted is done so at the sole discretion of the submitting party.
