Dance Better Now

Overcoming self-doubt in dance

 

Many of us have worries that we do not dance well. This is despite the fact that logically we know we can dance. We have gone to dance classes, we have practiced and we have received feedback on our progression. But still, we have this self-doubt.

This makes it hard to enjoy dance. If we always doubt our abilities no matter how well we can actually dance, then we will never enjoy dance as much we could or should. And this is what makes self-doubt so insidious. When we should be dancing and enjoying ourselves, we are actually worried that we’re not dancing well, and upsetting the person we are dancing with or that others think less of us. Not only that, but it can also make us think about giving up or not putting as much effort in as we would really like.

Clearly, none of this is ideal. Therefore, overcoming self-doubt will let us enjoy dance more and put more effort into improving our ability.

There are two methods that you can use to overcome self-doubt in dance. One is a bit strange and the other will seem a little familiar. I have found the first one to be easier, but it needs and open mind. The second takes time, but it makes a little more sense.

Tapping

Tapping is based on acupressure points. Point that cause us to take on a more positive attitude toward anything we choose. From experience this works incredibly well.

You can learn more here.

However, let’s cover the basics now.

First, remember these points:

• The side of your hand –the karate chop part
• Just above the eye brows
• The cheekbone just below the eyes
• The upper lip
• The chin
• The collar bone
• The middle ribs on the side – just above where the elbow touches you sides when your arms are down
• The top of your head

Now take one of your greatest concerns about dance. Say not looking good, losing time or forgetting a step. Imagine it happening and notice how you feel.

Now in your head repeat this concern. Say something like ‘I will dance terribly because I will lose timing’ or ‘I just know I’ll do something wrong when dancing tonight’.

While repeating this statement spend around 5 – 10 seconds tapping each of the parts of your body listed above.

Once you have gone through the list, stop and think about your dancing again. You should notice that you feel better about it now.

Next, come up with a more positive statement. Say something like ‘I have been getting better at dancing and my timing since I have started. As long as I work at it I know I will get better’ or ‘Given my level, I am dancing well and everyone will know that’

Now repeat this statement while tapping each of your body parts on the above list for 5-10 seconds at a time.

Once that is done stop again and see how you feel. You will be feeling much better now.

Anytime you’re feeling stressed or in self-doubt about dance, go through the tapping procedure again.

If you want to find out more about tapping, then check out the link to the right and sign up to the email list. Margaret is excellent and really wants to help you.

Removing the fear of choking

Self-doubt can get right into our heads and make us choke when we need to perform at our best. There has been a lot of research into why we choke. The book shown to the right summarises a lot of this research. The author Sian Beilock has done a good job of explaining what we can do to reduce choking and in the process remove a lot of self-doubt.

If you take a look at it, then you will likely find something that you can use.

However, there are two techniques that are simple, make sense and have been tested to see that they work.

Get used to it.

The more you do something the less doubt you have about it. How many tive have you have had a doubt about your ability to walk?

If you think you can push through it, then this is a method worth trying. It will be difficult, but it will work. The other advantage is that it makes your practice as well so you get a double benefit. Before you take this path you need to be clear of one thing – you are going to intentionally put yourself in uncomfortable situations so that you can become stronger and no longer worry about them. Being clear about this in your head will help you apply yourself more and take the edge off the fear.

Once you have committed to this approach all you need do is find as many situations where you will need to dance. Ideally, situations that trigger your self-doubt. This could simply be group classes somewhere else, small comp’s within your dance school or social events. If you feel too stressed then just remember, that the purpose is to get over the stress.

Exorcise the concerns and enhance the positives

Have you ever noticed that when you talk about something that is troubling you that it no longer seems like such a big deal?

Often when we start to worry about something is gets locked up in our brain and we just keep focusing on it. It hangs around and ties us up in knots inside, and then fills us with self-doubt. However, if we get it out, then we feel a lot better.

Once of the easiest ways to get it out is to write it down. Writing it down sends a signal to the brain that the information has been stored, and no longer needs to be worried about. This then means it will no longer be the focus of our brain.

Side note – telling people about plans to exercise, lose weight, start a business etc. can be detrimental. By talking about it, the brain thinks the job is done and focus is lost. If you do talk about it, then make a promise or a prediction that compels you to follow through.

Once you have exorcised the doubt, it’s a good time to build confidence. Start to think about the things you can do. You have been practicing for a while so you have improved in numerous ways. We need to be reminded of this at times. With some conscious effort we can make our brain focus on the positives, and really reduce that self-doubt.

The 8 myths you incorrectly believe about better dancers

Most of us have encountered another dancer always seems to dance better than us - not matter what we do. We sometimes look for reasons to explain away their better dance so that we do not need to confront the frustration this can bring. However, many of these reasons we produce are myths. If you confront each myth to find the truth, and use this truth to improve the way you learn dance, then you will become the one that others make myths about.

Here are the 8 myths that people hold about those other dancers who dance better and how to confront them to be a better dancer.

1 They are naturals

Depending upon which country you live in you might or might not follow cricket. If you do, then you will likely know of a man by the name of Shane Warne. He is known for resurrecting spin bowling and delivering the Ball of the Century. He is for this reason considered a remarkable athlete and some would say a natural. However, he is also known for Warne’s rule:

There is no such thing as a natural.

He is certainly not the only person to posit this notion. However, it is noteworthy that one so talented and considered a natural would say this.

The notion of there being no such thing as a natural is also supported by the researcher into expert performance: Anders Ericsson. Ericsson found that all world class experts in their chosen field had completed a period considerable practice to become as good as they were. This was the case for Shane Warne and for those people you think are naturals.

If you know someone who dances better than you and it seems that they have done the same amount of practice as you, then one (or maybe more) of three things has probably happened:

1. They engaged in a hobby or pastime prior to starting dance and developed skills that carried over to dance
2. They actually practice more than they let on – many people do this to create an air of mystique
3. They practice in a more focused (deliberate) manner than you

The fact is that the people who dance well are either now or were once engaging in deliberate practice to develop the numerous attributes that make for a good dancer.

If you want to dance as well as them, then review how much deliberate practice you put in and how focused that practice is.

2 They have a dancer’s body

I have used this one a few times myself. I know men with trim builds who can more easily wrap theirs and their partner’s limbs around their torso. They can also move a little faster because of their leanness. It is true that some people will have a physique that gives them an edge, but it’s not a huge edge so don’t go thinking that this is the reason for someone dancing that much better than you.

And there is a lot more to dance than body shape.

I know I have said this before, but John Lindo is a perfect example of how much more there can be to dance.

 

Nevertheless, depending upon the dance style, you will likely find that a bit of deliberate practice to improve strength, flexibility and endurance will help.

3 They were born in the right culture, which gives them some je ne se

This one is heard a lot. It is especially espoused by people from the respective culture. I personally find it odd that someone would rather try to exclude others from enjoying their culture than try to promote their culture to others and take pride in how it is loved and mastered by so many. But I think this gets back to people needing to find other ways of feeling good about themselves.

But getting back to the point – it is not that they just have some je ne se because of their culture. It is simply that they:

1. grew up with the respective music so they can express it more in their dance and
2. they get the attitude to goes with the dance so they can also express the style easily as well.

The solution to this is once again a lot like practice.

You would be well served first by listening more to the kind of music you dance to. Second, think about the attitude and try expressing that. I only know a few teachers who actively encourage this so if you work on it, then you will quickly improve.

Learning to express attitude can take a while, and is more like acting. However, acting is a component of dance, and is worth trying.

 

4 They pay for more dance lessons

There is certainly an advantage to having more lessons. However, if you know how to practice properly in your own time, then you will make much more out of a smaller number of dance lessons. In my experience, people who pay for more lessons often grow complacent in their practice, and the benefit of the extra lessons is lost.

Remember that much of learning is actually processing what you have learned in your lesson, and not just doing the lesson. Thus, doing more lessons are often just a substitute for practice. Twice as many lessons will not make you improve your dance twice as fast.

Doing the following will make up for any difference that comes from someone else taking more dance lessons than you:

• Focus on processing what was covered in a lesson by going over it regularly (at least once a day with physical practice) and before going to sleep each night in bed to drive it all to the unconscious mind for greatest benefit.
• Record video footage of the key things (figures, techniques, routines and such) taught in each lesson.
• Dance socially – this will really test you. When the other person has learned elsewhere, the leads and follows are different. Which means you need to lead/follow properly instead of relying on the other person knowing what they are meant to do. This will really force you to know and learn the figures.
• Book practice times with other students – it’s free, they might know what you don’t know. And vice versa. You can go over routines with them, and, like social dancing, but not as extreme, you will improve your ability by dancing with another. There are many places that you can practice too.

5 They don’t work, and have more time to practice

It is certainly the case that more practice will help, but quality will always win out over quantity. Practice can cause fatigue if done too long in the wrong context. Focus on the quality of your own practice and make it deliberate.

Questions:

• Do you take notes at the end of each lesson to remind you what to work on until the next lesson?
• Do you take notes when practicing so that you have focused questions at your next lesson?

If you can answer ‘yes’ to both of these, then you’re going to find that practice quantity counts for less. This is because the quality of your practice will now be so much greater.

6 They are the teacher’s favorite

Teachers do have their favorites. However, apart from when it’s because of sexual attraction, it is a result of solid learning habits and a focus on improvement by the student. If you take your learning seriously, then you will likely be the favorite.

Of course, it’s also wise to ensure that you are a pleasant person to dance with.

And even if you’re not the favorite, your learning is your responsibility. Utilize your teacher to become a better dancer, and their lack of motivation teaching you when compared to other students will become meaningless.

7 They have a better teacher

There is such thing as a bad teacher, there is also such thing as a bad student. However, there is no such thing as a good teacher or a good student; only a good student teacher relationship. The key is to match the learning style of the student to the teaching style of the teacher.

You have a few options here if you think someone has a better teacher/student relationship:

1. Change teacher – obvious really.
2. Manage your lessons – by focusing the attention of your teacher on the things you need and extracting the information you need in a form that works for you, it will matter less how your teacher naturally teaches.
3. Adjust your learning – it’s like the opposite of option 2. I would be careful about trying this. If you adopt learning methods that don’t suit you, then it’s hard to conceive how you will dance better. However, you might find that your teacher is actually on to a better method if you give it a go. So be cautious, but try it.

 8 They are more confident

Probably because they practice properly or because they can fake it.

Once you are up and dancing, much of what worries you disappears,  and it's all down to practice. Practicing under stress can also negate the effects of nerves when performing. Therefore, confidence (or lack of it) is not a reason to not dance well.

Nevertheless, it is more enjoyable to dance when feeling confident. This is one of the best methods I have tried to boost confidence in dance.

 

 

How to lose that serious face when dancing, and have one that matches

A question from a reader:

Hi Clint

 Hope you are well. Its me again with a query I have.

Was just re-reading the idea of the Self 1 and Self 2. For me, I am a very analytical person (accountant haha) so for me, I need to know the routine 101% first along with the the footwork. Self 1 is definitely operating here and if I screw up I get a bit frustrated (esp with the Paso, given it’s such a fast dance for instance). How do I apply Self 2 so I don't "worry" about doing a mistake in terms of my footwork. I have medals in a couple of weeks’ time and I just want to dance naturally and not have that "thinking face" on whilst I go through it. Does this make sense?

Cheers

M

 

My answer:

This is not an uncommon issue. We want so hard to do well that we cannot trust our instinctual side. Even though that’s where we really need our dance to be and we know it too.

For those who can’t recall, the notion of Self 1 and Self 2 come from Tim Gallwey who made these notions famous along with the idea of the inner game when he wrote about tennis. The idea is that our conscious self is Self 1. It is analytical and ideal for when we need to reason. Self 2 is the part of us that just does things naturally – it’s the doing part. Think about those times when you made a mistake because you were concentrating so hard – that’s Self 1 taking too much control.

The key to letting Self 2 take over in a routine is to distract Self 1. Self 1 can really only do one thing at a time. If you distract it from a task, then Self 2 needs to take over. You can think about any thing while walking – it’s so natural that Self 2 does it.

So what are some ways of distracting Self 1?

One easy way is to simply talk. If you have an amenable dance partner, then talk to them about anything so that Self 1 is distracted. If you do this during practice, then you get better at handing control over to Self 2.

This is not ideal for a competition or exhibition.

Another technique is to give each figure a name (not the standard one) and then link the names into a story that uses those names. This will also help you remember the routine – it’s not something you can do quickly (we don’t all have the story telling ability of Stephen King), but it will likely mean you will never forget the routine. If you can also make the story fit the mood of the dance and music, then as you recall the story while doing the routine, then you will be more likely to have a congruent facial expression.

 

This is just an example set of 2. You can come up with others. The key is to keep your conscious mind (Self 1) distracted so that you rely on your automatic Self 2, which is better at this kind of stuff, to take over.

Do you ever try to create your own dance figures?

Sometimes the best way to understand something is to try to create it. If you read my e-book (you can sign up to the right if you have not), then you will recall me talking about learning styles. There are three major types: visual, auditory and kinesthetic. There are others, but these are the most common three. 

It's pretty obvious what each is. People with a visual preference like things to be shown so that they can understand them, people with an auditory preference like to be told and people with a kinesthetic preference like to do it themselves to understand.

When we are younger, we usually have a stronger preference for one. As we get older, we get better at the others and become more balanced. In my e-book I explained how dance needs a bit of each, and you need to sometimes think about which you should try to use if you are having trouble. Sometimes you are switched to one that is not optimal. 

In this blog post I want to talk to you specifically about using the kinesthetic approach.

 

When you use the kinesthetic learning style you have a go at doing it yourself and then notice what happens. This approach can be great because you will likely make many mistakes. These mistakes will then help you understand the nuances of a dance.

• Your legs will get caught up, and you will then understand how important foot placement is.
• Your partner will not be at the right place or need to be remarkably flexible, and you will better appreciate how important connection with the partner is.
• You will end up with an extra step, and you will understand how each step needs to fit with the music.
• You will get to the end with nowhere to go, and you will understand how each figure needs to lead into another.

Simply put, you will make and FEEL numerous mistakes. These will help you better understand why figures are the way they are and what makes them work. All of a sudden you will recall moevements you have made in the past that were not correct. However, more importantly than that, you will know why they are not correct and how to correct them.

There is a saying I like:

There are 3 types of people in the world. The wise, who learn from their own mistakes; the happy, who learn from the mistakes of others; and the those who do not learn from either: the fools!

In this instance you are trying to increase your wisdom as dancers. By trying to make your own figure, you will develop a deeper understanding of how dance works.

So choose a dance style now and try making a figure for it. Try it with a partner, see if you can work out the leads and follows. Determine how you can get into it and out of it. Decide if you like how it feels. Then see if you like the look. Then think about where you might use it. 

Doing all of this will give you a much greater appreciation of dance. 

You never know; you might come up with something good too!

When will I be able to dance as well as my dance teacher?

Have you ever asked yourself that question?

We all have. Unless we already are a dance teacher. If you're serious about getting better at dance and you want some techniques that you just can't find elsewhere so that you have a real edge, then take a look here.

Sometimes it's not the dance teacher that we care about, but the high level student that we wish to emulate. In fact, no matter who it is, we all have that feeling at some time.

Before I answer this question though, you need to appreciate something. Most dance instructors have been dancing for years and they dance around 8+ hours a day. That's a lot of practice.

In fact, if you want to become really excellent at something, then you're looking at around 10 years practice.

Note that this is for excellence, not a good solid ability that many of us would be happy with. However, it reminds me of a story I heard from a dance instructor about the number of people who drop out of dance after only a few weeks because they don't feel that they dance as well as the people they see on TV.

So you do need to practice, but you still want to make this practice as effective as possible to improve as quickly as possible.

So let's look at that now.

there is a book by a guy called Geoff Colvin called 'Talent Is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else'. You can see more about it on my resources webpage here. However, I will give you the basics here and apply it to dance.

Be specific

First step is to ensure that your practice is focused on improving something. Simply dancing a lot is not enough, in fact, it might just reinforce your bad habits. So pick an aspect of your dance hip movement, posture or ankle locks etc. Focus on whatever it is that you want/need to work on.

Get feedback

We can't be as objective as we need to be and it is also hard to see what we look like. Mirrors often come to mind: that's why dance studios have them, right? However, as good as they are, mirrors don't give the best view and you need to compromise posture to use them.

The camera never lies; as they say. And I have found it to be excellent for objective feedback. What I thought must have looked awesome was slack and lazy. So get a video camera and record yourself doing whatever it is that you need to work on. Then watch it. Look for what's actually happening (try to work out what it is that you're making you body do and what it should be doing). Even better if you have a video of someone who does it the way you like. Pay attention to the differences. You will soon realize that they way things feel is not the way they look, especially if you're new to dance of this movement.

Repeat

Make sure that you can do this again and again and again. You need to program your body. If you had troubles 99 times but it worked on the 100^th, then you need to keep going. Otherwise, you've got most of your experience doing it wrong! You need to drill it the right way.

Focus

You need to really concentrate on what you're doing. That way, your conscious and unconscious will know that this is important to you and must be mastered. The time you spend on this is up to you, but you will fatigue after an hour so break then.

Don't expect too much pleasure

Dancing is fun, especially when you're good at it and happy with how you do it. However, this practice might not be. You're working on something that will give you the results that you like; not doing something that you like. Try think about how you're getting better. That's a good motivator.

Is there a substitute for practicing dance at real social dance events?

. 

 

 

 

 

 

NO

. 

Continuous and discreet dances: another way to categorize dances

By understanding how different dances styles are different from each other and how they are similar to each other, you are better able to get into the mindset each needs. Not only does this help you dance them better, but it helps you work out what you need to work on to improve how well you dance them as well.

Although I have not been able to find much about this explicitly elsewhere, I have noticed that dances can fall into one of two groups: ‘continuous’ and ‘discreet’.

The first group, which I have called ‘continuous’, could also be called ‘smooth’. This will make sense to American dancers who dance the American syllabus, and are likely familiar with the term “American Smooth’. The dances that fit into this category are dances like the tango (English/American), foxtrot and waltz; however, dances like the quickstep also fall into this category.

In these dances, there is no clear basic.

Admittedly, the waltz kind of has a clearer basic than the others, but I still add it to this group.

When there is no clear basic, the lead can’t go back to the basic step and just keep doing that while waiting until there is a chance to do another figure or they think of another figure to do. Instead, the dance must continuously flow smoothly from one figure to the next. In the case of waltz, one could keep doing the basic and then throw in another step when the time feels right. However, this transition is expected to occur smoothly and it is preferred that the basic not be used too much.

Certainly in the ‘discreet’ dances have a clear basic – think cha cha, samba, rumba, salsa and so on.

When dancing these styles, one can dance the basic while thinking what to do next. I have seen an excellent dancer from South America do nothing but a basic salsa figure for the whole night. He was so connected to the music that you didn’t realize that’s all he did. He could dance the basic figure in a way that expressed the changing music, which he looked to really feel, and thus looked like he changed figures. He never had troubles finding a partner so I assume the partners he danced with were happy with this approach to dance as well.

This is another way of categorizing dances, but what’s the point? 

The point is that this can help you work out how to approach a dance. If you are working on a discreet dance, then you can afford to stop and start and work on different figures with little negative effect. However, when working on continuous dances, you are well served to focus on putting one figure after another (even if you do not do them perfectly) so that you can become better at thinking a few steps ahead and keep the smooth flow of the dance.

It’s still a good idea to work on being able to move from one figure to another in the discreet dances. That is a big thing that I have noticed in the salsa world, lots of people like one figure blending into another without a basic in between.

By being aware of which of these two categories a dance falls into, you can put yourself into a more suitable mindset. When dancing the continuous dances, I now think more about what figures will come next and which fit the situation I am in.

This can be an issue for both the lead and the follow. Leads need to keep thinking ahead and follows need to realize that there will likely be no breaks where only the basic is done for a brief period where one can get one’s bearings.

I only noticed this difference when I started to focus on my social dance ability as opposed to learning routines. If you have been dancing socially, and free-styling, for some years, then you might have already noticed this. However, if you have found that some styles do not seem to click for you, then it might be that you need to remember whether they are continuous or discreet and what that means for your approach when dancing them.

How music brings dance to life

Background

About a week before writing this a dance teacher posted on the LinkedIn arm of Dance Better Now (The “Dance Teaching, Coaching and Training” group) about a student of hers that she was having some minor problems with.

The student was technically very good, but he didn’t have much life to his dance.

His teacher described him as a technician. He focused on the minute details of each step and figure, but didn’t really seem to get out of ‘practice mode’. This was despite dancing for years, competing in dance sport, doing exhibitions and taking multiple lessons a week.

The teacher wanted to know what to do to make him let go and dance.

Music and expression

I suggested in reply to her post that she try asking the student to do the following:

• listen to the music that was playing,
• identify the instruments,
•  think about the feelings that each was expressing,
• think about how that could be expressed physically and then,
• move that way when dancing

In a later reply the teacher said that she tried this, but with a twist. She asked the student to pick some music. Then they danced to that. This music was simple, quiet and introspective. Much like the student she felt. This made it more difficult for him to move to it – there was not much to express.

This was interesting – by choosing the music that matched his feeling, he did not necessarily have something to dance to.

The teacher then put on something up beat.

It took some time, but towards the end of the lesson the student finally let go. He started to dance in a way that expressed the music as opposed to just being in time. He seemed to feel the music and then made his partner (his teacher) feel it too in the way that he danced.

The teacher reported that the student seemed pleased with himself, that he danced better and that this was to be a new and regular part of her teaching.

The lesson for you

You might not always be dancing as well as you could because you are not feeling the music.

To turn a series of timed movements into dance, you need to feel the music and then share this feeling.

This is easier said than done – the student in the above example spent a number of hours working on this.

We do not force our feelings upon the music, we let the music’s feelings effect our feelings. Note how when the student used music that suited his feelings he was stuck; it did not suit the dance.

When dancing, let the music guide you and you will dance whatever dance you are dancing better.

Musical appreciation and expression

As important as this is in social dance, it is not taught as much as it could be.

If you want to learn more about really listening to music and then capturing its emotions and using those, then you need to think more like a musician. One of the best books on how to think like a musician is The Inner Game of Music by Barry Green and Timothy Gallwey.

 I have read it and found it very useful for this aspect of dance.

Can you get good musicality advice from competitive dancers?

Think about the musicality advice that you typically get from your dance teacher. Is it about timing alone or does it expand to picking up in the character of the music and expressing that character?

Good musicality will go well beyond simply being in time. You do of course need to be in time. However, if you want to have really good musicality then you should:

• sense the emotion of the music and express it
• pre-empt the music and dance figures that suit it
• Play with the music (arrive a touch below maybe or dance between the beats depending upon the stye of dance)

However, you have likely never been told to do this nor how to do it. Nevertheless, It is well worth working on your musicality; it adds the final element to social dance that really brings it to life.If you want to know more about how you can work in this, then take a look at the relative section of part two of Dance Better Now.

However, a question remains: why is it so rarely taught?

It likely gets back to dancesport. In dancesport, the processes is to develop a routine and then dance that routine in time to whatever music is played as precicely as possible and with visual appeal. While a routine could be tuned to the music that plays, dancers drill the routine for precise movements. Thus, the dancer's muscle memory of the routine will likely override any musicality the dancer has.

This is not to say that all competitive dance kills musicality. Jack and Jill comp’s, which I think make probably the best contribution to social dance from the swing dance community, not only demand good musicality, but they even promote lyricism at times. For that, you really need to understand the song you are dancing too.

Nevertheless, the dance comp’s that many of us think or are like those in movies such as ‘Shall we Dance?’ These competitions focus more on execution of figures and timing as opposed to musical interpretation and expression on the fly. Thus, you might not get as much help in this area as you might like if your studio is influenced by this approach to dance.

If you do feel that you’re missing it and want a little more, then try going to some schools or dance events that are more focused on the social side of couples dancing. Keep your ears open for musicality workshops too. I have noticed these more at dance festivals.

Just something to think about

The Key to dancing better in 2014

Was dance a part of your New Year’s resolutions?

I know that some people are critical of them, but I think that they are good because they reveal what is important to us. However, there is one critique of New Year resolutions that I agree with. That’s the notion that too many resolutions are a problem.

Time and time again, I have read about:

•  how humans can’t keep a track of too many things at once
• how will power is limited, and is split when you have more tasks
• how any resolution needs a lot attention to see results
• how goals need to be specific

This can mean that if you want to get better at dance, then you might be taking on more than you realise. Is it movement that you want to be better; timing, musicality, leading and following; or a bit of everything? Pretty soon you can see that getting better at dance takes a bit of work.

There is one way to make this simple. You can of course say I will simply do as my teacher says and allocate 15 minutes each day to working on what my dance teacher tells me. This is an excellent approach. It’s simple to stick to and it will give you results. The only issue is making sure that you have a dance teacher who can see what limitations you have and can formulate practice tasks for you.

If you have such a teacher, then never let them go!

Many dance teachers can see what your limits are, but they might not be able to work out what you should do about it. Also, they might not be accustomed to setting homework. I am sure not too many of their students ask for it. Some I know just take up dancing to take a break from everything else.

This could mean that you will need to take on some responsibility.

You might need to find out what your weak at from your teacher and then work out what you can do about it. That might mean on the first day your 15 minutes is dedicated to finding exercises to improve something. The others will then be following those exercises. It might be the first two days if you can’t find exercises. Worst case scenario is that you need to work out your weaknesses and then find out what to do about it.

The less direction you get from your teacher, the less direction you have and the more initiative and will power you need.

If you do need to take a lot of initiative, then you will want to have dance alone as a New Year’s resolution. Because it will become a large task, you will not be able to afford the distraction of something else – like being nicer to the in-laws.

So before you set betting better at dance as a resolution this year, stop and think about how you can do this. If it’s possible to simply commit time to practice, then it’s a pretty easy task. Otherwise, break it down into smaller tasks and avoid distractions.