1. Get lots of corrections Each time you apply a correction, you're making yourself a better dancer. And the more corrections you can get and apply in the least amount of time, the quicker you'll get better! I recommend putting yourself at the front of the studio or barre, right under the teacher's nose! This way she/ he is more likely to see you and give you corrections. Most good teachers try to share their attention around the room, however teachers are human too and they're probably more likely to notice you if you're in their face rather than hiding down the back like a wall flower. (I'm suggesting you do this within reason - getting seen is one thing but monopolizing ALL of the teacher's attention is another - remember there are other students in the room who need some attention too!) Not all corrections must come from your teacher - watch yourself in the mirror and try filming yourself to see what you can change! 2. Take corrections on board and apply them As soon as you get a correction, take note of how it feels to do the movement the old way compared to the new and improved way. Repeat it a couple of times the new way to get it into your muscle memory. Note Corrections can sometimes feel a bit confronting. It's not always fun to be told what we thought we had perfectly isn't so perfect after all. Some people deal with this by getting defensive, dismissive or disagreeing altogether. However, every time you do this, you're putting up a big road-block on your path to being a better dancer! A more helpful approach is to think of every correction as a compliment: Your teacher is giving you their time and attention because they believe your potential is greater than where you're at now and they want to help you get there. 3. Compound the Correction. Now here is a way to be very clever: think about any other movements to which the same correction could apply. (Eg - if you were told you're sickling your foot when you tendu derriere, you might be doing the same in jete and grande battement derriere too). That's something you can fix before you're even told about it! 4. Know your Strengths and Weaknesses. In order to work on your strengths and weaknesses, you need to figure out what they are! This can be as simple as having a think. Or, it can be helpful to look at some footage of yourself dancing, or ask your teacher. Remember, these can come in a number of forms - from obvious tricks like turning or jumping to soft skills like musicality or picking up choreography quickly. For example, you might have the balance and control required to perform adage or lyrical really well but struggle to find the attack or power required for allegro or hip hop. To help you think about this, I've listed a few different categories of strengths and weaknesses below: Skills/ Tricks: Jumps, turns, kicks, floor work, adage, allegro Proficiencies: Flexibility, balance, strength, control, lines, power, attack Genres: Ballet, hip hop, contemporary, jazz, tap, lyrical, musical theatre, acro/ tumbling, etc Soft Skills: Musicality, stage presence, feeling/ facial expression, picking up choreography quickly 5. Work on Your Strengths. Why bother working on stuff you're already good at? For one thing, having some things that you're EXTRA good at will make you stand out. And, in a field as competitive as dancing, this is definitely a good thing. If you're a natural turner, for example, I'd recommend seeing how far you can take this: Don't just settle for a triple, see if you can get a reliable 4, 5 or more! Excelling at a few things can also actually overshadow your weaknesses. The director of that commercial company you're auditioning for might actually take you on for your amazing turns even if your jumps aren't that great! Finally, the skills you gain from working on something you're already good at can actually overflow into other areas. The balance, control and attack you need for turns can help with adage, partner work and even jumps. 6. Work on your Weaknesses Have you ever noticed that as you get better at something, the improvements you can make seem to be smaller and slower to come? The difference between being great versus outstanding can be quite infinitesimal and painstakingly slow to achieve. However, if you're really rubbish at something, you might find that a few simple changes and a bit of work can make quite a visible difference quite quickly. For this reason, figuring out what your weaknesses are and working on those can be a very efficient way of getting better fast. How to work on Strengths and Weaknesses How do you find the motivation, time and energy to work on your strengths and weaknesses in an already packed dance schedule? I'd recommend incorporating this work into your weekly routine so that it becomes habitual and therefore doing away with the need for any motivation at all. Here are a few ways to do this: i. Add a class to your schedule which is heavy in that skill This first suggestion seems pretty obvious but it's also the easiest to do. For example, if you want more flexibility? Go to a weekly stretch class. Want to be better at picking up choreography quickly? Find a class where a new routine is taught each week. ii. Get some habitual drills Have you noticed sometimes in class you'll be standing around between exercises? This is a good time to slot in a little drill for whatever you're working on. If you want better pirouettes, you could practice a few balances and 1/4 turns. If you're trying to get a flatter split, have one or two stretches to do. If you repeat your drill often enough, eventually it will become a habit and you'll find yourself doing it without even thinking. You'll be amazed at how quickly this incidental practice will add up! iii. Create a short stretch/ condition routine to do daily/ weekly Decide what strengths and weaknesses you want to work on and put together a short program for yourself containing either those skills directly or related exercises. For example, if you decide you'd like a better split leap, you could put together a little routine that contains some splits stretches, some jumping exercises, grande battements and some split leaps. The REALISTIC. There's no point creating an exhaustive 2hour stretch regime if it feels too overwhelming to even think about! Even 10 minutes of core work a day or 30mins of stretching a couple of times each week can go a long way! 7. Put in the hours. It's easy to forgot that what you need most to become good at anything is simply hours in. The more (quality) classes you can fit into your schedule, the better. How this translates into a training schedule for you will depend on your circumstances. If you're in full-time training, you'll already have a timetable and those decisions will have been made for you. If you're still training after school, it's a matter of doing as many classes as you can while still leaving time to stay sane, have a life and not burn out. And if you're freelancing, you'll need to keep up enough classes to maintain and improve your skills while again allowing time to stay sane and fit in work and auditions! Remember, everyone is different and there's no right answer, but being realistic and allowing yourself rest time are both really important factors here. 8. Quality Classes You want to look for classes where you get quality feedback, which work on the strengths and weaknesses you want to focus on and in which you feel safe, supported and motivated to attend. Decide what your priorities are and make sure the classes you attend stay true to those priorities. 9. Measure and Record Your Success! One great way to stay motivated is to keep a track of how much you improve! For some physical skills this is quite easy to do with a log book: Simply write down each week/month how many turns you can do, how many inches you're off the ground in splits, or whatever other skills you're working on. Looking back at the changes you've made can be very satisfying! 'Soft' skills such as performance quality or picking up choreography can be harder to track, but not impossible. Try filming yourself during performances or having just learned some new material so you can compare it later on. 10. Keep Going! Having worked as a dance teacher for many years, I've seen many students with talent and ability come and go but the one quality I've seen trump them all is perseverance. I've seen talented students lose heart and quit before their career even gets off the ground because they don't have the perseverance. And I've also seen some of the most (not trying to be mean) uncoordinated little gems persevere, work smart and work hard and go on to achieve quite amazing results! So, keep at it! And remember to enjoy the journey!
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AuthorI've been dancing since I was little. I've danced with Melbourne Dance Theatre, Look Left Dance Circus Theatre and Lyrebird Dance Theatre as well as and freelancing around Melbourne as a dancer and circus performer. This blog contains some of the lessons I've learned on my journey and some of the things I wish someone had told me earlier! |