It’s 2020, Y’ALL!
A new year… a new decade… a new you… and a great time to add something NEW to your dance program. Your teachers are always looking to improve your overall dancing and well-being, but perhaps it’s time to set some New Year’s DANCE RESOLUTIONS with your instructors to kick this decade into high gear!
Resolutions aren’t always about giving something up or losing weight. They can be about adding something to your life… something positive and meaningful. Below are five suggestions to accelerate your learning and improve your mindset in 2020.
1) LEVEL UP!
Our student graduation celebration, a.k.a. Medal Ball, comes around once a year, usually in the Spring… but did you know you can check out of your dance levels at any time of the year? Because our Medal Ball process is split into two sections, an in-studio figure check & a freestyle dance evaluation, you can do the in-studio portion at any time throughout the year when your teachers feel you are ready!
Perhaps you really want to attend the “cool kids group classes,” or start on all the fancy floorcraft patterns. Whatever your motivation, tell your teachers you want to advance to the next level and focus on the patterns and techniques needed to LEVEL UP in your dancing.
The higher the level the more work you may have to put in because the patterns are lengthier, the partnering is more intricate, and there is more technique involved. But that accomplished feeling of “I DID IT” will make it all worthwhile.
CHALLENGE: Medal Ball 2020 is in May/June, so focus those lessons toward graduating to the next level in your dancing.
2) START A ROUTINE!
Choreography is an exciting way to get introduced to advanced material, performance qualities, character development, and intricate partnering. Some routines, believe it or not, can last a lifetime where you continuously develop the patterns and styling to your current proficiency level and beyond. Whether you plan on competing or not, having a routine to constantly & consistently work on perfecting will not only create a lot of excitement for your lessons, but it will challenge your mind and body to push past it’s current comfort zones.
Pick a date or event to eventually debut your new routine, and then take it back to the drawing board to enhance it further. Routines are ever-evolving and take time to grow into. It may not feel right the first time, but the good news is you can always do it again… and ideally, it feels better each time.
CHALLENGE: Have your teachers knock your socks off with new choreography in a challenging & advanced routine. Pick a dance you are already comfortable with so you aren’t learning new patterns, techniques, timing, musicality, etc all at once. If your first thought is “What the…” when we show it to you, then we are on the right track!
3) LEARN A NEW DANCE!
Do you know how many partnered dances there are? No? Us either! THERE ARE SO MANY! New dances are being created all the time and older dances are making a huge comeback.
Your teachers already have a grasp on your dance likes & dislikes, therefore they can make some suggestions for new dances to try. But let’s say you really want to kick up the romance… have you tried Argentine Tango, Zouk, Bolero, Bachata, or Nightclub Two Step? If you really love Swing perhaps dive into some Country Western, Hustle, Lindy Hop, or even Cumbia! Maybe you’ve always been curious about Quickstep or Samba. Let your teachers know so it can be added into your program. You may fall in love with a dance you never knew existed.
CHALLENGE: Don’t immediately dismiss your teacher when they suggest a different dance. Most likely they have a reason for wanting to work on it with you, even if that reason is solely because you just love to dance!
4) DO AN EVENT!
We have so many events throughout the year and THEY ARE ALL FOR YOU! (Get a yearly calendar of events on the front desk.) Events help to upgrade not only your dancing, but help to boost your confidence, break you out of your ruts & comfort zones, enhance your overall mood, cultivate positive dancing & learning environments, stimulate your creativity, & refine your etiquette and socializing skills.
Some examples of events are workshops, theme parties, guest parties, Showcases, Competitions/Dance-o-Rama’s, dance camps, coaching lessons, Dancesport nights, Medal Ball, Newsome Twosome spotlights, Team Match events, festivals, group class, or even an exchange lesson with a different teacher. There are so many ways to get more involved.
CHALLENGE: If you regularly attend events, attend a different kind of studio event or outing this year. Let’s say you mainly attend showcases and competitions, go to a Friday night practice party or one of the festival outings in the summer. If you attend a lot of local or in studio events, try participating in an out of town showcase or attending a Dance-o-Rama to cheer on friends and get really inspired. If you are fearful of doing an event, just know that your teachers will be there to help you through the whole process.
5) STOP with the negativity!
“I can’t do that.” “I’ll never be that good.” “Why can’t I do this?” “I’m not good enough.”
So this one has to do with giving something up for the new year, but seriously, these phrases have NEVER done anyone any good… ever. So why even say them?
Everyone has self doubts from time to time, but part of our responsibilities as dance teachers is to show you how much you are capable of accomplishing. We believe in you, and can see potential that you may be blind to seeing. We want to help you overcome those hurdles of negativity so you not only have a better outlook on your dancing, but a better outlook on yourself, on others, and on your life.
So, if we say you are doing a “great job," chances are YOU ARE! Believe us just as much as we believe in you.
CHALLENGE: It’s okay to say that something is difficult, but your challenge is to have a positive forecast to overcoming the obstacle. “YOU CAN DO IT!” “YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH!”
Photos from rawpixel.com & Jamie Street from Unsplash.com