One of the most dangerous things that you can do when starting to dance is feel that you should be better than you are. This is with regards to motivation and your ability to learn. There are probably other more dangerous things that you could do. However, for motivation, which is essential to becoming better at something, expecting too much can be dangerous.
I know fellow dancers who were so expectant of doing well at dance that they became despondent very quickly. This sapped them of their motivation, and their progression went even more poorly, which then obviously made them more despondent. The paradox is that setting high standards can cause failure. In this article I am going to talk about how fast you should expect to progress and what you can do to not only progress quickly, but also be happy progressing.
I know fellow dancers who were so expectant of doing well at dance that they became despondent very quickly. This sapped them of their motivation, and their progression went even more poorly, which then obviously made them more despondent. The paradox is that setting high standards can cause failure. In this article I am going to talk about how fast you should expect to progress and what you can do to not only progress quickly, but also be happy progressing.
Everything takes efforts
One of the biggest lies that I think many of us believe is that there is such thing as a natural. We will all have things that we are naturally better at due to genetics. Some of us are taller, some lighter and some of us more muscular. However, there are very few tasks, if any, that do not require a lot of effort. Most research on expertise and on people who perform at the top of their discipline reveals that the key is dedicated practice.
At first, the news that there is no easy way out seems disheartening. However, it is actually good news. It means that you can be just as good a dancer as anyone as long s you have the conviction to put the effort in. It gets even better really because you can still make the effort much more effective so that you can improve you dance as quickly as possible. Nevertheless, it is about the practice and there is no need to think you can't be a good dancer.
If you ever see someone who seems like they are just a natural, then know this: they probably practice a lot when you do not know or they had some prior training that helps them.
Early victories and putting in the effort
The key to becoming a good dancer is seeing yourself becoming one. You need to also see yourself practicing to become one. You can't just imagine being a good dancer; that's just a desire. If you imagine yourself working towards becoming a better dancer, then you have a real ambition to be a good dancer.
To be able to do this, then you need to see the link between practice and getting better. If you feel that practice pays off, then you will be happy to practice, and feel that it is making you a better dancer. You will get satisfaction from practice that is much like the satisfaction of actually dancing how you want to dance.
This is where early victories help. If you see the benefit early on, then you will appreciate the benefits of effort. On the other hand, a few failures can kill that motivation. This is why it is essential not to expect to dance brilliantly at the start. Always note how you have improved, and maintain your motivation. Also, never few failures as failures. I recall a quote to the effect of 'everything is either a success or a lesson.' If you change your attitude toward dance so that you always feel you are learning and improving, then you will increase your partner dance ability much faster.
