Learning the language of dancing
*got this off an email*
This will probably not make you a better dancer but may help you remember, look forward to or understand the long process involved in learning to dance. How many of us watched a child develop from baby talk to conversational speaking? Pick up a book and speak out loud random words from the text. Don’t be surprised if no one understands what you are saying. It’s true that you are speaking clearly and using proper words but the structure and meaning is lacking. The ability to develop meaningful speech from random words does not come to us instantly.
At a very young age we have the thought process and know what we want to express. We just can’t communicate verbally. The same process happens in dancing. We watch a great dance movie or training video then try to imitate the dancing. For the vast majority of us, just like a child learning to talk, the results are frustrating. Do we get disappointed in ourselves? I do every time I try to learn. The harder I try, the more impatient I become. The trick to learning anything is to have enough patience and keep plugging away until you get the results that you want. Did you give up talking when no one could understand you? Do you give up now when you feel like the most ungraceful dancer on the floor? The answer to both should be no. In both cases patience and practice will help you achieve your goals. Speaking of goals. Once you learn to speak, dance, play tennis, golf, swim or any other activity don’t stop challenging yourself.
If your goal is to become a become a better dancer, work on short range objectives first. Become a better leader or follower. Improve your turning. Improve your frame. Work on hands, head, foot position and balance. These small things add up. Work on and perfect one thing at a time. Just as an ordinary speaker can become a great orator, an ordinary dancer can become a great dancer. We’ve all heard it and said it. Now believe it! "Practice makes perfect"
