I think every dancer has been here: your teacher or coach tells you to do something and you do it. Then they tell you that it wasn’t right and repeat the instruction. So you do it again. They say no again, or they tell you that you need to do it bigger or longer or fuller. But you already feel maxed out on how big, long or full you can get! You don’t understand, why are they telling you that you’re doing it wrong? You did what they told you to do!
At least you thought you did.
As just a person with experience, and not an expert or professional in the mental health field, here is a breakdown of how I handled my anxiety attacks described in yesterday’s post. Maybe someone else will find these tactics useful.
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A great article about the importance of musicality and being able to just “feel” the music:
No new questions this week, but I did ask myself a big one while watching videos from my last lesson. So we’ll set “Ask the Girl” aside for now and just explore the deep dark forest that is my brain!
I get this question a lot when I’m at the studio. I ask this question a lot! It’s a standard “catch up” question among ballroom dancers to find out what event you’re working toward. But it’s also become an awkward question because my answer is “I have no idea.”
I’m slowly figuring out how to cope with not having a real answer to that question. I’m working on setting non-competition dance goals to keep myself busy and motivated (keep an eye out for an article on those!). Teacher doesn’t want me to give up on competition goals though, even if the next one is six months out or more. Usually encouragement and support from Teacher would boost my motivation to find any and all creative solutions to my financial dilemma. That’s how I managed to afford my 2015 comps!
But something is holding me back. And considering I just wrote about why I crave a challenge beyond just dancing, I want to explore why I’m having trouble motivating myself to find a new path to the fuel that feeds my inner fire.
You guys don’t mind me using this platform to psychoanalyze myself, right?
Psycho-what?
I’ve been inspired by Breast Cancer Ballroom Dancer and her keyword posts (jive was her latest). Throughout the rest of the challenge, I thought I would share what goes through my head when I think of each of the dances I compete in: waltz, tango, foxtrot, and Viennese waltz.
Today’s dance is waltz.
It’s funny, I made a list of topics for this 31-day challenge, but have yet to actually follow that list. One post just leads me to another post. But I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that things aren’t going as planned. When do they ever?
Last year, I started a series on my first blog, The Uphill Factor, titled “Express Yourself!” Teacher was starting to bring up the need for more emotional expression from me while I was dancing, and naturally, I wrote about my struggles:
Express Yourself!
Express Yourself! Part 2 – Tango Curses
Express Yourself! Part 3 – Butt and Boobs
Express Yourself! Part 4: No, Really, Express Yourself!
I think I’m going to make this post the last of this series. “Part 7” just feels like one too many, and I can tell I’m starting to circle back on emotions. There won’t be anything new to share with you, only revisited thoughts and feelings. This final part is about accepting that emotions like feeling sorry for yourself are part of the process of dealing with a loss or hardship and are OK. Sometimes.
You can read the whole How to Cope with Loss series here.
Less than a month until I get all dolled up and walk out on the floor at the United States Dance Championships. Less than a month! I’m currently on this rollercoaster cruising over hills of excitement and plummeting to valleys of terror and anxiety. In other words, everything is normal.
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I don’t struggle with this daily or anything…
http://dancecompreview.com/thinking-the-dance-vs-feeling-the-dance/