Do it for You!

Throughout my years of dance, I have witnessed both new students as well as experienced professionals comparing themselves to other dancers. I, myself, have also fell victim to this type of thinking. I often looked at the other students in my class and felt that I was very far behind them.

This type of thinking helps no one, and it can make even the best dancer decide to quit.

I cannot stress this fact enough: There is no need to compare your experience to anyone but yourself.

• Are you doing better than you were last week?
  
• Are you understanding the movements more?
• Do you feel a little more comfortable in your body?
  
• Were you able to get a move you had been struggling with?
  
• Have you grown mentally, physically, or emotionally?

These are the most important questions to ask yourself.

If you find yourself looking at your dance classes as a “sprint” and constantly checking to see whether or not you are in first place, try to shift your thinking and instead look at your dance classes as a “marathon” where the goal is to get a “personal record”, or “PR” as they say in the marathon community.

• Were you able to stretch a little further than before? That’s a PR.
  
• Were you able to execute the choreography a little better than last week? That’s a PR.
  
• Did you complete that turn without feeling dizzy afterward? That’s a PR.
• Did you show up to class even though you weren’t feeling great & tried your best? That’s a PR.

When you start looking at the personal records and the seemingly small achievements during each class, you can gain a better understanding of how far you’ve been able to come in a week or a month and find that you are really improving. And remember that everyone moves at their own pace, and that’s okay too!

One of the other comments I hear from experienced dancers is: “I want to get back to the way I was.”

This is not possible, nor is it recommended. No one can travel back in time. And even if you could, would you want to? Would you want to give up the experiences you’ve had, the knowledge you’ve gained, or the relationships that have grown? Probably not.

Every day, your body changes. Every day, you learn something new. Every day, you grow and evolve. Take those lessons and experiences and decide to move forward with them. Use them as a starting point and plot a course to a new destination. Don’t long to go backwards, focus on the future!

As someone who has been dancing for over 20 years, I can say that there are definitely moves that I could perform in my 20s that I struggle to do now that I’m in my mid 40s. That’s not a failure. That’s a part of life. On the other hand, there are moves that I can do now that I never dreamed I’d be able to do back then. There’s always a give & take.

So when you find yourself feeling bad that you’re not as fit or flexible as you were when you were younger (and honestly, who is?), remember all of the other things that have improved.

And if you decide to come to dance class (and I hope that you do!), do it for you. Do it because you want to improve yourself - for yourself.

You deserve that, and an A+ for the day.

- Mandy