Our first dancing experiences, much like the honeymoon phase of a relationship, are usually filled with excitement and exhilaration. After a few months however, many people start to drop off. They ask themselves ‘what am I doing this for anyway? Is it really worth all this money just to have some fun once or twice a week?’ In short, they lost sight of their dance goals.
Our dance goals are like sign posts on our dancing journey, giving us direction and reminding us why we dance in the first place. ‘But Ian’, I hear you say ‘I don’t want to be a world champion. I just want to dance and have some fun.’ Really? Is ‘some fun’ why you spend between $20-200+ a week? Is that why you come in after a tiring work day, and sometimes practice between classes?
Beyond simply having fun, you dance because some part of you gets something from that dance experience, whether it’s overcoming shyness, losing weight, or gaining respect from others. And although it might seem self-evident to you right now, a day may come when how clearly you see your dance goal will make the difference between sticking with it, and walking away. So, are you really ready to commit to dance? Then read on.
Step One: Meditate
The journey may be the important part, but you can’t have a journey without a destination. And if dancing is your journey, you need a dance goal that is worth working towards. Start by making a list of what you see, feel, or have learned in dancing that excites you. Do you love learning new steps? Connecting with your partner? Spinning your heart out? Then, start to ask yourself why you like these things.
Step Two: Dream
As you look through your list, start to think of a long-term dance goal that encompasses all or most of what you’ve written down. If you often have trouble acting on goals in your life, consider using the SMART method:
Specific: ‘I want to score a job with performance group X’, is a lot more exact then ‘I want to become a better dancer’ - how will you know you’ve gotten there?
Measurable: Setting smaller goals (we’ll cover this later) helps you measure your progress and stay on track. For example, ‘I want to perform at a major festival.’
Attainable: Your dance goal should be realistic within your time frame: ‘I want to be world famous by the end of the year’ might be pushing it.
Rewarded: As you reach each benchmark, reward yourself! Let your body associate victory with some positive feedback, even if it’s just allowing yourself a little pride.
Timely: Set a date to achieve your dance goal. This might seem scary, but remind yourself that it’s meant to motivate you, not make you lose sleep.
Eventually you’ll arrive at a single sentence that sums up what makes dancing worth it for you. Write that down, and put it somewhere you’ll see every day.
Congratulations, you’ve figured out why you like dancing so much in the first place! Next week, we’ll continue with setting smaller goals that help move you in the direction of your dreams.
Sources:
Inspire - Goal Setting For Dancers: How to Keep it Smart, and Keep it Positive
Rebecca Brightly - How to Nail Your Dance Goals in 2012
STEEZY - How to Set Up and Achieve Your Dance Goals