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The Solo Practice Guide: A Review

It always drives me a little crazy when students neglect to practice in between classes. I know... They have kids at home, they work all hours, etc. - but it gets to me, because I KNOW they could be learning new stuff instead of reviewing the same material over and over.

As someone working on reaching dancers looking to supplement their lessons - or in some cases, don't learn at a studio at all - it was inevitable that I discover The Solo Practice Guide for Ballroom Dancing by Katie Flashner. Continue reading "The Solo Practice Guide: A Review"

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The Home-Schooled Dancer, Part Three: Practice Strategies

It's one thing to want to learn to dance, quite another to have the time and space necessary to practice. True, this is a BIG advantage of going to a dance studio, where the space is provided along with the lesson. But there's plenty of options for a creative home-schooled dancer as well.

When I was first learning dance as a teenager, my parents would pay for ONE group lesson a week, and sometimes the occasional private lesson, nothing more. And I couldn't use the studio space to practice in between classes.

So I, like many of you, had to make-do from home. Usually the only place that wouldn't put me in anyone's way was my own bedroom. The walls were about 10 ft. apart, less a shelving unit on one side - but you better believe I made the most of it!

Every night after completing my homework, I practiced, learning to take smaller steps, or even break some of the patterns into two pieces so I had room to complete them. It wasn't easy, but it was enough to prepare me for that next group class, or social.

Now that I think about it, I had plenty of other options, but they simply never occurred to me at the time. Since I can't rewind the clock, I'm including them here.

For more tips on making time for dance practice, check out my video on Positive Dance Habits. Continue reading "The Home-Schooled Dancer, Part Three: Practice Strategies"

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Motivation and Inspiration, Part Four: Positive Dance Habits

Raise your hand if you've ever set a resolution you didn't keep. What, you didn't? YOU'RE A LIAR.

Okay, what stopped you? Usually we get all fired up at the start of a new project, but over time, that positive energy, what I'm calling the 'honeymoon effect', wears off. And that's when we quit, because suddenly it stopped being fun, and became work instead.

That's why most people don't become the dancers they want to be. Of sure, they have plenty of reasons why it was a good idea to stop now, but ultimately, they rode the emotional high, and when it crashed, they crashed.

Of course, there are many who manage to keep that spark burning. These people pick a dance goal, and consistently work towards it until it's theirs. They may not like stepping outside of their comfort zone, but they've developed a determination to not give in to the excuses and self-sabotage.

This is what I'd like to talk to you about today: How to get out of your own way, so you can persistently apply yourself to ballroom dancing until you're the dancer you've always wanted to be. Continue reading "Motivation and Inspiration, Part Four: Positive Dance Habits"

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Motivation and Inspiration, Part Three: Self-Sabotage

"You are not what you think you are, but what you think, you are." - Anonymous

We carry around a belief system that informs us on the world; what it's like, and what we can expect from it. It also informs us on what we can expect from ourselves. And very often, when we try to defy those expectations, it draws us unconsciously back to our comfort zone.

Today I partnered up with life coach Ellen Smith, while we tackled the problem of self-sabotage - what it is, what causes it, and how we can gradually remove it from our life. We had some great insights, which we'll share below.

(By the way, very sorry for the poor audio quality in this video. We were rained out of our expected interview place and had to do it in Ellen's lobby. I've included the transcript below in case you missed anything.) Continue reading "Motivation and Inspiration, Part Three: Self-Sabotage"

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Motivation and Inspiration, Part Two: Loving the Process

You, and everyone around you, have be trained since children to be unhappy. You've been taught it by your well-meaning parents, encouraged by your peers, had it presented in structured format by your schools.

They didn't mean to. They were simply trying to instil a desire to reach for bigger and better things. They taught us: This what success looks like, what wealth and abundance look like. This is what pleasure and happiness look like.

The problem is, they tied all those awesome feelings to some future ideal... And left none of it for the present. And now we live in a society caught in a rat-race, determined to be rich and successful, with a Mr./Ms. Right on one arm and the keys to a mansion in the other. Because everything before that point feels like failure.

What does this have to do with ballroom dancing? Let me explain: Continue reading "Motivation and Inspiration, Part Two: Loving the Process"

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Motivation and Inspiration, Part One: The Right Mindset

Have you ever noticed how some people always seem to get things done? Achieving success is simple and straightforward for them, and mastering ballroom dancing is no exception - once they decide where they want to go, they stop at nothing to get there.

Then there are others who go in with good intentions, but never seem to reach the dance goals they set for themselves. They hit a patch where the learning becomes frustrating, their motivation goes down, and before long, they decide ballroom dance just isn't for them.

This isn't about blame or fault - In my experience, a certain mindset is needed to become the dancer you've always wanted to be. Let me explain: Continue reading "Motivation and Inspiration, Part One: The Right Mindset"