Your dance. Your place. Your schedule.
Hopefully you've already seen and enjoyed my vlog special on ballroom and posture earlier in the week (if you haven't, check it out here). The three experts I interviewed had a LOT of useful information to share, and a lot of it didn't make it into the video.
So today, I'm including ALL THREE interviews, complete with footage that didn't make the original cut. Take these pro's advice, and take your posture to the next level! Continue reading "Posture and Ballroom: The Interviews"
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"
"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"
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"
Sprained ankles, twisted hips, accidental elbow to the face (seriously, it happens)... When you learn to move your body in a new way, the occasional injury is inevitable. What's far more important however, is how you treat the injuries that occur.
In university, I had many friends who loved sports - soccer, hockey, running, etc. - but had been told by their doctor they could never play again. We're talking 20-year olds here. And why? Because they'd ignored the injuries they sustained while playing, until it became too serious for them to continue.
On the other hand, we've all seen those videos on Youtube - incredible dancers that know how to move it well into their nineties... or later. How do they do it?
We've covered most of those reasons already, but the one, may the MOST important thing, is that they know how to take care of their bodies when they get injured.
Like I said, injuries are going to happen - but taking control of the recovery process helps ensure our body stays healthy and strong, well into our senior years. And what better way to test your knowledge... Than with a little game? Continue reading "Dancing for Life, Part Five: Recovering from Injury"
Most people, especially dancers, tend to treat their bodies like they can just trade them in for a newer model when they get older. We never learned, or simply forget to pay attention to what's happening in our bodies, and so miss warning signs that could prevent a serious injury.
Today I invited Noel Miller, a fitness expert who takes a more holistic approach to body health, to talk about how developing our body awareness can keep us dancing pain free - whether we're 18 or 80. Continue reading "Dancing for Life, Part One: Body Awareness"
There’s an assumption that’s made about ballroom dancing sometimes, that many opportunities are closed to you if you didn’t learn to dance from a very early age. And I confess, it’s an assumption that I believed as well, though I didn’t know it at first. Continue reading "You Don’t Need to Start as a Child to Learn to Dance"
In the past, I’ve tried to explain how to improve dance timing in a variety of ways. In return, I’ve frequently met with frustration. I recall one reader brusquely replying, ‘I’m not a music major.’
I needed something simpler, some ideas that worked for anyone. And so, after hours of research, I’m finally ready with five new exercises. I recently used these in a group class, and they worked great! I hope they work for you too. Continue reading "5 Easy Tricks to Learn Dance Timing"
It happens to all of us; no matter how talented or experienced you are, sooner or later you will hit a point where your dance progress plateaus. When trying to reach the next level feels like beating your head against a wall, and as effective.
This is a defining moment for you - the point at which you push on to achieve your goals, or turn away from them. There is no shame in either decision, unless you leave feeling there was still something left untried.
Hopefully, the suggestions below will keep you from ever feeling that way. Continue reading "If You Are Frustrated with your Dance Progress"
In our perfectionist society, we’ve been trained to see mistakes as some terrible defection of character, something to avoid at all costs. In the world of ballroom dance however, missteps are simply another form of growth. And good thing too, because you will make many, many mistakes while dancing. Therefore, you and your partner have no choice but to get used each other’s mistakes. And in the social ballroom scene, some well-timed dance humour is the best way to keep calm and dance on. Continue reading "20 Dance Humour Gems for Laughing At Mistakes"