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.
Katie is a competitive dancer on a budget, and she's learned more than a few things about how to improve without breaking the bank. Starting as a personal project, the Guide was refined by input from numerous dancers, until it reached the 182-page masterpiece I found myself perusing.
The first thing that struck me was how well Katie mixes her advice with her personal experiences, to keep it interesting and relatable. She may not have all the answers, but she definitely knows what's worked for her and others.
I love a well structured, step-by-step approach as much as any analytical thinker, and Katie doesn't disappoint. After dispensing with introductions and an explanation of how practicing alone can benefit your dancing, she dives in with the Where, When, and What of solo practice.
The When chapter looks at how to manage your time more effectively and fit your practice into a busy schedule.Avoiding intimidating phrases like "practice for several hours a day", Katie's method requires as little as an hour a week.
Next, the Where chapter explores different venues for practicing, including your home. As Katie proves, you often don't even have to move the furniture!
Finally, the What chapter tackles the "meat and potatoes" of practice: Determining how to set "reasonable, but significant" goals, based on what would most improve your dancing now. There's also a nice section aimed at how to spot and self-correct anything in your dancing that needs fixing.
The second-last chapter explores some supplemental training options for the ambitious dancer. While I wouldn't recommend the Guide as a standalone for a fitness buff, there's tons of great suggestions here that can improve your stamina, flexibility, strength, and more.
It's a nice touch that each of these chapters ends by leading the reader into actions they can take to apply what they've learned - often the challenge when reading books about "doing" things.
The final chapter explores the dancer's mindset. Katie tackles the mental blocks that can hold back our dancing, and offers some compassionate suggestions for what to do in specific situations.
The Guide also comes with supplemental worksheets and audio files which can be printed out or referred to on one's phone respectively.
I've been using the Guide for my own practice for about the month now, and it has helped to greatly focus my training. I now go into my practice with two or three goals in mind, and cycle through them several times, which keeps anything from hurting due to repetition.
Overall, Katie brings an effective combination of gentle encouragement and kick-in-the-pants motivation, helping the reader find ways to practice without sacrificing their existing schedule or their check book. Her experiences are proof that it works, and she's not the only one.
Visit bit.ly/SoloPracticeGuide to order the Guide for yourself!
PSSST! Until September 15, 2018, Katie and I are running a special Giveaway, offering the guide plus her two "Dance Diary" books to a lucky winner. Could that be you? Sign up here: http://bit.ly/solo-practice-giveaway