Blogtastic
Dance Initiative
Fri, November 4, 2005 - 12:16 AMIn fact. For the first 3 weeks that I've really used Tribe I've spent about 3 hours a day just going through posts... They've been absolutely informative.
I've also talked to some of the more practiced dancers I've met and received all sorts of advice from them. The main themes were 1.) Seek out another instructor. 2.) Just do it. 3.) Seek out another instructor. (They emphasized that a lot.)
I've been thinking a lot over the last few weeks and I realized something. I spend HOURS a day online pouring through LiveJournal, Myspace, and Tribe.net for information about bellydance.
I realized that it's as if I'm trying to learn to dance vicariously through the information and experiences of other dancers. I realize now that I've been wasting precious time. I shouldn't be sitting on my ass reading about dancing in hopes that it will help me to improve. (Although there is a lot of knowledge to be acquired about bellydance that does not involve dancing directly.) I should be busting ass and practicing. I'm not really sure what I've been waiting for... I guess I'm just scared of not succeeding as a dancer. In the last 9 months of classes I really don't feel like I've improved much. What is success as a dancer for me??? I guess just improving. Maybe moving up to intermediate classes... Hopefully performing one day... Getting payed to do it would be cool too....
Meh... I know this seems like a silly post... It should be obvious to me that this is the answer. I guess it seems like every time I take an initiative to do something it ends in failure. And it's not always my fault. It's rather discouraging. It seems as if I have dreadful luck. Sometimes I just feel sorry for myself. But what the hell??? It's better to try at something and fail rather than do nothing at all. Right???
So here are my current dance goals:
1) Find a new instructor.
2) Take classes with this instructor.
3) Practice for at least 30 minutes 3 times a week. (School/work keeps me really busy.) (Hopefully I'll spend less time on Tribe. I'm addicted to it like CRACK!!! That will free up more time.)
4) Move up to an intermediate level by the end of next year. (We're really at the end of this year, that gives me a whole 13 months to improve.)
5) Has nothing directly to do with dancing, but I want to get my Crochet Tassel Belt website up and running. The belts provide the money for the classes.) (I only pull in a measly $90/MONTH from my job.)
Any thoughts or advice??? What do you guys do to stay motivated when you feel like you suck??? Any words of wisdom???
Fri, November 4, 2005 - 12:16 AM -
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3 Comments
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Fri, November 4, 2005 - 6:50 AM
Just Keep Working..
Not everyone is supercool from the begining, so don't get dicouraged...Me for example..I am a complete dork...it takes me forever to learn new moves and techniques... I was in a cabaret class/troupefor over a year before I stoped cringing at the tapes of our preformances.. It wasn't untill I started taking tribal that a lot of the moves started to make sence...but I had an awsome teacher (Shawna Rai rox my sox).
You seem to be getting off to a good start. If people are telling you to get a new teacher, that is probally a good idea. Ir you don't have time to dedicate and entire 30 minutes to dance try to throw a cd in for 10-15 minutes and stretch and practice..when I was trying to learn the 3/4 shimmy I would walk around work doing it or though the supermarket.. Lastly, when I feel like I'm not improving enough I set smaller goals for myself, something I can achieve faster like: At the next practise I will not drop my arms into a 'w' and keep my hands in proper position. Or By the end of the month I will be able to layer my shimmy over my arabic... anyways I hope this was helpful...late Jenn |
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Fri, November 4, 2005 - 12:14 PM
Give yourself time. Don't rush through your basic dance education, it's those basic moves that will carry you through in your dance. It took me about 3 years before I felt I had advanced enough to begin intermediate. Not everyone is the same - so it may be more or less time for your body, but the bottom line is that your body needs to learn a whole new language and it takes lots of time, dedication, and patience. I can't tell you how many times I said to myself "I should just quit - I am a spaz" but that was just me being harsh on myself. You are learning a whole new language, and it will take time for you to be fluent. Keep learning and taking classes - we are all students for life. Good Luck.
Kashmir |
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Tue, November 22, 2005 - 4:05 PM
Let's Practice!
Kasi, i know your busy with school and work, but you should look at your schedule and try to set aside maybe one day on a weekend every other week or something and we should get together and spend the whole day practicing, we could trade off who drives to where......Let me know!!!! i'm always down to practice!!!
~Morgan :) |
