Self-Discipline in the Dancer's World

Several months ago, I thought my life was going to hit a dark place.  I was fortunate enough to realize that it wasn’t a time to go to a dark place, but rather a place of light and happiness.  However, I sought friendship from people that I hadn’t talked to in a long time, and surrounded myself in a group of people that I knew would help in that journey.  In this time, I conversed with a friend that I hadn’t had a significant chat with in ages.  In the process of catching up, he suggested to me that I read a book to help me with my dancing and teaching.  It was only recently that attained this book and started reading. 

I’m only halfway through and it has changed my perspective on everything as a teacher.

I don’t know about any other teacher out there, but I know that there are days when using the week be fore’s lesson plan is easier than making up a new one.  Whether it’s the fact that you’re tired from that second or third job, or you had an opportunity to have lunch with a friend instead of create the lesson plan that you’ve put off doing all week, or your creativity for the week has seemed to run dry, there are situations that prevent us all from getting done what needs to be done.  These “situations”, however, are just excuses. 

The book that I am reading talks about personal resistance.   It’s not being able to get over that hump.  It’s about saying “I can totally do this later” or “I can definitely use last week’s lesson plan instead of creating one that will further enrich my students.”  These are situations that we create within ourselves.  These are situations that are easily moved past.  These are situations that require a self-discipline.

One thing that I have always loved about dance is that it is a necessity to acquire self-discipline.  You can’t be a student and expect to grow and develop without taking the initiative, and feeling the drive and motivation to better  yourself.  As a dancer, you need to stretch before you come into class.  You need to know that if your ankle is feeling tight you need to go home and rest it instead of going out with your friends.  If you’re a competitive dancer, you sacrifice a lot of your social life to be able to go to classes and competitions on the weekends.  If you’re a ballerina in a performing arts school, or a ballet school, you sacrifice having any sort of life outside of ballet.  Many dancers learn at a young age that they have to become independent and self-driven to achieve their dreams of becoming something great.

From a teaching perspective, there is a required amount of discipline as well.  Not only are you in charge of a group of children, but you are in charge of their development.  That is a heavy weight to carry.  On top of students’ development, a teacher is in charge of their own development as well.  Whether it’s taking the time to go take a class, or reading up on choreographers, or taking more courses in school that help you better understand a dance class, it’s about broadening your own horizons so you can pass the knowledge on to your own students.

Being a dancer and being a dance teacher is a wonderful journey.  You are constantly learning- there is no point where you will know it all.  The industry itself is in constant state of evolution.  Legs are kicking higher, revolutions in turns are becoming more, the dances are becoming faster, and there is an overall desire to create stronger and more flexible dancers.  As the industry demands more, we as teachers must demand more.  That includes not only from our students, but from ourselves.  This is our self-discipline. 

Take the time each day to enrich your dance life.  Take the time to finish that biography on Twyla Tharp.  Got no one to go with to see that ballet you were interested in?  Go by yourself!  Take that class from that teacher that you’re terrified of being judged by.  Overcome that demon inside that is telling you to slack, or the one that is telling you that you can’t do as much as you’d want to.  Not only will it better you and your students, but the sense of accomplishment you will feel afterwards will be worth it all.

I’ve overcome my first personal resistance of the day now.  How about you?

Get Into the Groove...

April school vacation has come and gone.  As I woke up this morning, I realized that it’s back to reality for me.  Then it struck me, do I really feel so much like I’m in a bubble on these weeks without dance?  As a dance teacher, I also work as a waitress to make up for the days I am not teaching, so I still have work.  Essentially it only gives me 2 full days off, and my Saturday mornings off.  Does being away from dance really knock me off my game that much?

I find that it’s often hard to get back into the groove when I have time off.  Dance gives me structure to work with, so I tend to plan out my weeks around lesson-planning and working around my teaching schedule.  When I don’t have that, I either have to be on top of my game with self-discipline, or I lose a week easily.  That happened this April school vacation.  I made lots of fun plans, and wound up not realizing until, well, NOW that I didn’t keep on top of things as well as I should have.

Mentally I need to make sure that I am prepared.   It’s often worse for my students to get back into the groove.  They went from having these busy hectic lives with school, dance, social lives, after school activities, etc, to having a week off.  I know for a fact that many of them wind up sleeping in, take lazy days on the couch, hang out with friends when they do feel like doing something, and don’t really stay active.  On the opposite end, some of the students go on vacations where their schedules are packed in with sightseeing and eating out.  So either way, the kids come back tired, unadjusted, and not on their games. 

It’s particularly difficult with April school vacation.  This year, and with many years past, the competitive students at the studio I work at will be jumping into a week of preparation for a regional competition.  It’s also about to become crunch-time for the recreational students- recitals are only a few weeks away!  Now is the time to start “The Elimination Game”, practicing in smaller groups, and doing their dances away from the mirror.  The emphasis is on cleaning, and smiling big for all their friends and families!  While it makes it easier on my lesson plans, it makes it  harder for the kids to focus when they return. 

So how does one bounce back after a week of fun?  For me, it’s all about the mentality.  Organizing my thoughts into one single place, and making sure that I am prepared for anything is key.  Also reinstating my typical morning routine helps.  Cup of coffee, a little online work, watch some tv, prep for classes, and eventually get ready!  I will head in early to make sure that my music is set, and I will most likely stretch a bit so that my body doesn’t completely rebel as I demonstrate moves! 

Personally, I will be spending this morning getting my head back to teaching mode.  My students are all at school, and I can imagine most of them yawning through their first few classes, as I’m sure many of them will be yawning later tonight in my classes as well!  It also does not help that it is raining out!  However, I am truly looking forward to seeing all my wonderful students, and hearing about all the incredible adventures they had over vacation! 

How was your vacation?  Do you often find yourself struggling to get back into a disciplined mode after time off?