Dance Spirit : Are dancers less committed to dance if they have other passions? Lucie Clements: Definitely not, in fact I would always encourage a dancer to have more than one passion. Having multiple hobbies helps you to maintain balance in your life, brings perspective, and will also bring lots of new skills into your life that will likely transfer into dance. DS : What's the difference between a commitment to dance and an all-consuming obsession with dance? LC: In psychology we call the distinction between commitment and all-consuming hobbies either harmonious or obsessive passions.
A harmonious passion means that dance is in harmony with other activities, is associated with positive emotions, and we know that we would manage if we were injured. Essentially, this is where a person makes an autonomous choice to have dance in their life, and makes time and space for other things, too.
An obsessive passion, by contrast, is one where we live and breathe dance, at the cost of other hobbies, possibly even friendships or relationships, and especially our own well-being.
This sort of commitment could lead to what's known as a "controlled internalization"—we are dancing because we feel compelled to since we can't imagine life without it, rather than doing it because we love it.
Always remember to check in and ask yourself if dance is in harmony with the rest of who you are. LC: Having lots of interests builds a broader self-concept, which relates to the way we label ourselves "I am a dancer," "I am a swimmer," "I am a sister" , but also the values we hold most strongly e.
Self-concept is really key to our well-being, it gives rise to our evaluations of our self-worth and self-esteem. When a dancer experiences loss in dance, such as injury, a series of 'no's at an audition, or a long time without work, their self-concept could be wiped out if all they label themselves as is 'A dancer. Someone who has a variety of hobbies can draw on the other parts of who they are to boost their self-esteem and find purpose. DS : Are there any risks associated with pursuing other interests that we should be wary of?
LC: Doing too many activities can lead to burnout. To keep burnout at bay, don't forget to make rest and self-care your hobbies too! Kristen Harlow on the relationship between dance commitment and hobbies: "I believe dance can still be your favorite hobby, as you allow yourself to explore new creative outlets.
That is the beauty of being an artist: We can use our love for art to try new things! During the pandemic, all I wanted to do was spread joy, and because we couldn't be together dancing in NYC, baking became the next best thing for me. Kristen Harlow on the similarities between baking and dancing: "Ever since I started Kristen's Kreations, I have realized probably thousands of different similarities between the two.
Dance for me has always been my source of joy and motivation, and baking quickly became the same. Kallie Takahashi on her own nondance hobbies: "I love to sew and design my own clothes.
Sometimes I will just do small alterations on old pieces that I already own, sometimes I'll buy something knowing I want to completely take it apart, or I will even start from scratch by picking out the fabric and dreaming up whatever I can imagine. Kallie Takahashi on the lesson both dance and sewing have taught her: "Patience is everything.
You aren't going to get it right on the first try, but that doesn't mean you won't learn something on the way. Kallie Takahashi on the benefits of being versatile: "Expanding your horizons allows you to be a more well-rounded individual and gives you more outlets to express yourself. And who knows, the industry is so versatile, maybe that other interest will help you in your dance career in the long run—special skills and all! Kallie Takahashi models the pants she made.
Photo courtesy of Kallie Takahashi. Ultimately, finding balance with dance and other hobbies might be challenging to navigate at first, but it is well worth the work in order to let your best qualities shine. Angyil's list of battle wins is so long, you'd be forgiven for assuming she's been a hip hopper her whole life.
But back when she was a tiny dancer, Angyil actually started out with ballet classes in Kansas City, Missouri. Photo courtesy of Red Bull. Angyil: I originally was in a bunch of different after-school activities: the robotics team, the debate team, all of these teams. And then dance became an activity at my school.
I fell in love, and went on to a performing arts school where I studied ballet, jazz, Graham modern, tap. Angyil: A lot of the Ailey teachers would come to Kansas City every summer. At the end of the intensive, they picked students who they thought had a promising future. I was one of the students picked to fly to New York and train there.
Angyil: I was tired of putting my hair in a bun. I know that sounds crazy. I appreciated the discipline of concert dance, but felt like I couldn't be free—like I couldn't allow my body to move however my muscles wanted to move. Music also played a big role. I wanted to hear music that resonated with my soul, with my mood and personality. Ballet definitely taught me a lot when it comes to discipline and training.
But I decided to just go with hip hop, which felt the closest to my authentic self. Angyil: The people that I trained with were like, 'Your posture is way too proper. You need to break your posture. That, and my feet were always turned out. Angyil: Performance. It's still about performance at the end of the day, regardless of whether it's on the street or another everyday place, or in a theater. You're still responsible for turning it on and performing your best. Angyil: I don't think ballet dancers realize how structured and serious hip hop can be.
The focus is a bit different, but it's to the same level. Just like there's vocabulary in the ballet world, there are names for everything in hip hop as well. There's freedom in the display, but structure behind it. Just because you're smiling and look like you're enjoying yourself doesn't mean you're not working extremely hard at a move.
Angyil: Don't allow someone to put you in a box and tell you that you should only do this or that. If you love dance, research and study as many genres of dance as possible. Read books. Ordinary 18 and 48 year olds look… well… 18 and On the bright side, when you quit, you will start looking your age and you will no longer stand out among your non-dancing friends.
Who wants to look awesome anyway? Sunday, November 14, Sign in. Forgot your password? Get help. Password recovery. Dance Comp Review. The Teaching Method in Ballroom Dancing. Why Solo Dance Practice Sucks.
Dancing while Deployed with the Navy. Other times, people show you that they love and care about you by worrying, playing devil's advocate, and questioning your decisions.
This includes your choice to take dance lessons. Solution: If you share anything about your dancing with friends or loved ones - share the whole story. Non-dancers may never see all the breakthroughs, notice the progress, or see any value in you taking dance lessons because they don't know you as a "Dancer". In some cases, their only comparison is someone dancing on TV. In fact, your teacher, managers, studio owner, and even Arthur Murray, the man himself, all quit.
You see, every great dancer decides, at some point, to quit the status quo. They choose to end the part of their timeline that does not include dancing. Just like you. For some, unfortunately, their dance program has become status quo. The vehicle that forged new and exciting territory has lost some momentum. This can happen to anyone, in any hobby, occupation, or relationship. If it works, your dancing gets unstuck, you get a more efficient dynamic in the studio, and, at the very least, you can air it out.
It may be difficult, but it's a momentary setback that will prevent decades of regret. After all, the story you're in has too many great dramatic elements to be cut short by a simple explosion. Your first step back, is our first step to creating a better experience for you.
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Stuck There are four stages you go through as a dance student, called the Curve of Learning. What You Can Do: Let your teacher know how you are feeling Let them pinpoint a strategy for reducing the ill effects. Human Behavior Yes, it's true.
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