A new year

I've been thinking about dance goals for 2011 and the practical question of how I'm going to achieve them.
I have three marvelous advantages as I go forward: practice space (I can use the studio at the ballet school in the mornings, when it's empty), time (now that I'm retired), and videos. The amount of material on YouTube is astounding.
Problems include only two formal lessons per week and my knees, which I'm going to rest this weekend because my right knee is protesting all the stress I've been putting it through. I know from experience that it will get better if I take care of it.
The biggest problem is feeling overwhelmed. The YouTube material (and my own videos) is indeed astounding--but there's so much of it that I sometimes feel hopeless about even getting started.
 So I need a plan. Here goes:
I want to relearn the Boot Scootin' Boogie in time for the Senior Games on March 5. No problem: watch the video every day.
I want to develop a set of freestyle steps in time for the Senior Games. Not so easy. Plan: This week, listen to a different song every day and practice responding to the beat.
I want to learn how to do a good Viennese waltz this year. No problem: Mary and I are already on it. Plan: Practice left and right turns at the ballet school every day.
I want to improve my fox trot this year. Plan: Watch 10 minutes of one of my championship videos every day.
I want to put more improv into my Latin dancing. Plan: Watch 5 minutes of any videos every day. Mix them up. Just start getting a feeling for where I want to go with it. I can make a new plan later.
Sounds like a plan!

Success!

Sunday was the big showcase, and I DID WELL. Better than I had hoped. Stage fright was minimal. There were only a few shaky moments. I had memory problems with the opening of one routine--I wasn't expecting it and was shocked when they called my name.
I did the applejack without a speck of trouble. One judge said I smiled too much!
I was exhausted last night and feeling I didn't want to dance anymore. Probably it was a reaction to all the anticipation and energy I invested in getting ready for the showcase.
Today I'm feeling more optimistic. I talked to my teachers about getting coaching from another teacher - a big step for me. They agreed to my plan.
D., who did most of the choreography for "Someone to Watch over Me," said she'd never seen me dance it so well. (She'd been there for all the practices with G.) I thought the same thing.
I really pitched "Mr. Bojangles" to the audience.
I REALLY enjoyed the merengue, of all things.
I'm marching forward with my dancing. The stage fright CD I listened to nightly for two months apparently did the job. It is great to have tools to work with as I move ahead with my dancing.

Tomorrow's the Day!

I listened to my motivational tape for the last time and did my last practice. I packed my clothes for tomorrow. The little bag with my stockings and jewelry and other things I need for performing is waiting by the door.
I'm ready.
I hope.
Last night I wrote a letter to myself about all the things that are wonderful about my dancing. It was a good experience. I've put my heart and soul (and time and money) into learning ballroom dancing.
Tonight while I was practicing it hit me that I am a risk-taker. I'm doing a quickstep exhibition tomorrow. It opens with an applejack. I'm doing a Viennese waltz.
My Barbra Streisand routine is almost entirely a solo. Nobody can pull me out of it if I make a mistake or lose my place.
I'm dancing tomorrow because I'm passionate about doing this. No easy outs. This is a hugely important part of my life, and I'm completely committed to it.
And now I'll close with what all dancers say to one another before a performance: Merde! (No, we don't joke about breaking a leg!)

Getting Closer

My heart sank during today's practice for Sunday's show. Despite all the self-talk, imagery, and hours listening to a motivational CD, the stage fright was back. I felt that I had no tools to work with for getting ready for the show.
But maybe all is not lost. G. and I warmed up with a bolero. I was thinking that it was the best bolero I'd ever done and wondering if it really was as good as I thought. When we finished, G. congratulated me and D., who was coaching today, applauded and said it was the best bolero I'd ever done. So I feel I've made a major breakthrough. It was musical and expressive and different from how I've ever danced before.
I did the Bojangles routine with the best expression I've ever had.
And I found out we're starting out with the competition Sunday and ending with the show. And somehow that vastly comforted me. The show is like an afterthought. People's attention will be winding down. Somehow that's a huge comfort.
Meanwhile, I'm trying to etch the applejack into my brain. And I'm taking comfort in the thought that despite feeling the nerves today, I danced well. If the real thing goes as well as today's practice did, I'll have a lot to be proud of.
And D. pointed out that even if the applejack gets messed up, what people will notice is that my feet were moving. How do they know what it was supposed to look like?

Getting Ready to Perform

The show is Sunday. We had an uneven (that's the most neutral term I could come up with) practice a few hours ago.
I keep wondering whether I should just concede that I'm not a performer, never will be, and stop worrying about it and trying to make myself something I'm not.
I've been reading a book about making changes--it's called Switch--that has some interesting ideas. One is to build on the moments when whatever change you desire is already there in some form.
Well, it's true that sometimes I enjoy performing, and I'm even good at it.
The problems tonight were with focusing. My dancing is exceptionally good on a lot of levels.
Barbra Streisand has problems remembering lyrics. That doesn't diminish who and what she is by a single iota.
So let's think of some strategies:

• I'm going to keep practicing. My applejack surprised my teachers today.
• I'm going to work on my thinking patterns. Small problems don't have to be catastrophes.
• I'm going to keep doing visualizations.
• I'm going to talk to myself about the things I do well.

Oddly enough, NPR tonight pointed the way to a solution for me. Terry Gross was interviewing a ballet dancer who's the author of a new history of ballet (I think it's Apollo's Angels). The writer pointed out that dancing is moving in the direction of greater and greater virtuosity. What seems to be getting lost are emotion and artistry.

Well, I can do emotion and artistry. I've seen dancers with great souls (Pirkko is one) be incredibly moving without calling upon their virtuosity.

I can think about that.

I can stir people on Sunday. I can do that.

Balancing Trick

Actually my balance is quite good. For several years now I've been practicing spins on a rotational disk from Stott Pilates, and I'm quite good at them now. And I practice standing on one foot in various positions almost every day.
What I want to talk about is striking a balance between I'm-a-student-who-wants-to-get-better and I'm-a-performer-who's-pleased-with-my-dancing.
I practice at home and feel great--and then I take a lesson and realize how much I could do to improve even basic steps and patterns. It's discouraging.
After January 1 I might start doing an extra hour every week with M. I used to do that before my life got so complicated, and it really helped my dancing.
What I really need to do, though, is to feel confident that my dancing is worth doing, even if it's not world class.
I don't think I'm a perfectionist. Well, I am about writing. Does that insistence on getting it right carry over to other things I do?
My gut reaction is no. If I were a perfectionist about dancing, I wouldn't have stuck with it this long. It is HARD to become a good ballroom dancer.
And I don't enjoy watching some of the professionals I see on TV--their perfection is almost robotic.
So what do I need to do or think about to increase my confidence?
I don't have an answer yet.

Possible or Impossible?

In an email, I told one of my teachers that I'd like to talk about changing the beginning of my quickstep routine. The music is fast, and I'm supposed to do an applejack (cute swiveling footwork shifting from heels to toes) right after a turn.

After a lot of practice, I'm finding it very difficult to make the transition from the turn to the fancy footwork. My body wants to keep moving, and I need to be steady and solid to do the applejack.

Maybe there's some technical trick that will work.

I have a hard time performing, and worrying about making a difficult move look smooth and easy is just going to complicate matters.

And I'm not sure that tricky moves are necessary. I've seen some thrilling dancing that had no tricks at all. Just great posture, musicality, and movement. That's what I'm aiming for.

At Monday's lesson we'll make a decision about the quickstep opening.