Goals

Goals are very important in anything you do. Whether they're long term goals or short term goals. Setting something to work towards is key in improvement. Setting goal will help in your ability to become a better dance and setting multiple goals will help break up your journey towards that. I talk about setting goals and working towards something in my Flexibility blog post you can look at as well. Thinking long term will help you enjoy the project you are working on now and thinking short term will help you accomplish the goals you have that will ultimately help you accomplish your long term goals.

When setting long term goals you want to look to the future, what do you ultimately want to be doing in life or in dance. Whether that's this year or the next year or in five years. You want to set practical goals, but don't be afraid to follow your dreams and shoot for the stars. Anything is possible, refer to my Keep the Faith  blog post. Don't be afraid of goals that seem impossible now because later they'll be possible. Be prepared to work hard and go full speed toward you're goals.

When setting short term goals, think about what goals you want to set in order to reach your long term goals. What can you work towards short term and that's practical that will help you accomplish your long term goal later. For me, I want to compete at dance competitions. That's my long term goal, but in order to accomplish that goal I need to set short term goals. My short term goals are to get more flexible and to get better, more consistent pirouettes. So far I've been doing pretty well with these goals, but it's an ongoing journey, like anything, that needs lots of work.

Of course, sometimes you won't make as much progress as you would like, but keep going and eventually you'll reach you're goal. Making a deadline for your goals will also help in your effort to accomplish them in a timely manner. Deadlines with consequences will help motivate you to get something done or to reach your goals. Also, having someone keep you accountable for your goal will help you too. Try writing you're goals down in pen or telling someone what you goals are so they can keep you accountable by helping you or even just asking you how you're goals are coming along. Just keep going and work hard. Don't give up if you're not progressing how you would like either. We all get set back sometimes, but if you keep going it'll benefit you in the end and you'll be happier if you stuck with it.
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STREB Extreme Action

Dance is an art. and Art is seen different to all people. Unique and interesting as it may be, it is taken and interpreted, seen differently through people’s eyes. There are many different types of dancing. Hip hop, lyrical, ballet, jazz, modern, etc. and many different reasons people dance. Either to express emotion, for fun, competition, religion, and much more. I recently found out about a different dance style that may interest you. It's called STREB Extreme Action. Founded in 1985 by Elizabeth Streb, a choreographer whose studies the content of movement. Streb is fascinated by movement, and uses angles and gravity to create different routines and actions that will surprise you.


Streb calls her dancers "extreme action heroes". They take immense hits and impacts to create what Streb has envisioned.  To create something new and different. As said on her website Streb, once called the Evel Knievel of dance, Elizabeth Streb's choreography, which she calls "POPACTION," intertwines the disciplines of dance, athletics, boxing, rodeo, the circus, and Hollywood stunt-work. The result is a bristling, muscle-and-motion vocabulary that combines daring with strict precision in pursuit of public acts of "pure movement." Streb's choreography of movement attracts all types of audiences, kids, adults, and the public eye in general because of the fast, intricate, movement of these dancers.



This type of dancing is very new, unique and modern. Entertaining because you don't know what's going to happen next. Streb uses this to impact art and how we see it. She uses hardware to create angles and to manipulate movement, to defy gravity and create illusion of epic proportions. This type of art is very enjoyable because it resembles gymnastics and dancing. It seems very intense and hardcore because the dancers have to be very fit and athletic to do all these flips, jumps, and falls and to take the impact of each on ones body.



At the London Olympics, STREB Extreme Action performed around the London area. Sreb wanted to show London and the world the sense of wonder and impossible, something that they would remember for the rest of their lives. You can see what they did and how they performed here. Streb has a warehouse called S.L.A.M.(Streb Lab of Action Mechanics) where classes can be taken, and practices and rehearsals are open to the public. Streb wants to be an inspiration to children and the public of her community to have an impact on arts and how they’re viewed.

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Flexibility

If you're like me then you know how hard it is to get more flexible. Naturally not being a very flexible person, seeing those double-jointed girls pulling their legs up above their heads and beyond can make dance class kind of stressful for you. As you, knowing how important flexibility is, wants to be able to do that too. But have no fear, everyone can increase their flexibility.

Flexibility is very important in dance. It provides a wider range of styles that can be used and allows the dancer to accomplish higher and more advanced skills or tricks. It also creates more fluid motions that may be required for certain styles or dances. Flexibility also reduces the risk of injury and provides a better range of motion for the dancer.

Flexibility can be accomplished by stretching often and correctly. You're not going to get any more flexible unless you make the effort to get more flexible. Set a time aside to work on your flexibility or other skill that you need to get better at. We all say we'll do our splits while we watch TV or something, but how often does that actually happen. Setting a time aside will help in your effort to stay accountable for stretching on your own. Also, having someone else keep you accountable for your stretching is good too, it provides an outside force to get you to do you're stretches.

Stretching correctly is very important too. Don't ever force a stretch, you'll end up pulling a muscle or hurting yourself in some way. I've pulled a muscle in my leg before, doing the splits, and it took about two weeks for me to do a decent toe-touch again. It's not worth it to force you're body to extremes because most of the time it doesn't work out.  Make sure to stretch before and after you work out. Stretching before will prevent you from injuring yourself during your workout and stretching after will help in your effort to become more flexible. Stretching after your workout will help you become more flexible because your muscles will already be warmed up and will actually make the stretches count. Remember to actually relax into your stretches, this will help you get a better and deeper stretch. Do the stretch correctly too. Stretching the wrong way will not help you at all and will ultimately hurt you. You'll train yourself to do the stretch incorrectly and won't make any progress on your flexibility at all.

So remember to stretch often and correctly. set a time aside or have someone hold you accountable. Stretch before and after your work out and don't ever force a stretch. With a little time and effort, you'll be able to get those splits down and lift those legs up high. Little by little you're increase your flexibility.
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Practice,Practice, PRACTICE!

Practice is everything. If you want to get better, than you have to practice. You can improve so much if you practice consistently and often. I know it’s hard to find the time, but if you make an effort to practice than it will pay off. It may not pay off right away but eventually you'll be happy you put in the time to get better. You can practice you're flexibility, your pirouettes, you're jumps, or whatever else you want to get better at. I've been on dance team at my school since the beginning of the summer and we had practice about every other day during the week. My pirouettes were very bad technique wise, but after working on them consistently and often they have gotten a lot better. They still need work, but I'm very pleased with the progress that I've made already.

Practice the right way. If you Practice right, then you'll perform it right. You may hear this a lot, but it's true. If you learn your skill or dance right, then practice it right, it will ultimately make your life easier because then you won't have to spend so much time fixing the mistakes you could of had right all along. You'll end up having more time and energy to spend on other things instead of stressing about the move or dance skills you need to work on.

Practice the little things. There's a difference between going through the motions and then actually hitting, or sharpening the moves. Finishing each move strong and together is very powerful and gives lots of energy and purpose to the dance. When you're watching two people do the same dance and one's smiling and the other's not, which one are you going to watch or enjoy more? Obviously the one smiling. Smiling or doing facials is a little thing that can make you're dance a lot more enjoyable to you and the audience, and is a huge factor in your stage presence. As a dancer you want to entertain your audience and practicing your moves right will help in accomplishing this.

Work For It, Enjoy It, Keep The Faith

 

 

 

If you're a dancer, then you know that dance team is a big deal. No matter if it’s at you're school or you're studio, everybody's working toward the same goal. To be the best dancer they can be, to get to varsity or the top team, whatever that may be. I'm on dance team at my school and take classes at my studio, so most of my knowledge of dance teams comes from my school. In order to get on dance team it's going to take work, and I mean hard work. No matter what you're skill level is you're going to have to work on something. Whether that's hitting you're moves, turns, flexibility, or jumps, you’re going to have to work on something.

Being good at dance or being good at dance compared to the people around you is definitely a confidence boost. Everyone wants to be good at something, and everyone one is, you just might not have found it yet. But just because you're good at something doesn't mean you're better than anyone else. Often times our performances in life dictate our social status, whether that's in sports or just in an ordinary day. We're told to win, fix our mistakes, and be better than the person next to you. Although in some circumstances that's true, we're trained to compare and judge ourselves and the people around us in order to succeed. Success is fine, it's enjoyable and pleasing, but when you take it away what holds you together? What makes your life worth living, what makes you happy?

 We're told to do lots of stuff, to get involved in so many sports and so many clubs and activities. These pressures come from our parents, school and friends. But how many things do you do that make you happy for no reason at all? That's what dancing is for me. I'm not as good as the other girls on my team, but I enjoy it a lot more. There's definitely challenges that come with it, but isn't everything a challenge? At least in its own way it is. It doesn't matter how people look at you. How cool or popular you are, what your reputation is. Everyone is on a journey, to figure out who they are and where they fit in, what their purpose is in life. We're in this together, so we must stick together.

I'm not here to tell you what is right and what is wrong, but I'm telling you to keep going. To listen to your dreams and follow your heart. If you want to be a professional dancer than be a professional dancer. Take the steps to become better, join a studio or make JV and keep working toward your goals. Anything is possible. In the Bible, Philippians 4:13 states, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." ~So Keep the Faith~

 

Homecoming Dance

 

As homecoming comes around, lots of people are buying expensive dresses, getting their hair done, doing their nails and toning up that tan. But as homecoming night approaches the dance is the big attraction, this is the reason you spent all your money from that crappy job you had during the summer. All so you can look good for the Homecoming Dance (and also for cute pictures, can’t forget that!). You want to have fun, you want to have a good time, but most of all you want it to go well. I’m not saying it has to be perfect, cause we all know that’s not true, but we want there to be as little mistakes as possible. Often times though we obsess over how we look and for it to go right that we forget to loosen up and have a good time. 

 

 You have all your makeup done, you have your hair done and you’re looking might fine in that brand spanking new dress. So what, you messed up your eye shadow a little and it took extra time to do your hair, you’re looking good and you’re ready to go to the dance. Oh no, the dance! You totally forgot about the dance. You think, “I can’t dance, I’m a horrible dancer". Well, you probably should have thought about that sooner, but homecoming is full of last minute touch ups and plans. So it's all good! I'm actually glad you didn't think about it sooner, because now you're committed to going and you're going to have a blast!

 

 Some people don’t like to go to dance’s because they claim they “don’t know how to dance” or they "don’t like the songs or dance’s they do". Well that’s a bunch of crap and absolutely not true because everybody can dance and I encourage everyone to go to at least one dance in their life time. No matter how big or how small you are, how awkward or weird you are, you can dance. You shouldn’t worry about how you look when you dance or if you're doing the right moves, as long as you move to the beat and don’t worry about it you'll be fine. You never know, you may surprise yourself and actually have fun. Dances are not supposed to be a worry some event, of course the prep before the dance is a whole different story, but you're there to have a good time and DANCE!

 

Attitude is a big thing while you dance. Don't be so caught up with yourself that you're bringing down the mood of your party or whoever you're going with. Everybody wants to have fun so be aware of how your attitude affects the people around you. Don’t get down on yourself because you messed up on a silly little move and now you think everyone noticed. When in reality no one noticed, and besides, everyone's too concerned in themselves to worry about it anyways. Stay positive, don't keep telling yourself that that girl over there looks better than you. Girls have a tendency to compare themselves a lot to other girls and that's not going to get you anywhere in life. It's not good or healthy for you to compare yourself because it's just going to be an ongoing battle that you'll never win. Be comfortable in your own skin. Have confidence, you're the hottest one there and you know it, so glow with the confidence and personality God gave you.

 

 Don't feel intimidated by the girls, or guys, who you think know what they're doing because most of the time they don't. Just because they're on the dance floor shaking it like they're something special doesn't mean anything. Dance how you're comfortable dancing. There's only one you, so don't feel like you have to dance the way that that girl is over there. I don't care if you're doing the 'shopping cart' for twenty straight minutes, you're original, so embrace it!

 

YouTube is very helpful in teaching dances too. A lot of songs and dance's for weddings or school events are not that hard to learn or memorize. Popular songs to look at are the Wobble, Cupid Shuffle, Macarena, Dougie and The Wop. There's different versions of these but learning these popular songs will help in your effort to feel more comfortable dancing at homecoming or wherever your new learned dance skills will lead you!