Random Awesomeness

I should begin this entry by telling you a little about myself. I am a dancer and I graduated form a professional ballet school in 2011. Upon graduation, I wasn't sure dance was what I wanted to pursue as a career so I went to university for two semesters. I quickly realized that I wasn't ready to give up dance, so I withdrew from school and went back to what I truly loved to do. Two years later, here I am, attending a five week intensive program and I'd like to tell you about it.

Here is an idea of how the program works: we dance more or less 9 hours a day, six days a week and we had to learn three ballets and have them performance ready in five weeks. It is definitely a lot of hard work, but this has been one of the most nurturing experiences of my life. 

At this time, we are four weeks into the program and getting ready for shows. Since it is quickly coming to an end, I'm analyzing what I've learned and what I'll be sure to take away from my time here. You would think that the most valuable lesson to take away would have to do with dance technique and how to improve on certain steps. While I have certainly learned a lot in that area, the biggest skill I have acquired is not physical but mental. I have learned to deal with pressure, and to maintain a positive attitude to produce quality work in a short amount of time.

When you are learning choreography for three different ballets this quickly, your brain feels like it's going to explode. And the stress associated with being onstage with costumes and makeup on, when you finished learning the piece two days earlier, is truly overwhelming. The thing is, is that no matter how stressed you are, you still have to go onstage at the end of the day and perform high quality work. Sadly, no matter how much you've prepared your body, if your mind isn't ready, it's not going to go as well as you want it to.

So how do I deal with all of it? I just talk to myself. I change my thought patterns. When my brain tells me: "I'm so tired, I don't know how I'm going to get through it. I don't want to. I can't do this. Oh my god there are still two more hours to go. I can't believe I have to do this 6 more times." and so on, I just change the pattern. How about: "Yeah I'm tired, but think how proud I'll feel if I give it my all and produce good work, despite the fact that I'm tired. Listen to the music and just enjoy it. It won't be perfect and that's okay, just keep pushing no matter what. It's not about you, it's about the people watching you. Make one of them smile, and you'll have done your job." I'll also make a list of everything that went well that day because a bad day is only as bad as you make it.

We don't realize the effect that negative thinking has on us. The minute you think about how much you can't or don't want to, your focus isn't on the steps anymore and you're more likely to make mistakes and get injured. Your energy level might even lower day by day and the shows will just get harder and harder. Don't get me wrong, I still complain about this and that, but when I feel like I'm getting overwhelmed, I try and change how I think to make it an enjoyable experience. That's when I surprise myself with how much my body can do and how much my mind can handle. I don't want to come out of experiences like this one, thinking about how hard it was and how miserable I was during it. I want to come out proud and happy about having pushed through the fatigue, about having done my very best every day and about having given the audience what they paid to see: a good dance show. 

A positive mindset will also change how others work and act with you. Think about it, wouldn't you rather work with someone who keeps a positive attitude? Here is something I've learned from my dance teacher. The person who is going to stand out the most is the one who will still have a smile on their face at ten o'clock at night after having spent the entire day traveling on the bus and having performed an entire show.