As the New Year arrives it is easy to get caught up in the trend of making life changing resolutions and setting grand goals. When it come to your dance life, may I instead suggest small, achievable, sequential goals.
You might want to advance from Bronze to Silver in 2021 but setting a large goal like that without attainable steps will put you at an immediate disadvantage. How do you even start?
Instead, how about setting a mid-term goal supported by several short-term goals, such as: prepare for testing on the Bronze syllabus in Waltz. The short-term goals might be to perfect and study 3 figures per week with guidance and feedback from your instructor. Then learn the Bronze routine for the medal exam and refine your dance for 3 to 4 weeks. After you successfully complete the medal test, you can begin working on the Silver Waltz syllabus.
At a pace like this, you should be able to work through all 4 smooth dances, 1 per quarter, and within 12 months move from Bronze to Silver in Smooth. You may not by competing in Silver at the end of 2021 but you will have progressed quite nicely in just one year -- with a measured and achievable plan.
As always, it is best to set your dance goals through a careful plan crafted with your instructor. Make time for the conversation this month and get started right away. Part of the joy of dance is the constant growth and evolution we all achieve through our weekly commitment and hard work. And we all know that meaningful growth and improvement takes time.
See you on the dance floor,
Deannah
