In an effort to raise some valid points about raising strong girls, be careful not to mistakenly encourage girls away from a stereotypical 'female' activities, like dance that is very effective in reaching the goals listed in the attached link.
While dance in America is not exclusively for girls, it attracts girls far more than boys. Despite that, when taught correctly, dance builds strong sense of individuality (even in ballet), gender neutral roles (in modern dance, jazz, tap, folk and other genres), emotional resiliency, physical power, attention to detail, a healthy way to express one self, discipline, and so much more. These days, dance students dance about social issues as much, if not more than traditional ballet roles.
There is as much team effort in dance as there is in sports and no one keeps score, which is even better! Every lesson of dance requires a student to try new things, to move themselves past their own obstacles, and refine skills.
The formations and spacial awareness required of a dancer is similar thinking to that of an engineer. The exploration and experimentation required of a dancer is similar to a research scientist. The communication skills required of a dancer are worthy of a storyteller's. Dance is one of the most creative professions there is. While is is not valued and as financially rewarding as other professions, it is rewarding in so many other ways that other professions cannot claim.
Within the profession of dance, students can move into design, stage management, journalism, dance medicine, arts administration, and so much more. It is not limited to an elite few who become ballerinas (who by the way must master their mind, body and emotions...far more than most professions). Yes, do encourage your daughter to be creative, follow her dreams, work like an engineer or scientist, while learning to communicate with the international language of dance.
If you dance or have danced you know what I mean. Beware of and respond to writers who inadvertently put down dance.
October 26, 2011 3:04 AM
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Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Opening Yourself to Review, Assessment and Goal Setting.
No one wants to be stagnant, but few are comfortable pushing past the familiar and safe. Everyone wants to be creative, yet the distinction between new and imitation is hard to discern. Few want to be reviewed, yet many want to succeed.
What can be done? If you are not used to self assessment, step outside yourself and acquire some input. Dancers and other artists rely on this. They need an 'outside eye' to guide their creativity, and make their expression reach an audience.
1) Learn to 'read the air' of your immediate surroundings. Pay close attention to the response of others around you. Notice their body language their facial expressions and their comments (if you are lucky that they elicit something more than polite neutral remarks). Notice if others engage with you or check out. Dancers tune into the stillness of their audience and the tone of the applause.
2) Do not expect others to recognize the mini-achievements you make until they amount to a collection of progressions. Until then, watch for the tiniest of personal break-throughs. Pat yourself on the back when you notice the slightest advancements. Be careful not to admonish yourself for not being 100%. As a side note, you are supposed to face adversity and difficulty; so that when you can, you will truly be able to help someone else along their life's challenges. Dancers are famous for being critical of themselves, yet learn to persevere past their inadequacies to achieve exceptional feats.
3) Ask for feedback and advice. Then be sure to incorporate some or all the input, otherwise you will not be given much more in the future. Some give helpful considerate input, others just seem to lend criticism. Do not get discouraged. Sift through the well-intended, but negative comments as much as you do with the cheers from your fans. Find some sensible ground to navigate your course. Dance teachers, coaches, critics, and audience members may all have different tastes and opinions, but dancers learn to navigate the discrepancies and nurture their art form.
4) Take a chance. Be an individual. Often the crowd culture will hold you back. Do not be afraid to look funny, fail, or find new acquaintances to support your goals. Some of the greatest mistakes are in fact successes: chocolate chip cookies, popsicles, silly putty and more! Skepticism is one way friends and family 'protect' us from failure. There is no such thing as failure if you learn from it and get back on course. Dancers learn that if you stumble, you make it part of the dance. You can apply a similar philosophy to your life.
Conversely, if you are comfortable with self assessment, and can do it without beating yourself up, notice when you are sometimes on target and when you slip. That is the place where you are likely to make a break-through. Start there with your efforts. Progress is on its way, but it needs to be nurtured and carefully guided. Weed out the distractions and stay the course. Impatience is a common obstacle. Small frustrations, too, can steer us away from a success that is often right around the corner.
Aim for consistency. Achieving a goal is the first step; the ability to live the goal requires the ability to repeat it. Pulling-off a quadruple pirouette once is exciting, but worth nothing unless a choreographer knows the skill is reliable. Practice, practice, practice! Turn your 'can't' into 'could.' Be an example to others to make it stick. Sometimes teaching someone else reinforces your ability. Soon you will have confidence in yourself and not only will you achieve goal #1, but you will have experience to apply to future goals.
At first, do not seek the goals that are not near your capacity to achieve right now, but do not lose site of them either. Wanting to be a professional dancer is out of the question at the age of six, but a goal such as that is achievable. Consult with a school that is known for nurturing those dreams and helping their students realize them. Then, allow these goals to take shape or evolve into a new dream as you go through life. When you open yourself to review, assessment, and goal setting with others, you close yourself off from isolation, struggle, and the likelihood of a rougher road.
What can be done? If you are not used to self assessment, step outside yourself and acquire some input. Dancers and other artists rely on this. They need an 'outside eye' to guide their creativity, and make their expression reach an audience.
1) Learn to 'read the air' of your immediate surroundings. Pay close attention to the response of others around you. Notice their body language their facial expressions and their comments (if you are lucky that they elicit something more than polite neutral remarks). Notice if others engage with you or check out. Dancers tune into the stillness of their audience and the tone of the applause.
2) Do not expect others to recognize the mini-achievements you make until they amount to a collection of progressions. Until then, watch for the tiniest of personal break-throughs. Pat yourself on the back when you notice the slightest advancements. Be careful not to admonish yourself for not being 100%. As a side note, you are supposed to face adversity and difficulty; so that when you can, you will truly be able to help someone else along their life's challenges. Dancers are famous for being critical of themselves, yet learn to persevere past their inadequacies to achieve exceptional feats.
3) Ask for feedback and advice. Then be sure to incorporate some or all the input, otherwise you will not be given much more in the future. Some give helpful considerate input, others just seem to lend criticism. Do not get discouraged. Sift through the well-intended, but negative comments as much as you do with the cheers from your fans. Find some sensible ground to navigate your course. Dance teachers, coaches, critics, and audience members may all have different tastes and opinions, but dancers learn to navigate the discrepancies and nurture their art form.
4) Take a chance. Be an individual. Often the crowd culture will hold you back. Do not be afraid to look funny, fail, or find new acquaintances to support your goals. Some of the greatest mistakes are in fact successes: chocolate chip cookies, popsicles, silly putty and more! Skepticism is one way friends and family 'protect' us from failure. There is no such thing as failure if you learn from it and get back on course. Dancers learn that if you stumble, you make it part of the dance. You can apply a similar philosophy to your life.
Conversely, if you are comfortable with self assessment, and can do it without beating yourself up, notice when you are sometimes on target and when you slip. That is the place where you are likely to make a break-through. Start there with your efforts. Progress is on its way, but it needs to be nurtured and carefully guided. Weed out the distractions and stay the course. Impatience is a common obstacle. Small frustrations, too, can steer us away from a success that is often right around the corner.
Aim for consistency. Achieving a goal is the first step; the ability to live the goal requires the ability to repeat it. Pulling-off a quadruple pirouette once is exciting, but worth nothing unless a choreographer knows the skill is reliable. Practice, practice, practice! Turn your 'can't' into 'could.' Be an example to others to make it stick. Sometimes teaching someone else reinforces your ability. Soon you will have confidence in yourself and not only will you achieve goal #1, but you will have experience to apply to future goals.
At first, do not seek the goals that are not near your capacity to achieve right now, but do not lose site of them either. Wanting to be a professional dancer is out of the question at the age of six, but a goal such as that is achievable. Consult with a school that is known for nurturing those dreams and helping their students realize them. Then, allow these goals to take shape or evolve into a new dream as you go through life. When you open yourself to review, assessment, and goal setting with others, you close yourself off from isolation, struggle, and the likelihood of a rougher road.
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