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.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Liberal Arts Education: Is It Undervalued?
A classical liberal arts education is becoming lost in the pursuit of 'advanced placement', degrees, credentials, and employment, but it is exactly what is needed to survive difficult times like these. Studying the arts and humanities is a road map to learning of oneself. It challenges people to incorporate logic (mathematics and philosophy), creativity (arts and sciences), and responsibility to others (history and civics). Once thyself be known, navigating challenging times is as simple as confidently turning to another facet of one's abilities.
Current education is becoming lop-sided. Mathematics is becoming less about logic and more about correct calculations. Philosophy? It is a rare person who has even scratched the surface of philosophical thinking. Science is getting a big push at the expense of art programs everywhere. Responsibility? Community service is on the rise at the individual level, but when hidden behind a group entity, responsibility submits to the bottom line more.
"The aim of liberal education is to create persons who have the ability and the disposition to try to reach agreements on matters of fact, theory, and actions through rational discussions." "The Aim of Liberal Education," DiText, September 1, 2003.
A classical education draws upon what is tried and true, not for this century, but for all centuries. In a classical setting, teachers are allowed to focus on their lessons for the students instead of their research. Class sizes are more intimate. Students are challenged to think, debate, and design plans of action with preparations to handle positive and negative consequences. "Too often we... enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." John F. Kennedy
Now that undergraduate degrees, once the vehicle for a liberal arts education, are turning toward specific areas of study, one would think that high schools would hold true to a classic education, but alas, high schools are competing to increase the percentage of their students able to churn out information and score the highest. This approach creates an individualistic, competitive way of working which is not entirely bad if balanced with a collaborative and civic spirit born in a classical education.
The gradual departure from the classics in our children's education is slipping past parents who are busy trying to keep up, stay on track, and maintain their jobs. Unwittingly, we are creating a generation who does not understand the value of the arts and humanities because few were exposed to a proper arts education. This and the next generation will need a renaissance to save our civilization from another dark ages. We need a resurgence of artistic intelligence to fight for the humanities and minimize the stressful hoops we are creating for our children and selves.
You can do something about this. It took a long time for our educational system to slide to its current state; it will take as long to resurrect it. Children should not be made to wait. Be sure children you know are vested in a classical arts education where they grow up with discipline, self direction and personal reliance: the underpinnings of all arts.
Write back and tell others what you are doing to bring a renaissance to today's educational world. I lead an academic day school for serious students of dance, as well as an enrichment dance program for avocational students. In these programs I encourage searching for one's buried treasure, inspire students to lead with thoughtful exchange and example, and engage their artistry and technique in local touring seasons to renew the value of a liberal arts education.
I encourage you to write back and inquire what / how I do what I do. I am not secretive or competitive. The more people that embrace and take action to further a liberal arts education the better.
Current education is becoming lop-sided. Mathematics is becoming less about logic and more about correct calculations. Philosophy? It is a rare person who has even scratched the surface of philosophical thinking. Science is getting a big push at the expense of art programs everywhere. Responsibility? Community service is on the rise at the individual level, but when hidden behind a group entity, responsibility submits to the bottom line more.
"The aim of liberal education is to create persons who have the ability and the disposition to try to reach agreements on matters of fact, theory, and actions through rational discussions." "The Aim of Liberal Education," DiText, September 1, 2003.
A classical education draws upon what is tried and true, not for this century, but for all centuries. In a classical setting, teachers are allowed to focus on their lessons for the students instead of their research. Class sizes are more intimate. Students are challenged to think, debate, and design plans of action with preparations to handle positive and negative consequences. "Too often we... enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." John F. Kennedy
Now that undergraduate degrees, once the vehicle for a liberal arts education, are turning toward specific areas of study, one would think that high schools would hold true to a classic education, but alas, high schools are competing to increase the percentage of their students able to churn out information and score the highest. This approach creates an individualistic, competitive way of working which is not entirely bad if balanced with a collaborative and civic spirit born in a classical education.
The gradual departure from the classics in our children's education is slipping past parents who are busy trying to keep up, stay on track, and maintain their jobs. Unwittingly, we are creating a generation who does not understand the value of the arts and humanities because few were exposed to a proper arts education. This and the next generation will need a renaissance to save our civilization from another dark ages. We need a resurgence of artistic intelligence to fight for the humanities and minimize the stressful hoops we are creating for our children and selves.
You can do something about this. It took a long time for our educational system to slide to its current state; it will take as long to resurrect it. Children should not be made to wait. Be sure children you know are vested in a classical arts education where they grow up with discipline, self direction and personal reliance: the underpinnings of all arts.
Write back and tell others what you are doing to bring a renaissance to today's educational world. I lead an academic day school for serious students of dance, as well as an enrichment dance program for avocational students. In these programs I encourage searching for one's buried treasure, inspire students to lead with thoughtful exchange and example, and engage their artistry and technique in local touring seasons to renew the value of a liberal arts education.
I encourage you to write back and inquire what / how I do what I do. I am not secretive or competitive. The more people that embrace and take action to further a liberal arts education the better.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Patriot's Footbal Training Camp
I love watching athletes almost as much as I love dancers. Their movement is fascinating. When combined with a professional work ethic, it is amazing. I recently watch the Patriot's football team work out for a couple hours. The experience was riveting for me and the fans in attendance; but I know I looked at what was happening very differently than most.
While spectators cross referenced the roster of players with their practice jersey's, talked about potential signings and cuts, applauded the glamorous maneuvers, I remained steeped in the way in which the session was run, the workings of the staff, the work ethic of the players, and their body mechanics. I study and analyze movement in a flash. I delighted in the build up of short drills into more complex patterns. I was happily surprised to be right at home with the format. It mirrors a dance rehearsal.
Dancers, and athletes alike, build their physical skills, discipline their time, and train their mind to accomplish unearthly feats beginning in childhood. After years, those who persevere, are healthy, and learn the ins and outs of working with like-minded people take their training to a court, field, or to the studio and stage.
Before pros bring their work to the public, the practice or rehearsal time is key. These highly skilled people come to their training session or rehearsal previously warmed-up with years of skills in place only to unite it with team mates or cast members. In dance or athletics, the method is the same; the terminology is different.
I watched the aspiring football players, already drafted and considered pros, work together like a well choreographed production. By the definition of some, they have already 'made it.' because they are now in the NFL. But these players worked to improve, and earn higher ranking on the team as dancers do in a company. These football players worked in small groups on basic drills: scrambles, punting, hand-offs, catch and roll, passing and receiving like dancers working on sequences of choreography. The only music to keep these athletes in time was the whistle of the coach who kept them moving from drill to drill until they came together by offense, defense, special teams. First and second teams ran plays for some time, then at the coaches whistle, the players broke off into smaller groups again for practicing jump and roll, dive and slide, running patterns and more. There was little time spent on real tackles due to the new safety rules for the players, but is was fun when muscles memory of the experienced players caused accidental take-downs...all in good humor.
The only major difference between a training session and a dance rehearsal that caught my eye was the extensive support staff tracking every move, calculating every statistic on these players. The success of a dancer is not in the statistics, but in the unmeasurable depth by which they grab the audience by their heart strings.
While spectators cross referenced the roster of players with their practice jersey's, talked about potential signings and cuts, applauded the glamorous maneuvers, I remained steeped in the way in which the session was run, the workings of the staff, the work ethic of the players, and their body mechanics. I study and analyze movement in a flash. I delighted in the build up of short drills into more complex patterns. I was happily surprised to be right at home with the format. It mirrors a dance rehearsal.
Dancers, and athletes alike, build their physical skills, discipline their time, and train their mind to accomplish unearthly feats beginning in childhood. After years, those who persevere, are healthy, and learn the ins and outs of working with like-minded people take their training to a court, field, or to the studio and stage.
Before pros bring their work to the public, the practice or rehearsal time is key. These highly skilled people come to their training session or rehearsal previously warmed-up with years of skills in place only to unite it with team mates or cast members. In dance or athletics, the method is the same; the terminology is different.
I watched the aspiring football players, already drafted and considered pros, work together like a well choreographed production. By the definition of some, they have already 'made it.' because they are now in the NFL. But these players worked to improve, and earn higher ranking on the team as dancers do in a company. These football players worked in small groups on basic drills: scrambles, punting, hand-offs, catch and roll, passing and receiving like dancers working on sequences of choreography. The only music to keep these athletes in time was the whistle of the coach who kept them moving from drill to drill until they came together by offense, defense, special teams. First and second teams ran plays for some time, then at the coaches whistle, the players broke off into smaller groups again for practicing jump and roll, dive and slide, running patterns and more. There was little time spent on real tackles due to the new safety rules for the players, but is was fun when muscles memory of the experienced players caused accidental take-downs...all in good humor.
The only major difference between a training session and a dance rehearsal that caught my eye was the extensive support staff tracking every move, calculating every statistic on these players. The success of a dancer is not in the statistics, but in the unmeasurable depth by which they grab the audience by their heart strings.
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