2013 was a really interesting year for me, dance-wise. I decided to really prioritize dance in my life (more so than ever before) and I was in a geographic and financial position to pursue some really excellent workshops. This decision was actually made in the summer of 2012, when I registered for the first 8 Elements workshop with Rachel Brice. The workshop wasn’t until the next spring, so I had a lot of time to think about preparing for it and generally getting myself back into dancing shape. I declared 2013 to be my Year of Belly Dance Training, and ended up attending around 150 hours of workshop time alone! I’ve definitely seen substantial technical improvement, but the most significant change has been the way I think about training and practice. My personal practice has become a really important and fulfilling aspect of my life.
As the year started I was trying to prepare for Initiation with Rachel, and it was frustrating. I didn’t know how to structure an effective practice session, nor how to tackle the long list of skills I wanted to improve . My practice sessions were erratic, disorganized, and discouraging. The workshops I chose throughout the year turned out to be exactly what I needed!
The most important thing I’ve learned is the importance of just showing up. Show up and practice *something*. There’s no magic formula for improvement. It’s just practice+time=improvement. At the same time, it kind of feels magical when you suddenly look at yourself in the mirror and realize that your figure-8 looks 200% better than it did a couple of months ago, or when you successfully maintain a shimmy for 10 minutes when you so clearly remember really struggling to do 90 seconds. Watch the video with Zoe Jakes I’ve posted here – it sums it up better than I can. Regular practice really does lead to remarkable transformation.
Rachel Brice’s workshops were incredibly encouraging. She’s very positive in her teaching and really makes you feel like you CAN DO IT. I left both levels with her feeling profoundly motivated. Also, practice is one of the “elements” she teaches and the workshops specifically addresses how to build and maintain one’s own practice structure. I’ve become kind of obsessed with how I want to practice, and how other people practice. I’m pretty sure I’ve made a few people a little uncomfortable over the year with my specific and probing questions about their own practice strategies. (If you are remotely interested in sharing your practice format/strategy/approach/philosophy I would be marvelously excited to hear about them!)
Likewise, Audra’s Basic Black workshop has been hugely influential (this is true anytime I take anything from Audra). She’s a bit tougher and more meticulous with technique breakdown and technique. This is why I’m both pumped and nervous to do her level two workshop in just a few short months!! Her precise explanations have really helped me in how I think about movements, and how I assess them for myself. It makes it much easier and more efficient to practice the movements and techniques she teaches as I feel like I have a good understanding of what I am supposed to be doing. Even if my muscles don’t quite cooperate yet, this understanding helps me to self correct and improve much faster. I also find myself applying this thinking to other movements I’m trying to learn. It’s a WWAD – What Would Audra Do? – methodology that I look forward to learning more about!
This obsession has also resulted in a love affair with practice. I really, really, really like practicing. It’s generally the best part of my day. I frequently have to remind myself of this, usually when it’s after supper and I’m full of food and curled up under a blanket. But when I free myself of said blanket and put on my dance pants, I’m having a really good time. Well, except when I get frustrated and melodramatic and throw myself on the couch swearing I shall never dance again. But that only happens sometimes, and I’ve come to believe that’s a normal part of the process.
I haven’t discovered the perfect practice formula yet. All the drilling I’ve been doing has caused me to become a little too comfortable with it, and become reluctant and a bit anxious to actually make dances. I’m tackling that this month, with my goal to fully choreograph a solo. Because, if choreography is hard, that means I need more practice at it! I also still struggle to get out from under the cosy blanket. Daily practice (or really close to it) is a goal I haven’t achieved yet, but I’ll keep working on it. I’m keen to keep on going with all of this in 2014!
practice + time = improvement
