STAY FOCUSED

It’s time for Jets pep talk for the month! In the dance Industry there’s always upcoming talent so what makes you stand out from the crowd why are you better than the person next to you and what tricks have you got to offer above and beyond the rest? The dance Industry is a very small Industry in Australia and around the world. You can meet, train and work with an amazing amount of talented and interesting people if you stay focused on your goals.
Here are a few hints for you to stay focused, achieve your goals and survive this crazy world we live in.
Think of where you want to be in 6 months from now, 1 year from now and 5 years from now. Visualise yourself there then write down how you are going to achieve these goals. Don’t be general, right down your specifics eg. You want to be more flexible; you want to be able to nail that triple pencil turn to the right and left and you want to do that handspring EVERY time!! OK so how are you going to do this? What can you add into your training to ensure you reach these goals? Make sure you allow yourself 10 minutes at the end of class to stretch out this is when you’re at your warmest so it’s a great time to focus on stretching, also try watching TV whilst sitting in second-you need to become really focused on stretching to make sure you improve. Put aside another 15minutes each day just to turn-try doing pencil turns only to the right on Monday, Wednesday and Friday then the left on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday-that way you don’t end up doing your favourite side!!!!! You’ll soon be nailing turns right and left!! Speak to your teachers about strengthening exercises that will enhance your abilities in specific styles.
If you have a friend to work with that’s great but sometimes you just need to commit and GET ON WITH IT.
Stick your goals on the fridge or in your diary and even put reminders on your phone. Get your calendar out and map out your days, weeks, months. Make sure you keep reminding yourself. It’s OK if your goals change along the way. As long as you are the one making the decisions.
In the winter it’s a lot harder to stay fit and healthy, remember you need a good, healthy and nutritious diet. Avoid injury by making sure you warm up properly before dancing and cool down at the end of a class/workshop/performance. It’s also very important to take baths frequently to soak your muscles and always get enough sleep.
The dance Industry is constantly evolving and if ‘YOU SNOOZE, YOU LOOSE’ Maintaining your dancing and constantly improving yourself is essential, taking dance classes all the time should be just as important as working in the industry. The moment you think you don’t have anything to learn is the moment you should stop. Keep a wide network of dance friends, always stay on top of what’s going on, different dance styles, choreographers, music, movies, TV shows, even classes on youtube.
Remember what I said, the dance Industry is VERY small, so if you don’t have anything positive to say, don’t say anything at all. It’s hard enough dealing with the rejection and the unknown in this industry without badmouthing each other. Help and support one another to make our Industry the best industry to be part of 🙂
When I miss class for one day, I know it.
When I miss class for two days, my teacher knows it.
When I miss class for three days, the audience knows it.
~ Rudolf Nureyev
By Juliette Verne Blaikie