Delibrate Practice
I woke up this morning with a few ideas swimming around my head for my blog today.
But when I received a text message from one of the dancers I've been private coaching it was clear what I wanted to explore.
Focus.
See, the dancers who I work one-on-one with text me videos throughout the week of them working on certain skills. I reply back with encouragement and tips to help them practice correct technique until the next time we meet.
I find it very helpful so they're not creating bad habits between our sessions.
Anyway, one particular skill this student is working on is balancing. Going from a nice solid prep into a rise on one leg with the other in possé.
Question:
When you're trying to balance where are you looking?
What are you focusing on?
Go ahead. Try a balance, I'll wait......
How'd it go?
If you were really trying you were probably focusing on one thing and I would have seen a look of concentration on your face, right?
This student's eyes were all over the place in the video she sent me.
She was going through the motions.
She wasn't really focusing on what she was doing.
She was doing 8 rises because that was her "homeworkwork" but she wasn't mindfully doing the movement....
What's the point of doing something if you're just "going through the motions"?
Do things with intention...
With the intention of doing it better each time you practice it!
My husband has a phrase for this.... deliberate practice.
Oooooooo! Do I love that!!!
Have you ever been in a conversation with someone and the other person is on their phone or looking everywhere else but at you as you're trying to tell your story.
Does it feel like they're even listening to you?
No.
They are not giving you their full attention.
I refer to this instance a lot in my dance classes. If I see dancers looking around the room and not really focusing on the movement at hand it's apparent to me who's really engaged.
I even see it on stage sometimes when I judge dance competitions. This habit of focus starts in the classroom.
If you're trying to get better at something or really wanting to get your point across does it make sense to "kind of" do it?
You know the answer.
It all starts with your focus.
Have a deliberate practice.
"It's about quality, not quantity."
YES!!!!
I would much rather see my student do 4 rises with intention than 8 poopie ones with no focus. She'll get so much more out of them.
I love the phrase "phoning it in". Lol.
Don't really know why I think it's so funny but I do.
I mean it's awful to phone things in!!! It's everything that I try not to be.
I like to show up!!! In person, with bells on.
However, I am guilty of phoning in some things. One big thing is...
Cooking.
I hate it.
Especially baking.
I really don't care about it.
So, I phone it in.
CARE is the operative word here.
I phone in my cooking and baking because I don't care and therefore it sucks.
Look, I'm ok with this... I think.(not sure my family is though! hahahaha!)
My point is.
If you care about something and want to get better at it don't phone it in!!!!
Have a deliberate practice.
Show up.
Show that you care.
....take pride in your work.
Now does this mean that I don't think my student cares or wants to be a better dancer?
Heck no!
I know she wants to get better that's why she's working with me... she's just learning . Recognizing deliberate practice is the first step. The second is to implement it.
Crap.
Does this mean I should start caring about my cooking??
If you enjoy mindful conversations like this check out The L.A.X. LIVE with Christian Vincent
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