When you challenge yourself, your mind has the capability (and launch codes) to cause some serious havoc. Fortunately, we know how to disarm every malicious attack by your comfort zone.
While your inner voice will scoff at the idea of anything outside of the norm, the people who challenge themselves the most, receive the most positive benefits of change.
This is precisely why we hold our District Showcase. It's our signature challenge-to-change event.
Whether you've signed up already, or are still battling that inner voice, here are our 5 Secret Weapons to equip you for a great District Showcase experience.
This seems obvious, but delaying a decision just feeds your comfort zone. This gives it plenty of staying power.
When it comes to something challenging, it's rare that more time makes the decision making process feel any easier.
Instead, when you sign up quickly, you knock that comfort zone off kilter, deprive it of procrastination, and puts you on the attack from the onset.
There are dances you have learned that have a vital importance to your dance development. They are loaded with criteria, mean a lot to you, and can be a gateway to overthinking - a common comfort zone attack.
Another showcase secret weapon is to add "low criteria dances." These are typically fast, fun, and newer to your program.
Things like Country Western, Merengue, Hustle, and Bachata are an excellent way to get your body moving, your face smiling, and your brain on cruise control.
This way, you can ramp up to the dances you care about the most, but can start by breaking a sweat with newer dances that may not be on your top shelf.
The longer you wait in between dances, the more your body can revert back to a pre-showcase form. Not to mention, your mind, at rest, can kick into high gear to flood your system with unproductive thoughts.
The solution? Sign up for 100 or more dances.
(Full disclosure - if you dance 100 freestyles at the showcase, you will never do those consecutively.)
What 100 freestyles will do is dramatically limit the number of extra long breaks in your dance schedule. This keeps you "in the pocket" on your development trajectory.
Inactivity is another weapon of your comfort zone - the longer you sit and wait, the easier it is to get cold, both physically and mentally. So dance a lot, stay thawed out, and it will quiet the mind and build your endurance in the process.
Internal + External can be a devastating combination.
External + External is tried and true.
When it comes to your dance feedback, your inner voice, may attempt to take over, and offer unproductive advice. To make matters worse, we can act on that advice without ever engaging in real dialogue with a dance instructor.
Example:
Instead, treat all status updates, feedback, and requests for information as "External only". When communication is out in the open, the professionals can truly help you operate at your best.
Instead, try these:
Remember, the District Showcase is a great event on the surface, but underneath it's a confidence building workshop. Open communication and genuine curiosity is essential to learning anything - especially when it comes to building your dance confidence.
Regret can be a formidable weapon deployed by your comfort zone.
In one small dose, it can wipe out all the potential value of your effort. That small dose can have you loaded with uncertainty and doubt about the vulnerable stretch outside your comfort zone faster than you can say "Medio Corte".
But we have a remedy for that pang of regret.
When our District Showcase was a one day event, regret was inevitable. After all, every dancer will wake up the following morning from a dance event with a small (or gigantic) list of things you feel like could have been better.
Unfortunately, that list couldn't be acted upon until 6 month later at the next District Showcase.
Fortunately for you, our September District Showcase is a two day event. This allows every participant to double the value of the weekend and clear out anything on that "morning after" dance regret list.
If you have yet to sign up for the District Showcase - what are you waiting for?
If you've already signed up, now is a great time to talk with your teacher about the best strategy to get the best results from the event.
Your comfort zone will hate you for it, but your future dance self will be so grateful you did.