Resolutions for Experienced Ballroom Dancers

You have learned a lot since your last set of resolutions. 

In some cases, that thing you've learned may be a new level of your dance program, a new dance skill you've integrated, or perhaps this is your first full year of dancing. Here are a list of new and improved resolutions.  Beyond the basics.  The stuff that matches where you are now that can take you to where you want to go.  

New Year’s Resolutions for Experienced Ballroom Dancers

1. I Will Not Black Out, or Stop Breathing During My Dance Routines

Summary: 

Fight or flight has a way of eliminating all the creative "production ideas" you had for your dance performance. This is a normal resolution and, for anyone that has performed before, know this:  your heart will always, should always, beat faster.  

That being said, there are some "pre-production ideas" to making this a more attainable resolution:

1. Use a Chapter Approach to your routine:  All ballroom routines have a standard 90 second deadline.  That allows you to break up the choreography into three 30 second chapters.  This creates a solid reference point so your brain doesn't jam all 90 seconds together and lose track of things.
2. Use the Rehearse/Load/Test Formula:  The day of your performance you won't have the luxury of dancing the same routine 3-25 times like you do on a lesson.  So that means if you nail it after 17 tries, you are only preparing your brain to execute at that level after 16 run throughs.  This is not a fair strategy for your poor brain the day of the performance.  Instead, we recommend the "Rehearse/Load/Test" Formula.  You rehearse your number, load up a different dance, return to the routine and test to see what sticks.  Whether you're preparing for your next dance competition, or the first dance at your wedding - this will give your brain a more realistic representation of what will happen the day of your performance.  
3. Read the article "Avoid These 5 Dance Performance Pitfalls"

2. I Will Put My Latin Hip Motion On Auto-Pilot

Summary:

As you develop in your dance skills, new things will begin to cross the threshold from the awkward use, conscious use, and then to the Natural Use stage [For more on this read "Dance Progress Explained:  The Arthur Murray Curve Of Learning"]

And yes, this also works for Latin Hip Motion, also known as "Cuban Motion" or "Wow I didn't know I had hip flexors" or "people are looking at my midsection while I'm dancing and I'm sort of proud of it."

Here are some ideas for turning this resolution into a reality: 

1. Start by reading "The Arthur Murray Formula For Social Dancing With Style" - this will put the style layers you're working on into perspective.  For example, if you're in the Bronze 1 level of your Arthur Murray program, then your primary style goals will be different than, say, someone working on their Bronze 3. 
2. Focus on the basics

3. I Will Use My Dance Skills At My Next Company Party

Summary: 

Let's face it, it's way easier to "not dance" at your company party, than it is to break out your Cha-Cha skills.  After all, "not-dancing" is what everyone else does.  Here are some powerful catchphrases you can use to start a Twitter campaign before your next company party, or on all of your pictures afterwards:

1. The Mingling Stops Here! 
2. The Funky Chicken Stops Here!
3. The Xerox Machine has filed a restraining order on grounds of lude behavior and harassment.  Meet me on the dance floor instead. 

For more ideas, we recommend that you check out "Win The Holiday Party Season With Ballroom Dance Lessons" 

4. I Will Not Freak Out (As Much) About My Dance Results

Summary:

You set up your calendar, get vacation time, commit to a process, try new things, work hard, get better, rinse and repeat, and then you attend the event.  POOF!  In the words of Kevin Spacey's character on the Usual Suspects, "It's gone."

Forget the process, forget the improvement, forget the challenges you overcame - it can all be wiped away from our long term memory by one short term result.  Not anymore. 

We recommend that you:

1. Assemble a longer timeline for your process. You know, one that goes beyond those not so great, short term lowlights? 

2. Set up a wider series of goals that go beyond the short term results.  For example, you could set up goals that are measured even before the event takes place, or look at layers of improvement rather than an overall assessment. 

3. Read the "31 Things Dance Judges Want To See You Do".  There you can keep track of the (often overlooked) areas where you can really make healthy strides as a dancer. 

5. I Will Communicate My Dance Goals To My Teacher, Coach, and Partner

Summary: 

Frustration can be born from a lack of communication.  Your dance goals can get a little cloudy from time to time.  Committing to open lines of communication can clear up the fog faster than your car's defroster. Some areas to consider: 

1. Communication with management is imperative. Sure, your teacher is your chief advocate, motivator, and keeper of your dance secrets, but what happens if things get misinterpreted?  You need a resource that has a different perspective on your dance program.  We recommend that you check out "This One Visit Could Save Your Dance Hobby" for more on the manager's role in your dance program.  

2. Communication with your dance teacher.  The instructors at Arthur Murray are full time professionals who train every day to deliver an amazing experience to their students... but sometimes they are human.  Just like doctors, dentists, and Disneyland employees.  Making a commitment to sharing your goals and ideas help to put your own fingerprints on your dance program. We recommend reading "5 Reasons Why People Stop Taking Dance Lessons"

3. Communication with your dance partner. If you're fortunate enough to have a regular dance partner, we suggest that you have a look at "7 Things Your Dance Partner Needs To Hear You Say", and use that as your starting point. 

• The frustrated early stages of learning version of you may be wearing your partner out. 
• There are some simple adjustments that can make a big difference. ("I'm ready to practice, let's do this.")
• An apology, even if you could defend yourself in a court of law, is a choice to accept responsibility. 

Final Thought

The most important dance resolution you can make has been made already.  Dancing.  

Learning how to dance, when you think about it, was probably in your top 3 for a while before you finally walked into your local Arthur Murray and did something about it.  This year, you won't need to bother.  You see, once you've walked through the door, you've conquered the problem that has conquered even the bravest corporate executives - walking in.  Now you can resolve to get better at the fun stuff.  The layers that will improve your skills, upgrade your experience, and refine that "learn to dance" resolution you had so long ago.