Point That Bejeweled Finger Back At Yourself
Here is something that really "Gets Up My Goat", dancers who refuse to take any kind of responsibility about the outcome of their performance. Let me tell you what I overheard not too long ago. Not one, or two but three ladies griping about their dance performance at a big event. Now I was off to the side and not engaged in this conversation , but that didn't stop me from eavesdropping plus I knew what performance they were talking about. All three of them had watch the youtube video and proceeded to take turns pointing out their own mistakes. "Oh I had turned the wrong way" "Ya, I forgot that step, I knew it but forgot it." "I froze for three seconds" All that does not bother me its what came after that did, they began to state the all so obvious reasons ( at least in their minds) why their dance did not come out as squeaky clean like it should have. They came up with two. The first reason was blaming that little varmint that affects everyone who walks and breathes on planet earth...Time. Their was not enough time to learn the dance properly, not enough hours in the day, enough days in week, or enough weeks in a month. Time was literally like sand in their hands, it slipped so fast through their fingers . When the big day came swiftly and halted on its heels all they knew was, they were not ready to perform. There was not enough time to get the dance done properly, if given the proper time every spin, twist and drop would have been near perfect. Plus they had lives, jobs to do and households to run, so obliviously they needed more time. If they had double of the amount they could have practice , practice, and practice some more. The second reason was even better, they blame the leader of this awful performance, the teacher. They were very certain that the dance had moves they never learned in class, moves the teacher never took proper time to teach them. And why didn't she write down the moves, it would have been easier on them if they knew exactly what they were suppose to do. They all felt with the lackluster teaching of the choreography their performance was hard, frustrating and very uncomfortable to perform. All the ladies nodded their heads like bobble head dolls and let me tell you they all look so relieved that they were all on the same page. Thumbs Up!
Well I have something to say about that bullshit I just smelled, hold on lets get that shovel before we move on. Lets tackle Time first. I know for a fact they had sixth months to learn a less then four minutes dance. Let me repeat SIX MONTHS. Now to me that is ample amount of time, AMPLE. An average person takes fifth-teen minutes to brush teeth, check face for zits, use toilet and wash hands. If they took the same amount time everyday to learn that dance and clean up their technique, it would have been close to perfect. Also when the big day arrives you won't be worry about the dance. Now everyone has something going on in their lives, you lovely ladies are not the only ones. Why do you think some people dance, to get away from their everyday worries and jobs they have. Plus no one asking you to quit your job or your family to do this, you're not performing for the president or the pope. Also you are not making any money or being whipped into dance submission. You're doing it because you love dancing ,otherwise why would you be here, in the belly dance world that is. Now to tackle the second reason...teacher. Lets start out by defining the words Dance Teacher, it is a person who instructs a student in the art of dance. She/He are there to guide you and support your dance endeavor. Read it again, again and again. They are there to instruct you, not do it for you. All a dance teacher can do is give you the basic formula, then its up to you to create the solution again and again until you get it right. If they are showing you something your not familiar with, SAY SOMETHING !!! Ask if they can break it down and show you again, slowly this time, that is why they're there for. A dance teacher not going to follow you home and make sure you practice or that you sit quietly and listen to the song. You ladies are fully grown, do it yourself. And after all that time you are still not comfortable tell your teacher, she will understand and you both can work something out. Or better yet step down because the belly world will not stop rotating if you are not dancing.
Now I love choreograph dances, but I never ever get them perfectly right, hey it happens. Whenever I have mess up in the past I just keep going, its rare when people notice. When Im preparing myself for a dance, no matter how much time I'm given, I find time and rather awkward places to practice. I'm not even joking when I say that once I practice in the ladies room at a movie theater. I was waiting for a friend and found myself going over moves in my head. I even do it in my sleep. And I'm lucky to have a teacher that Im not intimidated by, I feel confidant asking her for help. If you have a teacher that makes you walk on eggshells, I suggest finding another teacher. So if you mess up (small or big) do something before you blame father time and mother teacher. Look into a mirror and point that bejeweled finger back at yourself, that the person you need to blame, yourself.
Take Responsibility!....Misty Dawn Waggoner
