I have a hobby of watching new dancers in London and over the last 5 years, I have scouted and kept an eye on several dancers who show potential. Just think of someone who follows the youth team in a sport curious to see who the next big thing will be. I don’t just stop at observing as I like to talk to those that catch my eye. As such I present my next tip for those that want to improve rapidly.
My fourth tip for instant growth in Salsa is to always adopt a mindset of Stretch Yourself Sensibly. Let me go into detail about why this is so important.
Stretch
I personally feel that we are capable of achieving things beyond our wildest dreams. We have unlimited potential and especially in today’s world we have no closed doors. However, we all have a set of in-built mental training wheels which are designed to keep us safe but do not let us explore whatever we can really do. I have always equated the process of stretching with the process of growth.
Tip: At every opportunity stretch yourself for example; if you can spin once very well then try two, if you can do five spins then go for six.
Yourself
If you are not a teacher you should not try to stretch others or put the blame for the lack of stretching on the demographic around you. I have seen plenty of people tell me that they cannot improve because the people that they dance with are not good enough or because the teacher is not good enough. These rationalisations may make you feel better about your lack of trying but these excuses go a long way toward stopping your growth.
Tip: Take your learning into your own hands and do not rely on or blame anyone else for your lack of progress and learning.
Sensibly
This is the most important paragraph of this article so do pay attention. Building awareness of yourself is one of the most important things you can do in life; to fully understand your mind and body is a task for the rest of your life. Understanding where your boundaries are will allow you to stretch yourself in a safe manner. Over stretching can cause injury and massively delay your progress.
Tip: Start paying attention to your thoughts while dancing, try to understand what you like, what you hate and why. The same goes for understanding your body; try to really understand how things feel to you and where your limits are.
Final Thoughts
Those that stretch themselves will always progress faster than those that do not. This is not just a task for the advanced dancer but for everyone who wants to progress at a faster rate. If you apply this tip I am sure that within a short period of time you will notice the difference.
I would love to know your thoughts about the articles I have written. Please let me know if you have any comments or thoughts.
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