Dancing vs. other activities.

[tanya_the_dancer]

Did you give up activities, such as certain sports, because of dancing?

In the past I used to occasionally engage into two types of extreme sports - downhill skiing and whitewater rafting. Never went beyond beginner runs in either. After one incident last summer I decided that I am not going to do whitewater anymore. And it so happened due to a mix of personal circumstances unrelated to dancing that I have not skied since 2000. I still have the equipment, though. I have decided to get rid of it, because I realized that I am not going to do that anymore either. In the last few years I have invested so much in my dancing, that I just do not want to risk it on the slopes anymore. It feels as if I am closing the door on the former me, though.

Just my random rambling for today.

[Laura]

I gave up downhhill skiiing for a while but, when I thought I had quit dancing forever last winter, I went again and loved it. I since then realized that, since I just stick to intermediate and below slopes and because I'm good at recognizing when I'm getting tired and making mistakes, that I could keep going skiiing if I wanted even though I'm still dancing. I've been skiing since I was younger than five years old, so I have a lot of ease and comfort with it.

I won't do other things that might break an ankle, though, like skydiving or bungee jumping or anything like that.

[mamboqueen]

I no longer play in an annual softball tournament (fundraiser) that I used to do religiously. It's this weekend...too close to Hotlanta...and I, at my advancing age, can't risk the injury. These women who play...75% of them have injuries of varying degree on Monday morning. I now cheerlead.

[tanya_the_dancer]

I gave up downhhill skiiing for a while but, when I thought I had quit dancing forever last winter, I went again and loved it. I since then realized that, since I just stick to intermediate and below slopes and because I'm good at recognizing when I'm getting tired and making mistakes, that I could keep going skiiing if I wanted even though I'm still dancing. I've been skiing since I was younger than five years old, so I have a lot of ease and comfort with it.

I won't do other things that might break an ankle, though, like skydiving or bungee jumping or anything like that.

I have first tried downhill skiing when I was 25. I did a lot of cross-country skiing when I was a child, but that is completely different. I liked the thrill, but I am not all that comfortable on the slopes. So I just don't think I will be doing it as long as I am dancing competitively.

And with whitewater rafting, the irony there is that beginner runs can be more dangerous than intermediate ones, because of people who go on them, and we can't go on an intermediate run as a family until ds turns 15 (that's the cutoff age for intermediate run).

[alemana]

i'm sorry, what do you mean by this term "other activities...?"

[Katarzyna]

I used to ski competitively, but I haven't gone skiing in over 2 years. now.. and that year I went only 1 time and the year before same.. i miss it as I am from a skiing resort. Funny i never though of downhill skiing as an extremem sport.. But iI don't think I stopped because of fear of injury as I feel fairly comfortable on the slopes (advanced).. .It's just that I don't have the time and the money to go anymore.

[tanya_the_dancer]

i'm sorry, what do you mean by this term "other activities...?"

Stuff like extreme sports for example. Is there anything you've decided to give up because of dancing?

[noobster]

i'm sorry, what do you mean by this term "other activities...?"
Oh, man, this is sad. :(
I was in the elevator with some of the local dance-team performers the other day, and one of them said that she couldn't remember the last time she did anything social/entertainment-related other than mambo.

So is that what it takes to achieve and maintain your dance skills? Doesn't sound like something I'm going to be willing to do.

[quixotedlm]

I used to be an avid hiker. I also used to be a crazy about rollerblading and was hoping to do a couple of marathons. It all fell apart when dancing started....

I still have lots of hiking gear and 3 pairs of (expensive :-|) rollerblades. I wish I'd use them again sometime soon.

I also used to be a lot more fit before... with most of my time spent in physically demanding hobbies. Dancing is so not comparable to those, and I feel like I've lost the core strength I used to have...

[tanya_the_dancer]

I used to be an avid hiker. I also used to be a crazy about rollerblading and was hoping to do a couple of marathons. It all fell apart when dancing started....

I still have lots of hiking gear and 3 pairs of (expensive :-|) rollerblades. I wish I'd use them again sometime soon.

I also used to be a lot more fit before... with most of my time spent in physically demanding hobbies. Dancing is so not comparable to those, and I feel like I've lost the core strength I used to have...

Interesting. I am definitely more fit now then before I started dancing competitively.

[waltzgirl]

Is shopping an extreme sport?

I used to travel a fair amount, but since I started dancing, all my travel has been for comps.

Giving up both of those was to prevent financial injury.

[DrDoug]

Stuff like extreme sports for example. Is there anything you've decided to give up because of dancing?

I gave up extreme drinking soon after I started dancing (though not strictly because of dancing).

I was never into extreme sports, but I did start some activities to help me with dancing, like walking, weight training, yoga, and improv classes.

[alemana]

yeah. i gave up a bunch of stuff, then inherited a bunch of stuff (like dr doug mentions) to help my dancing.

[Katarzyna]

I gave up extreme drinking soon after I started dancing (though not strictly because of dancing).

I was never into extreme sports, but I did start some activities to help me with dancing, like walking, weight training, yoga, and improv classes.
My body gave up drining even though I still still forget from time to time.. I used to be able to easily have 8 drinks and be ok the next day.. now, since I drink so rarely, Last time I had 2 glasses of plum wine I was sick the whole next day :(

On a good side, during the last 2 months I managed to give up coffe... which was like 10 cups a day minimum.

I also started some activities because of dancing... I started to do some yoga, some pilates etc..

[Steve]

I'm still doing it all! I try to get my hiking, mountain biking, running, rollerblading, x-country skiing, weight training, sports, etc done early so I can still go dancing at night :)

It's not leaving a lot of time for things like laundry, cleaning, shopping and work though. But those are no fun anyway. Also I find myself eating peanut butter sandwiches in the car to replace all those calories. I turn 30 in 2 months, how long do you think I can keep it up? :D

[alemana]

oh yeah! i gave up housework and cooking, too.

[Katarzyna]

oh, forgot sleep, gave up on this too, highly overrated

[alemana]

agreed.

[tanya_the_dancer]

oh yeah! i gave up housework and cooking, too.

I'd love to give up that but my husband won't let me :)

[Dancebug]

I cannot give up sleep. It is the best way for me to recharge.

[Katarzyna]

I miss it thought, terribly ...

[mamboqueen]

I cannot give up sleep. It is the best way for me to recharge.


Ditto. Sleep is actually highly underrated, imo.

Gave up the cleaning and cooking, too :raisebro:

[LucyDiamond]

I used to travel MUCH more than I do now. I'd take at least on major trip, e.g., cruise, Europe, etc. a year. Now, I spend my money on dancing and take MUCH LESS expensive and shorter trips. I'm finding I get more enjoyment out of dancing because it's year-round as opposed to the 1-2 week trip once a year.

Paula

[Shooshoo]

On a good side, during the last 2 months I managed to give up coffe... which was like 10 cups a day minimum.



:shock: that's a lot and I thought I was an addict (I need 3 cups a day).

[Shooshoo]

Being a workout addict, I replaced two days of working out with two days of dancing, but I used to sleep alot better before dancing. I wish the dancing nights would take place earlier.

[Katarzyna]

:shock: that's a lot and I thought I was an addict (I need 3 cups a day).
it was HARD

[tanya_the_dancer]

Oh, man, this is sad. :(
I was in the elevator with some of the local dance-team performers the other day, and one of them said that she couldn't remember the last time she did anything social/entertainment-related other than mambo.

So is that what it takes to achieve and maintain your dance skills? Doesn't sound like something I'm going to be willing to do.

This depends on how far you want to go in dancing I guess. I used to just dance at socials for several years before I started competing. I really started out "small" when it came to dancing. ;)

But now that I have been competing for a couple of years and I realized that I still have the potential to advance in competitive dancing, despite the fact that I was 30 when I started to compete, I also found that I am willing to give up some things for that. I exercise more and I dance more, but I've also became more cautious in doing things which may lead to the injury, and typically if I have to choose between a dancing and non-dancing social activity, dancing activity wins.

[Shooshoo]

it was HARD

I can imagine, the headache I get if I don't get my morning coffee.
I just LOVE the smell and taste of it, but more than 10 is way too much.

[Angelo]

Did you give up activities, such as certain sports, because of dancing?

In the past I used to occasionally engage into two types of extreme sports - downhill skiing and whitewater rafting. Never went beyond beginner runs in either. After one incident last summer I decided that I am not going to do whitewater anymore. And it so happened due to a mix of personal circumstances unrelated to dancing that I have not skied since 2000. I still have the equipment, though. I have decided to get rid of it, because I realized that I am not going to do that anymore either. In the last few years I have invested so much in my dancing, that I just do not want to risk it on the slopes anymore. It feels as if I am closing the door on the former me, though.

Just my random rambling for today.


No more chariot racing or bare-knuckle boxing for me since I started dancing.

[Katarzyna]

I can imagine, the headache I get if I don't get my morning coffee.
I just LOVE the smell and taste of it, but more than 10 is way too much.
Now I feel ok.. but I love coffe too. and sometimes I get an occasional cup just to enjoy... but not to wake up in the morning...

[fascination]

i don't lift heavy weights anymore...shouldn't have bigger bicpets than pro...and I don't do any moves in my workout that could compromise my safety...and of course my entire life and diet and schedule are all re-structure to be dance-centric

[reb]

Part of the reason I started dancing was because I was being creamed by kids less than half my age, and each year they were more of them - bigger, stronger, faster, and had something to prove because they know they can play pro ball - all one million of them. So finally realizing that I might not make it into the pro's . . .

I started a new sport where others are smaller and bounce off me!

[wooh]

Oh, man, this is sad. :(
I was in the elevator with some of the local dance-team performers the other day, and one of them said that she couldn't remember the last time she did anything social/entertainment-related other than mambo.

So is that what it takes to achieve and maintain your dance skills? Doesn't sound like something I'm going to be willing to do.

It's not what it takes, it's just what it ends up. Much like alcohol or drugs can take over your life, strangely enough dancing will do so as well.:D

[anp73ga31]

It's not what it takes, it's just what it ends up. Much like alcohol or drugs can take over your life, strangely enough dancing will do so as well.:D

So true! The more you do it, the more you love it...until you just dont really want to anything else but dance! And you willingly pick dance over every other activity, because every other activity pales in comparison...

[Twilight_Elena]

Well, I never really had any extracurricular activities like sports. I fiddled around with computers, tried my hand at writing, read tons of books and occasionally rented a good movie to watch. That was and is my life. Didn't have to quit any of that. I have, admittedly, limited my time and money devoted to them.

T_E

[Terpsichorean Clod]

I have no intention of giving up skiing or scuba (ears are pretty important for dancing, right?). Maybe taking it a little easier. Though I have given up the extreme sport of jay-walking (in San Francisco)... :D

[tanya_the_dancer]

It's not what it takes, it's just what it ends up. Much like alcohol or drugs can take over your life, strangely enough dancing will do so as well.:D

Funny, I just described my parents to someone as "hardcore hikers", since they would get out of the house at 4:30am to be on a trail by 6:30am. But then I realized that I did exact same thing to get to a dance competition! I guess I am "hardcore", too. ;)