Psychology of competition- what do you think about?

[drsamba]

What do people think about while competing? Do you try to do your best for yourself, or for your audience? Do you think of yourself as a performer, or are you more internalized? Or maybe, do you dance for your partner and focus on being the best for them? Just competed yesterday and found myself wondering what the best way to focus would be...thanks!

[Laura]

I've done all of these. I think it depends on where you are in your dancing and your partnership and other contextual issues.

[elisedance]

hi drsamba: my experience is that much as I would like to be able to select my thoughts - I really don't have a real choice, they just happer! Initially my nerves dominate and I'm thinking about how am I going to get through this - not the the way to start competing. However, after a while (sometimes a heat, but of late just the first few steps of watlz, I do manage to switch into comp mode and start to think only about dance and expression. Clearing the mind is my biggest challenge.

[drsamba]

hmmm, thanks! I tend to get really nervous also, but I would say if anything I think mostly about myself. It occurred to me that as a spectator I enjoy dancers who interact with each other, as well as the audience. Technique is important too of course, but I started thinking, a little more awareness of the audience and partner is important on the competition floor - otherwise, why bother going out there at all? a practice room would suffice if all I thought about were myself.

[samina]

I've done all of these. I think it depends on where you are in your dancing and your partnership and other contextual issues.

I would say the same.

I tend to be very personally motivated, so wanting to please my pro can motivate to push beyond a personal limitation. I also definitely respnd to having a skirt to chase, competitively speaking. ;) being on the floor with dancers who are better than me is a good thing for me. And then, there's the aspect of Going For The Pleasure... All three are in my thoughts and awareness.

But most of all, I am thinking thoughts such as, "Go left - stay left...left... Right side to him, keep it there... Close feet & "woosh!!!" (waltz)...Compression & LEFT!! (Tango)...Opposition & reach those feet back...TAKE YOUR TIME!!! (foxtrot)...and for VW, the thoughts are loud and simple: LEFT...RIGHT TO HIM...and GOOOO!!!"

Meh...it's just the inner dialogue. Doesn't work miracles, lol.

[AmateurCouple216]

We are always trying to improve and look forward to seeing improvement in videos and hearing people's comments.
Truly though, even after a couple of years of competitions, nerves still create difficult situations. Yesterday a part of our open cha-cha completely disappeared!

It's also fun to dance near others from our studio, partly because they are good friends and like to see us do well.

[fascination]

What do people think about while competing? Do you try to do your best for yourself, or for your audience? Do you think of yourself as a performer, or are you more internalized? Or maybe, do you dance for your partner and focus on being the best for them? Just competed yesterday and found myself wondering what the best way to focus would be...thanks!
answer =yes to all

[danceronice]

Before I go on, I'm telling myself "I'm dancing with the best pros from the best studio and they would not let me be out here if they thought I was a total spaz." Once I'm dancing, I'm really trying not to think at all about anything. Because the more I think, the more trouble I cause myself. Brain, off, let feet work.

[fascination]

well...I am not dancing with the "best pro from the best studio" by some sort of result history...but I have faith in my pro and in myself and I am hoping the judges will come along...if they don't ...I will keep improving

[danceronice]

I know my pros have great results with other students. But it's more...attitude than anything. How they teach me. I know that they're not going to let me make a fool of myself, and conversely I know they're not going to ask me to do anything they don't think I can do. I'm not alone out there. They're great not so much because they win a lot but because they take care of their students. As I'm most likely to freak myself out over making an idiot of myself, that's what I need to think of. I'm with them, it's not going to happen. Or if it does we'll just end up laughing about it.

And again--once I'm moving, brain must stop thinking. Thinking = bad. Especially in Smooth and Standard.

[fascination]

gotcha...I think most pros who know what THEY are doing feel that way about what they get their students into...I know mine errs on the cautious side..

[Josh]

Enjoy the music, and your partner...

Don't let your mind get in the way. Just turn it off, and let your body do the thing it's been trained to do.

[fire_dancer]

As I step onto the dance floor I'm thinking "smile, head up, remember to close feet/compress/do CBMP"

Once the music starts, I suddenly can't remember my name and am completely 'in the moment.' I think if I had an internal dialogue at that point it would be "aaaaaahhh."

:)

[fascination]

giving it further thought...I do best when I am focused on my partner and my movement

[stretch2ballroomdance]

I focus on the music, my partner, and imagine that we're all alone in the studio, just dancing and having fun, and I give it EVERYTHING I have. :banana::bouncy:

[elisedance]

I focus on the music, my partner, and imagine that we're all alone in the studio, just dancing and having fun, and I give it EVERYTHING I have. :banana::bouncy:

way to go...:cheers:

[nucat78]

I also definitely respond to having a skirt to chase,

Story of my life...

[Nik]

think of winning ;)

[Laura]

A couple of comps ago I kept saying to myself "I'm all that!" between dances. It went well, in fact that comp has been kind of a turning point for me.

[elisedance]

think of winning ;)

That would be #1 NOT for me, Nik.

[BallandChange]

think of winning ;)

I agree with Elisedance. Although, I always hope to do well and think that I am the best on the floor ;), my measuring stick for determining whether I have had a good competition is when I walk alway believing that I brought 70% or better to the comp floor of what I do on the studio floor. At the comp you are only going to dance, at best, what you have developed through your training regiment prior to the comp. You are going to bring nothing more. The studio floor is always more hospitable. At the comp the best thing to do is to relax and enjoy it. I enjoy the chance to get on the floor and dance our full routine at our best. I try to be maintain my focus on my partner, the traffic on the floor and the enjoyment of the dance.

[Rugby]

In both latin and standard, since we are technobots, my DP and I would think each move through, but I found I was dancing moves rather than the dance if you know what I mean. We have been trying to change this in both styles and allow ourselves to just move rather than think everything through. We have started to achieve this in latin in the last couple of comps and I would say my partner and I for sure are starting to become more like performers and the results have been great.
The songs played really influence how I dance too. I have caught myself singing along to some of them (though silently) in both latin and standard. If its a boring or dead latin song I have a hard time getting into it, if it is lively I can really work it. In the standard I would like to let the music move us and dictate how we dance far more than we do but my partner does not feel it the same way and we can be at odds. If we can become more like performers in our standard I think we will find it easier as we will not over-think everything.

[RIdancer82]

I'd say that each time I compete, it would be slightly different. How I get myself to focus/concentrate/perform well/etc is largely based on how I'm feeling physically and emotionally, how the routines and the dancing are feeling, how many people I'm competing against, and sooo many other things. Regardless of all that though, it always helps to remind yourself how amazing you are, and that you deserve it! (Key to that though, is that you have to believe it, even if just for the time being if you're having trouble believing it overall.)