Limits

[Kitty]

What do you think is the most limiting factor to your advancement as a dancer:

is it time (I think even if I don't practice certain things get better with time), maybe the time needed for your body to get strong enough for a new move

amount of practicing - time invested (hours and hours)

your teacher's skills

number of lessons you take (or I should call this "the price of lessons")

Concentration or lack of it during practice

physical limitations

Anything else?

[ShyDancer]

Right now I feel its the medal classes I take that are holding me back.

I honestly believe I could be learning so much more.
Im constantly frustrated by some of the others in my class taking 3 times as long as me to learn the steps.
I picked up the entire Jive routine in a single lesson, (as only 4 people attended that class we had time to be shown all the steps)
I have been practicing it at home for the past few days and Im seeing myself getting much better at it.
Now I know that uppn returning to class next week, the people who didnt bother showing up last week will have to be taught the steps, and they are the ones who take forever to learn them so I will be forced to wait at least 3 weeks before they finish the whole routine.

I will use this time productively and ask for some minor technique work I can practice while everyone learns the routine... but its still not the same.

It annoys me that I work so hard to learn it well, I take private lessons to improve and they cant even be bothered showing up to their PRE PAID classes and dont give 2 hoots if they are holding everyone else back.

[etchuck]

It's more like time and money to devote to this. I like to keep my job and do all the other activities I enjoy doing on top of this. Tough to do.

On the other hand, my current level of activity, I do enjoy as it is.

[Sagitta]

Ditto!! Time and money. :(

[Genesius Redux]

My ability?

Seriously, I wish I could devote the time and energy to it that I'd like to. But what I'm doing right now is already a lot. If only I could live like three different lives....

[DancePoet]

Definitely Time! So much to do and learn across the scope of life, never seem to have enough time.

[SDsalsaguy]

Time most of all... followed by money. :(

[chachagirlie]

My most limiting factor...fear...

...fear of looking foolish
...fear of being labeled a "show-off"
...fear of failing... :oops:

[Sagitta]

Fear is a big one for many people. Fear of being rejected when you ask a person for a dance, can be added to that list for leaders. You just have to be shameless!! :wink:


You only fail when you feel you don't do your best, when you don't put 100% of yourself into it. You never fail because of what others think.

[Genesius Redux]

My most limiting factor...fear...

...fear of looking foolish
...fear of being labeled a "show-off"
...fear of failing... :oops:

chachagirlie--

You're dancing. When a woman dances she's at her best, her most joyful, her sexiest, her most alive. How can you possibly fail?

:kissme:

[MadamSamba]

Yep, time and money! Would love to do a latin private, a modern private and a street latin private a week and a gal can't have too many dance shoes... :)

[Adwiz]

What do you think is the most limiting factor to your advancement as a dancer:

The reality of partnering. I can easily commit to 2 hours of practice per day, 6 days a week. But my partner(s) can't. Dance is about dancing *with* someone, so there is only so much you can develop by practicing alone. I find it is limiting when your partner can't put in the same amount of time as I do. This isn't a source of tension, BTW. It's just a reality that I accept. But it does keep us developing slower than we could.

[Sabor]

hmm interesting subject..

there are of course a number of limitations.. yet, if i had to choose the most significant, the most dangerous, in my opinion.. it would definitely be the mind/perception.. in arts in general and hence dance.. limitted/closed mind is lethal :?

[Kitty]

What do you think is the most limiting factor to your advancement as a dancer:

The reality of partnering. I can easily commit to 2 hours of practice per day, 6 days a week. But my partner(s) can't. Dance is about dancing *with* someone, so there is only so much you can develop by practicing alone. I find it is limiting when your partner can't put in the same amount of time as I do. This isn't a source of tension, BTW. It's just a reality that I accept. But it does keep us developing slower than we could.

That is a good one. How didn't I think of that?! I think this is my most limiting factor too!!!

Followed by time.

[etchuck]

Too many dances, too little time, not enough money. Oddly enough a partner may actually restrict the time I have to dance the other things I like to do as I won't imagine there's a partner out there that wants to do everything I want to do (but who knows).

[dancin_feet]

For me the main thing is money. If I had the money I would devote the time to extra classes.

[Seini]

My knees are shot and need to rest. With that said I still dance or practice about 15 hours a week, working full time plus and completely resting two days a week.

Second, a partner would be helpful :) I social dance as much as possible with as many casual parteners as are available, and have a great time, but to really improve at a faster rate a full time partner would be a dream come true.

[johnnywalker]

Have to agree with the majority.
Time and money are my limiting factors as are my other hobbies...which take a slice of the first two limitations.

...and as GR wrote, ability is also a limitation for me; particularly with the Foxtrot.

[dancingdragon]

It annoys me that I work so hard to learn it well, I take private lessons to improve and they cant even be bothered showing up to their PRE PAID classes and dont give 2 hoots if they are holding everyone else back.

We have a similar problem in our studio - many people just come for fun and don't take their dancing as seriously as I do, they don't practice between classes and don't pick things up very quickly when we learn a new step. That holds back the people who are ready to advance. Unfortunately, it's a small city with not very many options - e.g. privates, or moving to a different studio - so we all have to accomodate each others' goals and try and make the best of it. I have heard that people who don't do competitions and medal tests get annoyed with the focus that our teacher places on exam routines and technique in the weeks approaching exam time - guess you can't please all the people all the time, right?

I also agree with Adwiz that partnering issues also hold me back - in my case with learning speeds. My current partner has been dancing longer than me, and due to his experience I was able to advance really quickly, so in the early days it was great. But now we are at the same level and I am picking things up faster than him, so I feel he is holding me back a bit. But I deal with it because think it's a bit rude to just dump your partner so you can move on to someone who's "better"! Dancing for me is primarily social, competition comes second to that, so I don't want to burn any relationship bridges or take myself so seriously that I hurt other people.

[cocodrilo]

Not having any classes available in my vicinity at my level. Took beginner/intermediate classes for 2 years but there's no way I can improve my pairwork in these classes anymore. :cry:
Making serious ground on shines, cool spins, etc. as I rent out a studio and practice a couple hours a week...

[ShyDancer]

We have a similar problem in our studio - many people just come for fun and don't take their dancing as seriously as I do, they don't practice between classes and don't pick things up very quickly when we learn a new step. That holds back the people who are ready to advance. Unfortunately, it's a small city with not very many options - e.g. privates, or moving to a different studio - so we all have to accomodate each others' goals and try and make the best of it. I have heard that people who don't do competitions and medal tests get annoyed with the focus that our teacher places on exam routines and technique in the weeks approaching exam time - guess you can't please all the people all the time, right?


Mine is a big studio, in fact the biggest I have yet to come across, and the classes are specifically for the exam. They do have social group classes for people who arent interested in exams and medals, Thats why it irritates me so much, if they werent interested in their medals why sign up for the medal class when the social class is cheaper and you pay as you go.


I have to agree with everyone on the partner issue...sure there are lots of people I dance with regularly but only socially. Id love to have a regular practice partner!

[dancingdragon]

Mine is a big studio, in fact the biggest I have yet to come across, and the classes are specifically for the exam. They do have social group classes for people who arent interested in exams and medals, Thats why it irritates me so much, if they werent interested in their medals why sign up for the medal class when the social class is cheaper and you pay as you go.

Well in that case you have an excellent point ShyDancer! It's pretty inconsiderate to sign up for a specicifcally medal-focussed class then not put in the work. What do the instructors have to say about that?