nearly gave up again...

Another crisis of frustration in my dancing last night. At a social dancing event (Sacramento Lindy Ball) I was offered, and accepted, some unsolicited feedback about my dancing and was told that while my following in Balboa is really good (and it is!) my follow in LH isn't so good and that I should work on doing in LH what I do in Bal.

It's true; I don't have it...the ability to follow with a hand connection the way I can follow when I'm heart-to-heart connected with someone.

Luckily I went to an all-day workshop designed for beginners today and cried and talked about it and rode the emotional roller coaster and found my way back to willingness to keep on trying.

I can't even articulate the depth of my frustration...I so want to be good at this and the bad part is how I beat myself up for being where I am instead of where I think I should be by now.

suek said:

Another crisis of frustration in my dancing last night. At a social dancing event (Sacramento Lindy Ball) I was offered, and accepted, some unsolicited feedback about my dancing and was told that while my following in Balboa is really good (and it is!) my follow in LH isn't so good and that I should work on doing in LH what I do in Bal.

It's true; I don't have it...the ability to follow with a hand connection the way I can follow when I'm heart-to-heart connected with someone.

Luckily I went to an all-day workshop designed for beginners today and cried and talked about it and rode the emotional roller coaster and found my way back to willingness to keep on trying.

I can't even articulate the depth of my frustration...I so want to be good at this and the bad part is how I beat myself up for being where I am instead of where I think I should be by now.

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i hear your frustration. IMO, the desire to be a better follow is more than half the battle. it'll come with time - and proper instruction.

*Hugs* suek for being who you are!!

As tsb said knowing what you want to be and where you are is more then half the battle. Keep at what you love and progress will be made. Sometimes it feels as nothing is coming out of our efforts, but it all is aprt of the process, and those itsy-bitsy steps that aren't noticed will come together magically when you don't even realize it.

Good thing is you are getting some extra time to practice by helping out with Vince's lindy lessons, aren't you?

I too understand frustration-- I'm getting a degree in it! :lol:

I'm very glad that you're not quitting and that Sacramento has a scene supportive enough to help you through the rough spots.

I'm beiging to see frustration as a sign to reassess! Check in with myself and decide what's really important and if the frustration is worth the desired end result. Either way it leads to action-- that's what I like about it-- either I redirect my efforts elsewhere or I proceed knowing that the difficulties will help me get where I want to go and that it was my decision.

I favor plans that empower.

More power to you Sue!!

I hear you Suek! I am at a point where I could use some feedback (one year of Lindy) - but I know I will end up on a frustration rollercoaster as well. May you find lots and lots of supportive fellow dancers in your Lindy "journey".

Dancegal

Hi dancegal. I'm not sure if I missed it, but I haven't seen you lately. Nice to see you back.

Suek - thanks for putting into words what I have felt so many times before! I know I haven't been at this long, but I still feel frustrated with myself and frequently think, "Who am I kidding? Why am I even trying to learn this? I'll never be as good as I want to be." I guess the only way to fight these negative thoughts is to just keep practicing and trying...
Don't give up - I'm sure you're a terrific dancer! I hope to meet you if I'm ever back in Sacramento.

suek said:

I was offered, and accepted, some unsolicited feedback about my dancing and was told that while my following in Balboa is really good (and it is!) my follow in LH isn't so good and that I should work on doing in LH what I do in Bal.

Click to expand...

My advice:

Get some different unsolicited feedback.

Balboa follow skills are not the same as Lindy Hop. Related, but not the same.

-FF

You can always tell a someone who is dedicated by what they do when they reach a brick wall. Do they give up, or do they persist and eventually break it down?

Keep at it. Hard work is sometimes the only way to break through these phases. I have been there and broken through. I cannot describe in words what it feels like to finally get past the obstacle. It is definitely worth the hard work.

Welcome to df funkyfreak!! It's great to have another swing fan join us.

funkyfreak! I'm so glad you're back. 8)

funkyfreak said:

suek said:

I was offered, and accepted, some unsolicited feedback about my dancing and was told that while my following in Balboa is really good (and it is!) my follow in LH isn't so good and that I should work on doing in LH what I do in Bal.

Click to expand...

My advice: Get some different unsolicited feedback. Balboa follow skills are not the same as Lindy Hop. Related, but not the same. -FF

Click to expand...

Thanks. I actually solicited additional feedback from my two main teachers and some other dancers. Which helped encourage me and to more sanely assess this input. I agree with you that the lead/follow is different in bal than it is in LH, yet I also acknowledge something that's very much the same and that is the jewel I'm holding in my dance practice today.

The connection through the heart that moves me in balboa can also generate my movement in LH, even when we're open and only connected through the hand. IF I let it. IF I stop thinking. IF I stop planning improv moves to tart up my dance and instead let the music move through me. IF I concentrate on my four sacred rules of being a world-class follow: 1) posture 2) frame engagement 3) feet underneath my body and constantly moving--doing my footwork and 4) let my lead initiate/change/halt my movement. That's all. Simple. And those four are the EXACT SAME (IMHO) in bal as in LH as in WCS as in Carolina Shag as in as in as in.....(my teacher is sagely nodding his head and feeling very self-satisfied as he reads this, and he should; thanks for the mentorship)

Oh and thanks for the link to BalNation FF. I spent a happy hour looking at videos. The site rocks.