To Practice... Or Not To Practice...

S

SPratt74

New Member
My question is this. My instructors love to torture me by giving me homework assignments. They will do an evil thing by writing them down in their journal, so that they remember what we practiced for that day. My question is that now that I'm getting technical, I'm a bit afraid to do my assignments in fear that I'll do them the wrong way fifty times over. It's tough to break old habits, so I don't want to get in that habit of doing it wrong, then having to try to correct it.

For instance, I was given the tasks of practicing WCS breaks and hip movements, Cuban Motion and Cuban Walk for Latin, and posture for Fox Trot, but I am so scared to try them by myself at home without my partner etc. or someone there to make sure I'm doing it right until I know I have it down. So, my question is, do you all find it difficult to practice what you don't know, or aren't comfortable with practicing? Should you even try to do so, or wait until your next lesson (which is unfortunately for me tomorrow)?
 
practice...unless its a jillion years til your next lesson...it won't gat that poorly ingrained..IMO...the benefits outweigh the risks...just make sure you are balanced and have good posture while you do it
 
I agree -- practice. They wouldn't give you homework if they didn't want you to try it on your own. That's the whole point of homework and practice: to try it unsupervised and see if you can figure out, or see what you can figure out. Then, the next time they see you, they will see what you really understood about what they taught you, and know where to go from there.
 
I am with SPratt, I get that sort of fear when I'm practicing on my own. Most of the time I have no idea if what I'm doing is right or wrong. I need to be supervised. There are few things I can safely practice on my own.

T_E
 
meh can't do it right til you do it wrong..it wont get ingrained unless you do it alot before having it looked at
 
Twilight_Elena said:
I am with SPratt, I get that sort of fear when I'm practicing on my own. Most of the time I have no idea if what I'm doing is right or wrong. I need to be supervised. There are few things I can safely practice on my own.

T_E
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Yeah exactly! I would feel so embarrassed if I went to my partner tonight saying that I practiced, and not do anything right. He's training to be a teacher, and I feel lucky that he even wanted to partner up with me. And it would to me almost feel as though I were lying to him by saying that I was practicing if I couldn't do anything right even thougjh I had practiced, and I don't want to lose him as a partner that way either. ;)
 
SPratt74 said:
My question is this. My instructors love to torture me by giving me homework assignments. They will do an evil thing by writing them down in their journal, so that they remember what we practiced for that day. My question is that now that I'm getting technical, I'm a bit afraid to do my assignments in fear that I'll do them the wrong way fifty times over. It's tough to break old habits, so I don't want to get in that habit of doing it wrong, then having to try to correct it.

For instance, I was given the tasks of practicing WCS breaks and hip movements, Cuban Motion and Cuban Walk for Latin, and posture for Fox Trot, but I am so scared to try them by myself at home without my partner etc. or someone there to make sure I'm doing it right until I know I have it down. So, my question is, do you all find it difficult to practice what you don't know, or aren't comfortable with practicing? Should you even try to do so, or wait until your next lesson (which is unfortunately for me tomorrow)?
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Practice could be best. The instructors will help with anything that needs alteration. :cool:
 
Twilight_Elena said:
I am with SPratt, I get that sort of fear when I'm practicing on my own. Most of the time I have no idea if what I'm doing is right or wrong. I need to be supervised. There are few things I can safely practice on my own.

T_E
Click to expand...
No practice between lessons will mean taking more lessons then you would if you practice, and that means spending more money. ;)
 
SPratt74 said:
Yeah exactly! I would feel so embarrassed if I went to my partner tonight saying that I practiced, and not do anything right. He's training to be a teacher, and I feel lucky that he even wanted to partner up with me. And it would to me almost feel as though I were lying to him by saying that I was practicing if I couldn't do anything right even thougjh I had practiced, and I don't want to lose him as a partner that way either. ;)
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Ok, but if you don't practice, just imagine how your new partner will view that. ;)
 
DancePoet said:
No practice between lessons will mean taking more lessons then you would if you practice, and that means spending more money. ;)
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I knoooow. It's killing me. But I'm too insecure to practice something, not knowing where to focus, how to focus, how to realise if it's right, etc. My dream practice would be one with my teacher doing WHATEVER s/he wanted a few metres away and every 5 minutes checked up on me and told me "work on your X more" or "Don't do the X thing".

T_E
 
many of us, myself included, i think misunderstand the point of practice. that's why our anxiety gets the best of us, and we incorrectly decline to practice enough as beginners.

the point of practice isn't simply "do it right over and over," it's also and more to learn how your body works and get better at that. and that is simply a matter of time spent.
 
DancePoet said:
Ok, but if you don't practice, just imagine how your new partner will view that. ;)
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I think that he would view that as me being honest with him that I just don't understand or feel comfortable doing this stuff on my own yet! ;)
 
alemana said:
many of us, myself included, i think misunderstand the point of practice. that's why our anxiety gets the best of us, and we incorrectly decline to practice enough as beginners.

the point of practice isn't simply "do it right over and over," it's also and more to learn how your body works and get better at that. and that is simply a matter of time spent.
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But how do you know if your body is getting better when you aren't sure that you are moving your body right in the first place lol?
 
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