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

One of our instructors gives us homework periodically, on top of any skill practicing we might do on our own. One thing that helps me is to ask how I might practice a particular technique point alone and have my instructor extract the part I should be focused on. For example, we were working on tracing as part of smooth (waltz in particular), and the lesson had included work on rolling properly across the foot, having CBM in the right places, head position, etc. But to practice tracing, I had the instructor show me how to work on it just with a forward walk and backward walk. That way, I"m more sure that I"m practicing the right thing to be integrated into the dance later.
 
SPratt74 said:
I don't think that you are reading my posts right. I'm happy to take in advice, but I have yet to see a good reason as to why I should practice when I'm doing everything wrong anyways.
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Nice challenge. Here's my attempt: the point of practice is to make the movement consistent, which is to say repeatable. In other words, to get to the point where you are making the same mistake every time.

Mistakes that happen every time can be fixed, one by one, until they are all gone.

If you make a different set of mistakes every time, fixing any of them becomes much much harder.

Ancillary benefit: the more you practice, the less you have to think. Getting the brain out of the way helps make the movements more natural.

Practice makes progress.
 
i've stopped calling it practicing, to myself or when i talk about it to others.

i call it dancing. that reminds me that all my dancing is good for my dancing, and that basically i should just do it.
 
alemana said:
i've stopped calling it practicing, to myself or when i talk about it to others.

i call it dancing. that reminds me that all my dancing is good for my dancing, and that basically i should just do it.
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:notworth:
 
Dancelf said:
Nice challenge. Here's my attempt: the point of practice is to make the movement consistent, which is to say repeatable. In other words, to get to the point where you are making the same mistake every time.

Mistakes that happen every time can be fixed, one by one, until they are all gone.

If you make a different set of mistakes every time, fixing any of them becomes much much harder.

Ancillary benefit: the more you practice, the less you have to think. Getting the brain out of the way helps make the movements more natural.

Practice makes progress.
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Ok. I get what you are saying. So, shouldn't be afraid that I am making the same mistake over and over again. The problem is that I'm afraid of not accomplishing what they want me to accomplish at home, and then having them think that I'm not practicing. That sort of bothers me. It's almost like I'm contradicting myself. I mean I know I'm not, but how do they know?
 
SPratt74 said:
Ok. I get what you are saying. So, shouldn't be afraid that I am making the same mistake over and over again. The problem is that I'm afraid of not accomplishing what they want me to accomplish at home, and then having them think that I'm not practicing. That sort of bothers me. It's almost like I'm contradicting myself. I mean I know I'm not, but how do they know?
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If you find you are practising incorrectly. Have your teachers spend more time getting things clarified, so your practise will be more effective. Our teachers always ask us, if they have taken it far enough so we can practise it or if we want to go over the technique or manuever some more. If we are confused, when we go to practise, than we do not practise the particular item. Occasionally we waste part of our practise time, but overall practising faithfully has helped us make a lot of progress, without spending a large amount of money.

Economically it is a lot better to practise on your own time and not while you are paying a teacher.
 
I think I'm afraid of practice. When at home, I do a little practice, but when I get to the studio specifically to practice I get nervous and embarassed and end up doing nothing. There are people watching. *mortified*

T_E
 
The problem is that I'm afraid of not accomplishing what they want me to accomplish at home, and then having them think that I'm not practicing.
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Ah yes, much better for them to be right in thinking that you aren't practicing!
 
Twilight_Elena said:
but when I get to the studio specifically to practice I get nervous and embarassed and end up doing nothing. There are people watching. *mortified*
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The majority of people I have talked to in learning latin go through similar emotions. I did too. I think of two things when practicing at the studio and I think people are watching....

1) everybody is there to learn and most likely they are wrapped up in whatever they are doing - not watching me specifically and,

2) if you do dancing as anything other than a social activity, dancing is a performing art - people watching me at the studio is a perfect time to practice the mental toughness aspect of dancing and competing. If I allow myself to be intimidated at the dance studio, just what is going to happen to me when I get out on the competition floor? I try to view it as an opportunity to focus and perform well under pressure!

As fascination mentioned....you develop nerves of steel.
 
SPratt74 said:
Ok. I get what you are saying. So, shouldn't be afraid that I am making the same mistake over and over again. The problem is that I'm afraid of not accomplishing what they want me to accomplish at home, and then having them think that I'm not practicing. That sort of bothers me. It's almost like I'm contradicting myself. I mean I know I'm not, but how do they know?
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My instructor always says, if you're going to make a mistake, make a big one! It's easier for him to correct a big mistake than try to figure out what's going wrong with a vague or inconsistent movement.

I think you've scaring yourself with an unrealistic expectation of what you're supposed to accomplish with practice. "Homework" in dancing isn't like homework in school, where you're supposed to do a task, finish it, and get it right. Practicing dancing is just moving and trying to understand it.

The sign of a successful practice is not an answer, but a question. If you've tried out the movement to the best of your ability, you'll find that there are parts of it you don't understand or can't do. That's what you're looking for, so that you can take that question to your teacher and he can zero in on that issue and fix it.

Of course, if you have no idea of how to do something, then there is nothing to practice. But if you've done the move in a lesson and can remember some of what you're supposed to do, then you can play around with that. Don't call it practice. Call it play time!
 
pro likes to recount (b/c he is a guy and they remember every show they ever watched) an episode from hill street blues where the detective(travanti, I think)....is out on a date and he gets summoned by the waiter that he has a call...and he says to the waiter in front of his date..."its my credit card right? you're trying to spare me the embarrassment by telling me that I have a call"...and the waiter admits that is the case...after waiter leaves, the date says it took alot of courage for him to admit that and he says " I try to save my embarrassment for the really big stuff".....pro tells me this when I get all squemish about having to practice in front of him which I loathe....man ya just gotta get over yourself...and I KNOW how hard that is....
 
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