I have a little tradition before going to dance class. I write in my journal, my private one. I do this, because I have a 40 minute bus ride to class and need a way to spend my time. I also do it to clear my head. If something has been troubling me, I find it best to get it out of my system. I never perform well in class when I’m bothered by something personal. I just can’t learn, because my mind is elsewhere. I know also I can’t do simple moves if I’m too busy worrying about other issues in my life.
I write after class what I want to do to improve. I figure it’s freshest in my mind then. It’s probably the academic in me, but that really helps me learn. It also helps me feel like I’m accomplishing something. When taking classes, it’s easy to get discouraged and compare yourself to others (this is generally true in life). I like that my journal helps me see that I am not completely without hope, that I show signs of improvement.
Yesterday’s discover was kind of funny. My belly flutters improved significantly but for some reason, my belly rolls are a bit more difficult. It used to be the opposite. I suppose I was trying so hard to develop flutters that I may have underworked the sequence of muscles used for a roll. Although it’d be nice to have both going for me, the nicest thing about really getting something solid is getting it back isn’t nearly as hard as learning it the initial time.
