Class Notes

Dancing Smart Newsletter
December 1, 2006

Announcements

Dance Spirit Magazine has an article written by me on knees in the current December issue. It describes chronic overuse issues. Following in January, will be on traumatic injuries of the knees. I hope you enjoy them!

Onto the question of the week…

Question of the Week

Deb's Answer

I thought long and hard about what I wanted to say to you, Alexandra. It would be very easy to try and find fault with your teachers, or the studio, or yourself. That wouldn't be very useful, though, for helping you get what you want.

My wisest words of wisdom would be for you to focus on what YOU want from dance and from dance class. Instead of focusing on what is happening that feels negative to you - practice envisioning yourself dancing beautifully, with your teachers giving you wonderful corrections, and feeling good about yourself. I am of the firm belief that our thoughts are very, very powerful, and what we think about with emotion, we draw to ourselves.

Did you know scientists have put electrodes on Olympic athletes and had themrun their event in their head – and their muscles fired just as if theywere really doing their event? The mind doesn't know the difference between whatis real and what is imagined. This is why visualization and focusing on whatyou want or desire is so powerful.

It is disheartening to me to see so many young dancers beating up on themselves on their less than 180 degree turnout, or their lack of flexibility, etc. Thereis always room to improve for everyone. That is a given and it is helpful tobe aware of what we need to work on. Even though we need to be aware of whatneeds to be improved, we need to be focused on where we want to be, and how wewant to move and dance.

Lets try an experiment. Sit on a chair and extend your right arm straight in front of you. Slowly rotate to the right keeping your arm in front of your shoulderuntil you feel the first signs of stiffness or resistance. I know you can gofarther if you push it, but don't. Note by looking at where your hand is pointinghow far you twisted. Now come back to center, drop your arm, and imagine beingmade of rubber and slowly turning to the right, and going all the way aroundwith your torso, sort of like wringing a wash cloth. Again in your mind's eye(without moving) imagine your torso rotating a full circle to the right. Nowextend your right arm to the front again, open your eyes, and rotate to the right.Did you go farther this time?

I did this exercise with a group of musicians recently, and every single one of them went farther in their rotation. The looks on their faces were wonderful!Disbelief, as well as a sense of WOW…

Seeing yourself in class, Alexandra, moving gracefully, and with confidence,will help you improve more quickly. Act as if – is a phrase I want youto remember. Act as if you are the dancer you want to become. There is a reasonso many dance studios have incredible pictures of dancers upon the wall – to inspire you! Create your own vision board. Cut out picturesthat speak to you, or things that you want in your life and focus on them ona daily basis.

You could also begin by writing down all the reasons you want to be a dancer, to help strengthen those thoughts, and then write down why you believe you can succeed - to help strengthen your beliefs about your dancing. What I have come to understand is when your wanting of something is strong, and you believe it can happen, then the possibilities of it happening are much, much greater.

I hope this was helpful. Next newsletter I'll answer questions that have come in about hip flexors and iliopsoas muscles!

On with the dance of life!

Deborah

"Education is the key to injury prevention"

Copyright ©2003-2006 The Body Series. All Rights Reserved.

Deborah Vogel is a dancer, author, and master teacher who conducts workshops across the U.S. for both student and professional dancers. Her numerous articles on dance technique and injury prevention have appeared in Dance Spirit and Dance Teacher magazines. She is the Director of the Institute for Performance Studies and a faculty member at Oberlin College and the OC Conservatory of Music. During her years in NYC she co- founded the Center for Dance Medicine. Deborah makes her home in Oberlin, Ohio.