Finding Perfect Practice in Imperfection
A few weeks ago Daewen posted a video where she was seized by a moment of inspiration during her 9 to 5 job when an absolute banger came up on Spotify and she just had to dance it out. The dance was authentic, joyful, spontaneous, and a great reminder that a dance practice doesn’t have to be perfectly structured to be fulfilling.
It’s easy to fall into the trap that dance is only legitimate if it’s done in our “official” dance space, in our Melos, in preparation for a show, for an hour with no interruptions. Social media heightens this, with so many content creators posting videos of “spontaneous flow” in perfectly curated outfits, among gorgeous scenery, with Oscar-worthy camera shots and video editing to capture every perfect angle. ( I might be alone in this, but if I’m out on a hike I’m not typically wearing a dance bra or packing a video drone in case inspiration strikes.) In truth, most of us are lucky to find crumbs of practice time in between work, chores, children, commutes, and all the hustling 90% of us do simply to stay ahead of chaos. Real life constantly seems at odds with our ability to create and move, but it doesn’t have to!
If you feel like there’s never any time to devote to long stretches of focused practice, don’t worry! Multiple studies published in the Journal of the American Psychological Association have determined that short bursts of practice on small concepts actually improve retention and understanding more than longer, “drill and kill” sessions.[1] Determining a small, reasonable practice goal (e.g., master one isolation at a faster speed, layering two isolations for 32 counts, learning one phrase of a choreography) and then spending 5-10 minutes on JUST that goal allows the brain to process the knowledge for long-term recall and develops automaticity in the muscles and mind-body connection much more effectively than just trying to hang in there for an hour.
Additionally, spontaneous bursts of creativity and dance (like Daewen’s above) can help mentally rip the band-aid for future improvisation in front of an audience or video camera. The next time you feel the urge to rock out to a song, try turning on your phone to record it even if you don’t watch it back for a long time. Simply getting used to moving and playing with an audience (even if the audience is just a camera lens) can help with stage fright, pushing through mental blocks, and finding combos and flows that work best for you and your dance style.
Finally, if you spend most of your time in places that simply aren’t dance-friendly, here are some quick and dirty tips for finding dance in some unlikely places:
Stairwells and single-person bathrooms can be your best friend in an office setting for 5 minutes of quick drilling or a run-through of a choreo.
If you have a long commute, use the steering wheel as a brace to help drill upper body isolations like rib cage infinities or shoulder rolls. Strengthen your shimmies with glute squeezes in your chair.
Store one of those cheap dorm mirrors in your cubicle or an office closet to pull out as needed for visual feedback.
Consider a short, 5-minute daily dynamic warmup for the body first thing in the morning. You’ll not only feel good, you won’t need to worry about adding time for a warmup/shakeout before a spontaneous dance practice.
If kids magically need you right when you attempt to practice, involve them! Hand them a veil or some finger cymbals and let them be your backup dancer as you drill. If you’re caring for an infant, your lower body will love infinity and hip slide drills while you’re holding the baby as resistance.
Most importantly - remember your dance is most beautiful when it’s authentic, and if your reality is you’re a new parent, or swamped at work, or going through some shit in your life that’s 1000% okay and 95% of us are right there with you. Being able to move and create art with our perfectly imperfect selves is what has brought us together for millennia, and audiences and friends love to see that shine through.
Wishing you many incredible moments of spontaneous dance, parking lot practice sessions, and all of the self-love as we move through the chaos and challenges of this world.
[1] Brabeck, Mary, et al. “Practice for Knowledge Acquisition (Not Drill and Kill).” American Psychological Association, 2015, www.apa.org/education-career/k12/practice-acquisition.
