Help , what is the next step?

[Mithra]

So -/+ 7 moths ago I did my first solo at our student recital.
It wasn't perfect ( well bad I think)
So now what to do , I'd like to dance a Solo again at some point.
The option was offered to us to dance a solo at our next recital.
I chickened out

I have watched the video lots of time's.
Take extra classes+ workshops
I have tried to get feedback.
I get great music , brave of you to do a solo.
But no comment on the dance , so it must be bad.

In this situation what would you do.
Get back on the horse?
Find a privet teacher ?
...

 

[Mosaic]

Have you asked your teacher for feedback? If not ask her. Then practice, practice and more practice. You may not have been as bad as you think. We are our own worst critics Don't give up, you'll get better each time you dance whether it is with a group or as a solo dancer
~Mosiac

 

[Mithra]

Hi,

I'v asked , she told me she likes songs white a slow entrance.
And that it is obvious I put a lot of work in to it.

U might be writhe about being my one worst critic.
Seeing your self on video is strange.
Being a first time dancer it's sometimes hard to know what dance has to look like.
Comparing my self to you tube might be hard to live up to.

I'm practicing a lot at home and trying to do some improve to be more relax in dancing.
Other tips are more thane welcome.

M.

 

[LadyLoba]

Don't worry...normally, the people like you who are critical of their own dancing are actually very good. It's a sign you are taking it seriously enough to work on it and improve.

The people who really are flat out awful tend to be the ones with the "Im the greatest/hottest/most original belly dancer in the world."

 

[Kashmir]

I'v asked , she told me she likes songs white a slow entrance.
And that it is obvious I put a lot of work in to it.

So yes, it may not be good - or your teacher may have difficulty giving feedback. Wind it back a bit. How long had you been dancing before your performance? Had you taken part in troupe pieces? Did you have help with your piece ? Was it choreographed or improvised? Do you watch good belly dance (ideally on video so you can stop it and re-watch parts of it) Watch is actually the wrong word - "study" is better. See how the dancer puts together her routine. Watch the technique but also the musicality; the personna; the audience interaction; use of repetition. You could easily study one performance for a month.

Seeing your self on video is strange.
Being a first time dancer it's sometimes hard to know what dance has to look like.
Comparing my self to you tube might be hard to live up to.

Video actually does some odd things to the dance. Some dancers who are great live are less so on video.

Go out and buy some videos - Fifi Abdou, Lucy, Souheir Zaki if you are Egyptian inclined. Sit down and study them. Try out some of their interpretations.

At the beginning of my beginner course I show my new students some video. I point out that every dancer they are watching has experience measured in decades not years - and it takes time.

 

[Yame]

You need to find dancers you admire and watch them--a lot. This will help you develop an eye for what is good and what isn't, for which styles appeal to you and which don't, which will thus help you figure out what it is that you want to aim for.

Once you know what to aim for, you can watch your own videos with an eye for that. You can see what is improving and moving towards your goals, and what isn't. If something is stalled, ask yourself what you can do to improve it. Maybe it's just a matter of practicing it, or maybe you need someone to guide you.

If your current teacher doesn't give feedback, and especially if she won't give feedback when you are begging for it, I'd recommend finding someone else. You don't have to leave this teacher altogether, but if she doesn't correct you and give you feedback there is a huge gap in your learning experience which you need to fill. Most ambitious dancers study with more than one teacher, anyway. If your current teacher won't guide you you need to find someone who will. Self-critique can take you far, but only so far.

Be patient with yourself. You can't expect to be perfect in your first performances. Actually, don't expect to be perfect ever... even the best professionals are constantly growing and improving. But for beginners especially, it's important to be forgiving of your flaws. Beating yourself up over having danced "badly" is only going to discourage you. What you need to do is take note of the things you did well, take note of the things that need improvement, and come up with a plan to gradually improve the things that need work.

If there is ONE thing I've learned in the years I've been dancing, it's that everything that "needs work" requires tons of practice and tons of time to sink in. I WISH it was a matter of just looking at a video and seeing what's wrong and remembering it and doing it better next time. I WISH it was just a matter of hearing a correction and doing it better next time.

Unfortunately, that's not how it works. If that's how it worked, I'd be a million times better than I am. It doesn't work that way. When we're performing, we need to be focusing on the music and on our audience. There is no way to keep in mind all these little corrections when we are trying focusing on these things. We need to have them drilled into our bodies so that they come naturally.

This means that when you see something "wrong," you need to figure out ways to integrate the solution into your regular practice. So, the next time you perform, it'll look a little better. And a little better after that. The improvement will be gradual, but it will be certain.

 

[Aniseteph]

I agree with Kashmir - maybe your teacher feels uncomfortable giving detailed critique on your performance, or maybe she doesn't realise that that is what you are asking for. I wonder whether feedback on that performance is really what you need. (I hope she gives feedback and correction in class though; that does matter).

You say you have watched the video lots of times. Unless you really are getting something useful out of doing this, you could just stop . It really is OK to file it away. Yes video can be a useful tool, but maybe save the analytical stuff for a home or studio session or future performances when you feel more relaxed and can get over the cringe-factor.

Maybe you were terrible, maybe you weren't. As a student debut it's not important IMO - the important thing is that you did it :clap: and it's a step on the journey to better performances. Without the first step you'll never get anywhere. Your favourite author probably once wrote stories in primary school with terrible spelling, no plot and half the letters back to front. It doesn't matter. Being brave and taking that step, and then the next and the next, is what counts.

So stop worrying about whether it was good or bad, keep doing the right things (which you are with those workshops and classes), practice a lot, and DO SOME MORE PERFORMANCES! (Yes, back on that horse!) That's the way to start feeling more relaxed. Even dancing in front of classmates is good experience.

And never beat yourself up. As Yame said, it takes time for things to come together. Giving yourself a hard time for not getting it fast enough gets you nowhere.

 

[indrayu]

:clap: for doing it :clap:

Now get back on that horse!

If you chose music that people loved and it is "obvious you put a lot of work into it" that's a good sign.

Practice, practice practice. A friend, a very good dancer who gets professional gigs, was preparing a new dance recently. Her computer happened to have a counter showing the number of replays of the music: on the day I was visiting, it was up to 97 and she still didn't feel it was ready!

And relax, relax, relax! Maybe all your work is showing as tension. A simple dance performed with real joy will be more enjoyable to an audience than even a labour of love where the emphasis is on the labour.

 

[Mithra]

Kasmir,
It was a choreo performance, I had been dancing for about 3 years.
I have to ad that I have now dance experience before Belly dance.
I never did ballet or jazz,... never even liked to do dances for the schools open day.
The is something about belly dance that makes me want to dance.

My only experience was student show and some troupe performance.
No one helped me to making the piece.

Yama
I have started taking extra classes from 2 other teachers.
And I'm taking workshops outside of my first teachers studio.

So after watching the video 1 more time (Aniseteph it is now getting filed for some time)
I have noted 2 things I liked about my performance:
I have a very expressive face ( even white the stress)
The is variation in my piece , not just lots of shimmying.

So now to back on that horse!
I m gone ask one of my new teachers if I can preform a piece in the end of term class.

Tnx fore all the support

M.

 

[Kashmir]

No one helped me to making the piece.

Personally I require my students to do at least two short privates before they perform in a show. For some this is pretty much "yes, you are on track", but some need to make changes. I look at their interpretation - for instance, does their choreography and costume match their music choice? Are they trying technique beyond their current ability? Does the choreography look pleasing? I give their first feedback at least four weeks before performance so they have time to tweak if need be. Without this sort of feedback how can a student learn?

 

[Mithra]

Hi again,

Just wanted to say Tnx for Al the support.

I did it

Not 1 performance but 2
It's even starting to feel a lot more normal ( still stress but les of it) :dance:
Didn't even hate the vid. this time ( still strange to watch my self do)

So I just want to say to all girls doubting them selves out there :

"Just go for it You can do it !!!!"

Hugs M

 

[Sophia Maria]

Congratulations!

 

[walladah]

My teacher was reluctant to give feedback too

And she is a very tough teacher, actually, she is very tough during the lessons.

But she tries to be very mild concerning performances. At the beginning i thought this was something like "i do not want to tell you" or that i was so awful that it was impossible to comment on a creative way.

But she used to say "dancers evolve on stage", and that there is no use to critique them, as they will get better anyway.

So, accept my congratulations and lots of regards and keep dancing!

by the way: the good videos you will be producing from now on, will be good for some time only!

Try to watch them 6-12 months later, when you will be more mature in your dance knowledge and style, to find details that you can improve (if not improved anyway!!).

 

[Shanazel]

she used to say "dancers evolve on stage", and that there is no use to critique them, as they will get better anyway.

What a smart- and kind-lady! :clap:

 

[Roshanna]

Personally I require my students to do at least two short privates before they perform in a show. For some this is pretty much "yes, you are on track", but some need to make changes. I look at their interpretation - for instance, does their choreography and costume match their music choice? Are they trying technique beyond their current ability? Does the choreography look pleasing? I give their first feedback at least four weeks before performance so they have time to tweak if need be. Without this sort of feedback how can a student learn?

Ahh, I wish my early teachers had taken this much interest in my performances! I had no guidance or advice at all for my first solo, and no feedback afterwards either. I suppose it didn't go too badly, considering...