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How Many Habits Will Make A Successful Dancer?

I was recently sent a TikTok screen shot of the 4 Habits of Successful Dancers by “The Dancing Business”:

1. Setting VERY clear goals.
2. Practicing OUTSIDE of class.
3. Being a part of a COMMUNITY.
4. Taking time to dance ALONE.

It’s a nice clear TikTok list, but there was “more info” teaser on that screenshot so I decided to look into it.

I just did a quick Google search on the term, as I don’t trust TikTok search to get me anywhere close to what I want. Google’s new algorithm first gave me a ChatGPT AI guess of what it thought I wanted that is highly likely to be absolute nonsense, so I always ignore that.  Next it gave me the most extensive list of lists of habits of successful dancers that I could have ever imagined.

Pro Cheer Life believes that there are 7 habits of of successful dancers.
1. Identifying weaknesses and improving them.
2. Accepting the fact that life is less structured.
3. Maintaining consistency.
4. Being a visionary.
5. Living in the present with routines that foster gratitude.
6. Exercising diligence.
7. Staying focused.
Personally, this list is a little too vague for me.  I want goals that are more easily checked off, and I don’t know how I would decide when I had attained becoming a visionary, and being autistic, I will never accept the fact that life is less structured.

Jackrabbit Dance brings us all the way up to 12 Good Habits For Our Dancers to Develop.

  1. If you’re late, wait for the okay from your teacher to enter the dance floor. Once permission is granted, find an easily accessible, inconspicuous place to warm up or start participating. Don’t disrupt the class more by trying to apologize for your tardiness. Do it after class. Just wait for the okay from your teacher to enter the dance floor. Once permission is granted, find an easily accessible or inconspicuous place to warm up or participate.
  2. If you are sitting, or sitting out, sit tall. Never lie down. As a dancer, you should always exhibit good posture.
  3. Don’t visibly yawn or show boredom. You may get away with it in a lecture hall, but not dance class.
  4. Develop spatial awareness (understanding where you are on the dance floor) and demonstrate it.
  5. Give the instructor space, but not too much space. Be bold in trying your steps and combinations instead of shy and tentative in your efforts.
  6. Avoid dancing in the front of the class unless you really know the combination. You may be able to pick up moves you’re unsure of by watching others who are in front and you won’t distract other dancers if you have a few missteps.
  7. Refrain from correcting others. The teacher is the only one in the class with that job.
  8. Don’t quit in the middle of the room, of the combination, or of the class. Go with the flow – even if you’re lost or confused. If you do, you will stop traffic – which is something you should never do.
  9. When you’re exiting the floor, don’t cross center or the paths of other dancers.
  10. It’s okay to mark combinations while you wait for your turn but only if you are out of the way and don’t disrupt or distract others.
  11. Do not repeatedly leave and then come back in without permission.
  12. If you find you have too many questions about something, save them for after class. Be respectful of the other students in your class.

These habits are a little different as they are more of classroom habits and etiquette, but still useful for success.

If you’re looking for something that no one else knows, you might want Iana Dance’s Top 7 Secrets of Successful Dancers

  1. Aim to become an Expert.
  2. Create a network.
  3. If you do something, do it with 100%.
  4. Know the ultimate goal of what you are offering.
  5. Go out of your comfort zone.
  6. Think about your ideal scenario.
  7. Keep going.
While “Secrets” sounds intriguing, they aren’t very secret, as you can easily Google it.

Shannon Dooling Dances brings us back down to just 4 habits, but we might already be behind, because these are for students to start in the first 6 weeks of classes.

  1. Remind yourself of your “Dance Why” and set goals that relate to it.
  2. Be prepared for class – in mind, body, and spirit.
  3. Take time to reflect on your dance life.
  4. Prioritize your dance relationships.

Hopefully these can be applied retroactively, otherwise we may be too late to be successful.

We can visit Terrence Taps’ Dance Blog to discover the 10 Habits of Highly Successful Dancers.  Looking further, though, we have to wonder, why would we want to simply be highly successful when we can visit The Charming Dancer who gives us the 8 Habits of Incredibly Successful Dancers, which is surely better.  We can even go to Showstopper Magazine Online and find the 11 Effective Habits of Amazing Dancers, which one might argue is better.

While some of these tips have undoubtedly helped others, and very well might help you.  Sometimes it’s best not to get overwhelmed, and not to get too bogged down in the lists.
Sometimes it’s simplicity that works just as well.

3 girls wearing shirts that say Rules of Ballet: 1. Have fun (crossed out) Don't Die

Rules of Ballet

1. Have fun

DON’T DIE!

See something interesting?  Find out more below:

https://shannondoolingdances.com/2023/08/24/four-habits-for-dance-students-to-start-in-the-first-six-weeks-of-class/
https://www.jackrabbitdance.com/blog/twelve-good-habits-dancers-develop/
https://www.ianadance.com/blogposts/7-secrets-of-success
https://procheerlife.mykajabi.com/blog/7-good-habits-that-make-you-a-successful-dancer

As for The Dancing Business’s 4 Habits, I never found them, if you did, leave a comment below!

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