2 3 Super Saturday Thinking Statute | Ballet Webb

Saturday, September 5, 2015

Super Saturday Thinking Statute




Super Saturday Thinking Statute

Dance is largely “between the ears”. Check out my book “Dancing Between the Ears” (shameless promotion). But it is true that how we think can make or break us as dancers. Or as human beings for that matter.

Dancers tend to be driven, perfectionistic people. That usually translates into “people who worry or obsess” and that means “negative thoughts”. Scary. Very Scary.

It is what we think  that produces (or doesn't produce) results. What do you think about when you plié? Do you imagine going up? Or do you think about all the things not to do in a plie (don’t lose turn-out, don’t sink, don’t stick the seat out)? Or do you not think about it at all, since it is the first exercise in most ballet classes and your mind is still all tangled up with something that happened the night before. You get the point.

It works best to think about what you want to do (rotate both legs, lift upward from the ears, engage the abdominals) - not what you don’t want to do (see list in previous paragraph above). I’ve blogged about this before. Thinking this way is what makes things work. Then those things you thought were difficult or impossible were neither once you understood how to think about them.

So always remember today’s Ballet Statute: “It isn’t as difficult as you think, but how you think can make it difficult.” This is a good adage for life, too.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Ballet Statute #43:  
“It isn’t as difficult as you think, but how you think can make it difficult.”

                Link of the Day: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry5m91KUVyo

Quote of the Day:
““The discontent and frustration that you feel is entirely your own creation.”
Stephen Richards, Think Your way to Success: Let Your Dreams Run Free

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