- emilysophie
Become a "double, triple threat"
Achieve your dancing dreams whilst developing longevity, self connection, positive mental health and much more, by doing this...
In the dance industry, the term "triple threat" has really done the rounds. Teachers constantly telling you that you must be strong at not only dancing, but singing and acting if you really want to stand out in the dance world.
This is all very well and obviously a great help to add more strings to your bow, but there are a few very important things missing that would enable you to become even better than just a triple threat...
At Dance Boss, we like to call this the "double, triple threat" because there are three very crucial things dancers need, to be their best in the industry...and in life. If you are to achieve all your dancing dreams and continue doing what you love, maintaining your passion, staying injury free, keeping positive and resilient and enjoying the journey in the process, you need to also become strong in the following other ways; physically, emotionally and mentally.
Taking care of your body and mind, will ultimately help you to do what you love for longer.
Let's break these three down a little and explore why they're so important for a dancer to make time for them...
1. Becoming physically strong- as a dancer, you use your body as your tool day in and day out and many outsiders would say dancers have the strongest bodies around and to a point, they would be right. However, the human body has many muscles, ligaments and tendons and when we start to work the body in new ways, you can definitely feel this! Many dancers don't do anything more than dancing, some dance and go to the gym, some dance and run, some do a mixture of lots of things. To feel strong physically, it's important to think of how to build a strong foundation, maintain that daily and ultimately avoid injury. Yoga, Pilates and body conditioning are great ways of working your muscles to lengthen, tone and strengthen them. These ways of moving compliment dancing extremely well and also provide a mindful element too.
2. Becoming emotionally strong- this can feel very tough to do sometimes, especially for dancers who are constantly put in the spotlight. But becoming emotionally strong, means being able to regulate your emotions and maintain your cool. Basically, you learn to breathe, to come back to your senses, to think before you speak or act. It's about NOT reacting, but re-tuning inwards and taking that breath first. If you get rejected from an audition...stop, breathe and put your logical thinking cap on BEFORE you have a knee jerk emotional response that causes you sadness and pain. If your friend gets the part and not you, stop, breathe and tune back in. It takes practice (daily) but when you become more aware of your reactions and your habitual reactive emotions, you are much more able to take back control and think logically.
3. Becoming mentally strong- despite your body being your tool for dance...your mind is actually your most valuable asset. Learning how to re-train your brain, change limiting beliefs, adopt a positive mental attitude and so much more, will help you to move through life's obstacles more easily and keep going for your goals and dreams with the same enthusiasm. This is also a daily practice but it does become easier as time passes. A simple way to start, is to tune into yourself-become mindful of the thoughts you think, what your beliefs are, how you respond to situations, reflect on what is stored inside your brain. Becoming aware is key if you are to then take action. Once you are aware, you can then begin to let things go-this is where meditation, breath-work and yoga come into play. And once you've started to let things go...you can begin to add new things into your brain space-positive things; affirmations, beliefs and thoughts that will serve you.
Becoming a "double, triple threat" may seem like a huge task, but it all starts with just small steps, every day, to make great changes to your life.
Emily Sophie
