From the time you start taking dance seriously, the focus is honed in on technique. Your teachers help you to work out all the little technical details . The best teachers create an environment for healthy dedication and improvement.

However, a lot of dancers are criticized for not applying corrections quickly enough. The assumption might be that they’re lazy or not dedicated. Perhaps they lack focus or attention in class.  This post will delve into how to deal with criticism in dance.

The reality is, if a correction is not applied quickly, it may not be understood or prioritized, by the student, teacher, or both. For some dancers, anxiety gets in the way of mental focus in class. Still, other dancers are so hyper-focused on trying to pick up combinations that applying corrections becomes too much to handle.

As a dancer, you can be empowered by knowing that you are the keeper of your destiny. By taking care of your body, being open to feedback or corrections, and working hard every day you can get where you want to go. You can reach your goals.

It might take some additional focus on applying those things that you hear in class or staying present to remember the intricacies of each combination. If you want to really get ahead, consistently create additional personal benchmarks to make your improvements measurable.

This is where goal setting and accountability come in.

Most of us have been in a situation where it felt like a teacher just really didn’t like you for some reason. Those can be some of the most challenging, disheartening experiences.

Here’s a personal story, major criticism in dance…

When I was 15, I went away for my second summer program. I was put into the highest level, but worried it was a mistake. I don’t think I was ready for that at all, and apparently, neither did the former New York City Ballet *star* my level worked with most closely.

This former NYCB principal dancer (we’ll call her Ms. M) was one of the people I was most excited to work with. I never had any Balanchine training so I was looking forward to experiencing her perspective and learning some incredibly beautiful Balanchine choreography.

It became clear on day 1 that Ms. M was not impressed by me. She would often single me out and give lots and lots of corrections in a very mean, degrading way. I was not totally alone in this. Ms. M was harsh in general and called out a number of ladies in my class with lots of yelling.

Then, there were her favorites. The ones who could do no wrong. Were they working harder than me? Applying corrections more quickly? Simply better?

I cried to my mother on the phone every day that I had class with her (which was almost every day of that summer program).

Ms. M threatened to demote me to a lower level. I secretly wished she would, just so I wouldn’t have to take her classes anymore. In the beginning, I was determined to win her over. Tis’ the plight of the determined dancer I guess. I tried to work harder. Then, I tried to disappear. 

Honestly, that experience informed a lot of my future confidence and actions as a dancer.

When I think back on that experience the pain is still quite palpable, even though it was so long ago. When I revisit some of my dancing experiences after that summer, I see myself hiding. Doubting. Worrying.

This is where the importance of taking on responsibility for your own success comes in. You’ve got to assess yourself and work towards your goals, regardless of these sometimes negative, studio experiences. If you’re not sure how to deal with criticism in dance, you’re not alone.

Don’t let your dancing be defined or defeated by one person’s opinion. Here’s how…

Luckily, I’ve had lots of different teachers over the years and many supporters. I’m glad I only dealt with such a defeating experience for four weeks. If you’re dealing with a challenging experience on a more consistent basis, you may need to take bigger action. 

It might be in your best interest to seek new training or teachers in your area. If you plan to pursue dance professionally, this is going to make a huge difference in your levels of confidence and therefore chances for success.

In a temporarily challenging time, bring your attention back to positive training experiences. Who were the teachers who supported you? How did they make you feel? What did they say that helped you see your own potential? 

During my very challenging summer intensive experience, I wrote down the choreography to every variation we learned. There’s value to writing down choreography but what I wish I had done, was set some personal goals for myself. I would have been empowered to focus on the work instead of the fear.

Clear goals can provide an outlet to turn your attention inward. They can counteract feelings of failure and help you stay aware of your big picture, big goals, and ultimate dreams. Goals allow you to be in the driver’s seat. 

Are you a goal-setter? Do you have a vision for your goals? 

Check out these posts and videos for more: 

• The Power of a Clear Vision.
• Tools of Transformation.
• Reaching Body Goals

How to Deal with Criticism in Dance was originally published in October 2015

Edited for content and clarity July 2021 

Photos of Casey by Luis Pons

The post How to Deal with Criticism in Dance appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

Each day we go to the studio and stare at our reflection. Yes, the mirror is a tool blah blah blah, I know. In reality, we use it as a tool to see what’s wrong.

Then, we get corrections, which are constructive (or meant to be anyway) and take those on. Sometimes, once you’re in a company, you’re mostly left on your own. You’re expected to know what needs work and make it happen.

When faced with that challenge of personal evaluation, you might thrive. Or, you might start to wonder, “why aren’t they telling me anything?”. Then your mind starts to go crazy with the super negative, hyper – critical self talk.

This way of thinking can destroy your psyche and have a hugely negative impact on your dancing.

So how do you get around this struggle? Set goals. Refer to them daily.

Pick the categories that are most important to you and add a couple that you think will be good for your overall well – being. Examples include: technique, career, body – image, physical activity (outside of dance), relationships, inspiration.

Now, start to set SMART goals for your 3 – month, 6 – month, 1 – year, 3 – year vision. SMART is an acronym for goals that stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time bound.

Don’t let yourself be stifled by the idea that your goals should be “attainable” and “realistic”. As dancers we can be so aware of the flaws that we’re not always open to our full potential or possibility. Definitely dare to dream and be as objective as possible.

When it comes to career, you may want to ask a trusted teacher who you feel supported by, what they imagine is possible for you. However, they don’t have a crystal ball so do not take their opinion for fact.

Teachers and Artistic Staff have a somewhat narrow lens of what they’ve seen to work. Their opinions might be based in old standards and they might not consider your potential for growth.

I remember when I was in college one of my professor’s saying he had never seen a dancer make major strides after age 25 – MAX! This totally took hold of my brain and I felt like the clock was ticking. O gosh, I only had a few years left to progress as a dancer.

Luckily, this is soo not true and in fact you can continue to grow and make major improvements to your dancing as you learn more about your body and the way of working and cross – training that works for you.

Ready to make your goals a reality? Here’s how:

Break your goals down into bite size action steps and work towards them each day. Keep a journal to chart your progress and to help you get any limiting beliefs out of your head. You may not achieve them all, but taking serious action WILL get you closer to your goals.

I honestly believe that if you have received good training and you work as hard as your body and mind allow each day, anything is possible for your career. It may require auditioning for companies you didn’t previously consider or moving to a city or state you never imagined living in.

Tenacity, drive and hard work can take you a long way but you’ve got to support yourself mentally.

In The Whole Dancer Program I’ve had the beautiful opportunity to connect with each participant one on one. There have been a number of resonant messages, among those is the fact that most dancers are “people pleasers”.

We want teachers, guest choreographers, and artistic directors to like us. That’s all find and good. There’s a place for that desire and to an extent, yes, someone has to like you for you to keep your job.

BUT

I hope that one of your goals is to dance for YOU. You will shine much brighter and gain more supporters and ‘fans’ when your love for this art radiates out of your face and body each day.

XO, Jess

Photo: Lauren King, Soloist, New York City Ballet

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There’s a lot of very unhealthy tactics dancers employ during Nutcracker season in an effort to show no weakness and simply push through it!

Then, there are the performers who have found a healthy and grounded routine that works for them. They have likely developed their healthy “Nutty” habits over the years and are able to breeze through the season without getting sick or injured.

Let me help you get on the fast track to cleaning up your Nutcracker Act by highlighting some of the most common tactics most of us have tried to “push through” this busy season.

Sugar = Fast Energy, right? WRONG…

“Instead of providing the body with nutrition, it creates deficiency. It enters swiftly into the bloodstream and wreaks havoc on the blood sugar level, first pushing it sky-high—causing excitability, nervous tension and hyperactivity—and then dropping it extremely low—causing fatigue, depression, weariness and exhaustion, ” says Joshua Rosenthal of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.

As you can see, sugar is not only no good as a source of performance energy but it also increases the likelihood that you will get sick.

Running on Adrenaline…

If you don’t prioritize healthy sleep and relaxation habits during Nutcracker time, you’re likely putting an excessive workload on your adrenal glands which are your bodies primary shock absorbers.

This can also lead to an increase in cortisol, the stress hormone, “cortisol increases your appetite and energy level while toning down your immune systems allergic and inflammatory responses,” says Dr. Christine Northrup.

The “I can do it all” Mentality

Some things have got to give. You can’t expect to take class, go to rehearsals, cross – train, find balance, go holiday shopping, cook your meals, work an extra job, run your blog, sew your pointe shoes, get 9 – hours of sleep, go on dates, attend every holiday party, AND perform your best.

You need to plan and prioritize!

So many of you already took the time to register for the no – cost “Self – Care for Nutcracker Season” webinar, one week from today. Shelby and I are so thrilled!!

This workshop is now available as an audio training in The Whole Dancer Foundations Course!

The post Common Nutcracker traps! appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

These recordings provided some incredibly gorgeous inspiration, hello Susan Jaffe, Paloma Hererra and Leslie Browne.

I also had the privilege of seeing NYCB perform live quite a bit. We had a friend with 2^nd row orchestra season tickets who regularly couldn’t make it to performances so he gave us his seats free of charge – amazing!!

My city ballet inspirations included Wendy Whelan, Alexandra Ansanelli and Miranda Weese. So much gorgeousness and talent, I absorbed as much as I could.

However, there was not the consistent inundation of images and ridiculous talent that you as dancers are surrounded with now…no 15 – year old prodigies posting 6 –pirouette videos or insane feats of flexibility and strength on instagram.

I don’t even remember watching youtube much until after college, and even then it was old videos of the classics (Makarova, Baryshnikov), not YAGP gold medal winners a decade younger than me and (seemingly) infinitely more talented.

Inspiration is important.

Find dancers you admire and take in what you can from them. Learn from their quality of movement and find motivation to work on your own strength and form.

Consider the dancers you’re surrounded by daily. These are likely your peers or at least technicians of a similar caliber – if you’re dancing next to them in a ballet company, there’s a reason. Let their beauty inform your own.

But…

Let the dancer who provides your greatest inspiration and motivation be YOU.

The dancer you look at in the mirror everyday; let her be your biggest motivation, competition and inspiration.

Remember where you started and admire how far you’ve come.

“When I step on stage, I do so not because I think I am the best, but because I want to give what I have to give.”

~Keenan Kampa

Give what you have to give for your audience AND yourself.

See your growth, improvement and talent. Remember the very young ballerina who used to try and emulate Balanchine or Russian technique even though she was never formally trained in either (and remember how silly she looked…maybe that was just me).

Remember the moments of fear when she went to her first big summer program audition and worried she didn’t measure up. Notice the certitude you’ve developed since then.

Or, the times she totally psyched herself out because the girl standing next to her had some really impressive pre – class stretches going on (the doubt those super bendy folks could instill was pretty incredible).

Don’t forget the joy of that first summer program acceptance letter and the little boost of confidence it provided.

Believe in the growth you’ve achieved. The difference between the uncertainty of those first few pointe classes and the strength and comfort you now feel on your toes.

There are ups and downs in the dedicated pursuit of this art form. If we don’t cultivate a loving relationship with our work, and ourselves we can become bitter.

To maintain the joy, focus inward. You are beautiful and talented and unique. 

And always, always remember:

“Don’t waste time on jealousy. Sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind…the race is long and in the end it’s only with yourself.”

~Baz Luhrman, The Sunscreen Song

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