Dance Disasters
TweetIf you spend any time talking to me, you’ll hear a phrase that I will repeat. Perhaps you think I’m trying to help you remember something, but truth be told, I might be reminding myself. The phrase is, “Always stay within your scope of practice.”
Like repeating a movement to gain body memory, repeating a phrase is a mantra that sets us up for execution of that thought, even in the face of extraordinary pressure.
If you haven’t been on the dance floor recently, ego can play into a performance as much as skill and practice. The desire to “show off” in front of others when playing a musical instrument can lead to embarrassing mistakes. Showing off on the dance floor, however, can be dangerous.
I took a series of salsa dance lessons years ago when a male friend expressed interest in learning. The learning curve for men is much steeper in the beginning, as the cues and lead responsibilities fall on his shoulders. If a woman takes the lead, it’s called “back leading”, and we tend to imply that a woman can’t give up the control if she doesn’t allow the man to lead. The group was given free time to practice about six simple steps, including instructions to stay with those six steps and watch the dance space to avoid collisions.
My friend didn’t want to do that. He wanted to show off, and proceeded to spin me without control, though I shouted at him to stop. He managed to push us both into another couple, knocking another woman off-balance. My heel nicked her in the calf. She was fortunate that she walked away uninjured. The instructor for the class reprimanded him sharply for dancing beyond his skill level, and I saw that he was ashamed. Later, he bitterly defended his actions as an innocent wish to dance gracefully.
One of the beautiful aspects of dance is how the dancer makes it look joyful and effortless. Behind every movement comes hours of practice for perfection. Whenever I move in a way that is completely new to me, I have to remind myself of the steep learning curve that comes with the territory.
Performance art comes with risk. Professional dancers can be injured, even with precautions. Musicians make audible mistakes. Jugglers drop objects. Reduce your risk with practice in real-life circumstances, and stay in your scope of practice. Add on complexity and challenge, piece by piece, and don’t be in a hurry to show off.
What are your stories of performing beyond your scope? Do you have any funny video of those moments? Post your stories and videos here.
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