You can bet I've been keeping it up even since the challenge officially ended! Last night was my first private bellydance/personal fitness trade with Kim in weeks! WEEKS! There's always a tiny bit of me that dreads it...same as there's still a part of me that dreads dance class... the insecure part of me that doesn't like to be challenged, or specifically, doesn't like to not be perfect and strong and graceful and able to memorize stuff.
Not being able to memorize isn't such a big deal with the personal fitness training, but it sure can make a huge impact on one's dance career. I've never been able to memorize, since I first started dancing tap and jazz in preschool. I couldn't remember lines as Wilbur in our grade school production of "Charlotte's Web." I couldn't remember the preamble to the Constitution in middle school. The fact that I've memorized my credit card number speaks more to the amount of online shopping I do than my brain. Hell, I still have to write notes to myself on my hand. Really, look, there's blue ink smeared all over it at this very moment.
So, I think it's the smart approach to movement practice to drill drill drill. I drill minute movements, maybe a combination of three or four of them, over and over and over and over until they become rote. Once its in my muscle memory it's merely a factor of practicing: continuing to find joy and inspiration in the movements in whatever shape, form, day, environment, so that I keep the muscle memory and blend in the musicality. Improv -- it has its perks even if I get down on myself for not being able to memorize.
Now that I've discovered the technique that works for me, it's time to give my muscles some credit for having some good memory even if my brain isn't so easy to work with.
Not being able to memorize isn't such a big deal with the personal fitness training, but it sure can make a huge impact on one's dance career. I've never been able to memorize, since I first started dancing tap and jazz in preschool. I couldn't remember lines as Wilbur in our grade school production of "Charlotte's Web." I couldn't remember the preamble to the Constitution in middle school. The fact that I've memorized my credit card number speaks more to the amount of online shopping I do than my brain. Hell, I still have to write notes to myself on my hand. Really, look, there's blue ink smeared all over it at this very moment.
So, I think it's the smart approach to movement practice to drill drill drill. I drill minute movements, maybe a combination of three or four of them, over and over and over and over until they become rote. Once its in my muscle memory it's merely a factor of practicing: continuing to find joy and inspiration in the movements in whatever shape, form, day, environment, so that I keep the muscle memory and blend in the musicality. Improv -- it has its perks even if I get down on myself for not being able to memorize.
Now that I've discovered the technique that works for me, it's time to give my muscles some credit for having some good memory even if my brain isn't so easy to work with.
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