Okay it worked. I knew you would click this article to see if you were that person catapulting toward swing dance failure.
I have good news and terrible news. Let’s start with the terrible news. If you think you can’t succeed, you won’t. That wasn’t that bad was it?
There are things that I know, and things that I know that I know. Below are some of those things that I know that I know.
Are you ready for the good news?
In order for you to master new lindy hop moves, leading, following or any other swing dance lessons you will have to be aware of these principles below.
1. Negative mindset.
Did you hear that? Stop beating yourself up about messing up. In order for you to learn anything there is a certain mindset and attitude you must have about where you are and where you want to go.
Most people point out the obvious to their own detriment. They will say things like this: “everyone else has so much more experience than me, I keep messing up, I don’t have someone to practice with.” So on and so on.
Though those things may be true, the wording of how they are phrased, and the overall negative implications imposed on your actions will hinder your capacity to see the opportunities hidden within your limitations.
2. Ignoring the process
Everything that we see starts from something that we cannot see – everything. This perspective shapes a healthy learning journey as a swing dancer.
That process of success requires you to take action on simple things you know to be true. It’s obvious that at some point you will hit a barrier. (Failure) But your success will be the collective effort of your daily positive routines.
This constant pattern of taking action with the intent to learn and grow will focus your perspective on extracting crucial lessons left behind by the most painful failures. Success and failure both leave clues. This really applies when you’re learning how to swing dance.
3. Poor Practice Habits
As a kid I’ve always heard the statement practice makes perfect, but I think there’s a serious flaw here. You can practice the wrong thing for a long time and still be wrong. No matter how beautiful the outside structure of a building, eventually everything will crumble if the foundation is unstable.
There are ideas that you will hear from people who may know a little more than you, but how do you know if they are true? They have to be tested and proven to work. This will be one of your greatest challenges – deciphering the difference between what is preference and what is fundamental. That is the truth.
It is much easier to learn with a solid foundation than it is to unlearn counterproductive habits. The way I look at it, perfect practice makes perfect sense.
So there you go. Still don’t believe me? Avoid these 3 areas and it will take years instead of months to masters swing dancing.
Jamin Jackson
