BUILD RESILIENT DANCERS

Every athlete must build resilience

Imagine how many times Rafael Nadal has swung a tennis racket over his career. Think he’s enjoyed every single swing? I very much doubt it! Along the way, resilience to overcome some of the repetitive tasks would have been a crucial part of his success. At VPC, we’re here to help build resilient dancers.

The repetitive dance tasks

When it comes to repetitive tasks, dance is not immune to the feeling that ‘you’re over it’. We get excited about a new dance class. Students look forward to their dance lesson and can’t wait to get moving. They’re committed to the work and fun times. But there ALWAYS comes a point when it gets more challenging. Perhaps some boredom sets in, or it just doesn’t feel like you’re progressing. 

Building resilient dancers is an important trait for young children, but it does take time and effort. An article by Healthy Dancer Canada suggests it’s a slow process where the development of several personal qualities is required, such as mental flexibility, curiosity, empathy, optimism, connectedness, vulnerability and perseverance. 

How progression in dance works

Sometimes dancers may feel as if they aren’t progressing. As our dancers move through the levels, things become more challenging, and progress may appear ‘slower’. THIS IS NORMAL! A new step, for example, may take 6-12 weeks to master. Things don’t move as quickly as when initially starting with dance. 

So be encouraged! Positive reinforcement and encouraging your child to push through challenges and celebrate successes are helpful ways to develop resilience. The power of visualisation is useful too. You could encourage your child to close their eyes and imagine themselves succeeding in a complicated dance routine or competition. It can help build confidence and preparedness before exams and shows.

What else can be done

If you’re feeling like you’re hitting a roadblock but are keen to work through this, please get in touch! Our team are more than happy to chat through ways we can support you and your child to continuing progressing with dance. 

If you have any concerns about your dancer, please don’t hesitate to contact Tess at admin@victoryperformancecentre.com