BRING YOUR BEST

MORE ABOUT BRING YOUR BEST:

So what is BYB about?

First, I have a question for you.

How do you feel about competitions? Just curious…. 

Some people love dance competitions and some hate them.

In the past four rounds of BYB, we have had dancers preparing for competitions as well as others preparing for "high-stakes" performances - such as showcases on a theater stage or for a big workshop show event. In such a show, let's face it:

YOU WANT TO NAIL IT.

You want to do your personal best, so you experience the thrill of being completely, perfectly in the zone, connected with the audience and with your own dance. And it would be nice if your friends and family and fellow dancers in the audience also noticed that you rose to the occasion, went way beyond what they'd seen you do before. Surprised them and knocked their socks off. You want it, and you know you deserve to feel great about what you are presenting too. 

In general, we can probably agree that those who win competitions ...really love them!

And what about everyone else who competes?

Many dancers compete because they want to challenge themselves with a deadline and then get valuable feedback from the judges… which is a really valid goal and reason to join a competition.

I do actually think that one reason for the popularity of competitions is the growth that dancers want to get from them. Competitions can be a positive force in a dancer’s life, depending on the event and on the person competing.

HONEST TALK: From a judge's perspective (I've judged several competitions), our assignment as judges is to give feedback, but mostly, to give scores, so they can pick the winners. That is, even though I write as much feedback as I can, in my terrible handwriting, that is not my main job requirement as a competition judge. It's just a nice extra to give. And seriously, you may not be able to read my writing.

Feedback from a judge might not even be what you need to hear right now, because they don’t know the context of your dance process and how you got to that place. It might not even have been your best day, and then that’s the impression you are being judged on. Also, sometimes a judge doesn’t have time to think, at the time of writing their feedback, what would most help you. Competitions move FAST. When judging competitions, we judges are just racing to stay on top of it and keep the event moving along. I like to think I’ve been helpful with my feedback to contestants, but then they need to try to decipher my terrible handwriting...

Way worse, some dancers who went in expecting helpful feedback have been traumatized by the experience of being judged, and sometimes that even makes them give up on their goals, or to postpone going after those goals while they recover emotionally from the experience. In a competitive situation, let’s face it, the goal is commercial: it has to do with the suspense and with the prizes. Competitors, aside from the winners of course,  may end up feeling like pawns in that game. Not a good feeling, if you want to project confidence in your work.

And then there's this:

What if it's not a competition at all... just a show.... but you still feel judged?

You may feel (or at least fear) judgment from peers in the dance community. You might not feel the support that is necessary to get to the next level. You might feel "held in a box" by the opinions of others.  Or that you can’t share yourself fully onstage, for fear of being judged. Maybe sometimes you don’t even feel welcome.

You might be such a perfectionist that you feel you’ll never be as good as you want to be. These feelings can keep talented people like you from sharing your art… not being able to realize your full potential. And honestly, what a shame that is.  The world needs you and your unique voice.  Really.  Don't hold back on us!

Would you like to get the same focused experience of preparing for a show or a competition, with a deadline, with an extra portion of support, no matter what your performance goals, where the goal is NOT to judge you but to arm you with the tools you need to feel in control of your own performance and how it is received by others?

…HONEST FEEDBACK that doesn’t traumatize you, because it’s delivered with respect for your capability to progress and reach your goals?

…MINDSET AND PERFORMANCE TOOLS that are tailored to your needs, your level, and your personality?

....and a plan to hit certain landmarks in your preparation process, so that you actually have the time to mine the art from your work?

We all feel a little extra stress when we need to get ready for a high-stakes performance...

Even more so if it’s something new for us, like a new piece or a new type of piece or our first time doing a solo. Dancers who are experienced professional performers feel the pressure too — sometimes even more.

Pro dancers who perform regularly in restaurants without nerves can feel a lot more pressure for a higher-profile stage show. Same for dance teachers who need to perform as an invited guest, or as the headliner at the show associated with their workshop event, while they are tired from all the other excitement related to preparing for the event (especially if they are hosting it themselves!!!). You may not even get those big gigs unless you can project confidence, even under pressure.

There are lots of reasons to prepare in advance, with a goal-oriented and not last-minute-panicked approach. A way to push yourself with deadlines, have accountability, a supportive coach and a supportive group to report to. Maybe you have a great regular teacher who can coach you, which is an amazing asset. But it may be more fun, and even more powerful, to have, in addition to the coach, a small, focused community of support while you are preparing for your solo in the big show.

Bring Your Best is about you being in possession of the tools to stay calm and deliver, so you feel like you can tame the beast of your own performance. It's about you channeling the transcendent performer inside of yourself, the one who takes the audience to another level. It's about you enjoying yourself and feeling confident that you brought it all.