Walk Before You Can Run

Tuesday, 3 May 2011

Running With The Bulls

I just have to write this. I don't know why but for some reason I need this blog. It has to do with sharing, it had to do with documenting, it has to do with sharing the stuff that I am finding out that makes my life remarkable because I want you to feel remarkable too :) There, said it, that feels better.

Now I have been toing and froing about this blog for ages, I wanted to have a blog but I wasn't sure if the name of the blog suited me anymore 'Walk Before You Can Run'? I started to think 'what's wrong with just running now'? And that it was change feels like, when you change, when you take hold of the horns of the bull - you are running. So perhaps there is a built in irony in this statement, as I find now, as I again work towards my dreams of being a dancer, I must learn to walk again. But I must not be defeated that I am walking again, because as I just said, when you really start to walk, it feels like you are running.

Chaînés* (pronounced sheh nays)

These are currently the baine of my existance :) No, not really, I am getting better at them, but there is a learning curve. I am given these exercises in class and I just expect I can do them, even though I have probably done less than a hundred in my life, whilst the other dancers have probably done many, many thousands.

So there is a lesson there, but the point is, I want to be able to do them, more than want, I must and will do them. And so to do that, I have to start practicing them! It sounds simple, but I find often we can have a problem and continually face pain when it comes up but not do anything about it.

This is me and chaines at the moment. Class will come and I experience the rather humiliating circumstance of walking or fumbling and falling and turning in weird directions down the room and getting very dizzy. The next class will come and I haven't done any practice and although I might make slight improvements over time, the experience is still less than ideal and I experience the humiliation again.

I love the process of learning and I love feeling myself get better and I LOVE the challenge, but I just want to be able to nail the exercise and experience the joy of that, and not just the learning :)

And so I come back to 'Walk Before You Can Run' - in order to improve, I must go back to the basics, study the technique and then practice, practice, practice until it's automatic. So this is my lesson again, to 'Walk Before You Can Run', but this time I know, when you truly walk, if feels like you are running.

*Click here for a full glossary of ballet terms.

Tuesday, 24 August 2010

Recognising Your Gremlins

Recognise your gremlins so that when they arise you can ignore them. Gremlins can include - doubts, laziness, lack of energy. Once you have recognised them for what they are, you can push through them and change your state immediately. This morning I woke with some doubts and a sort of 'what's the point' mentality - GREMLINS - course of action, ignore and continue! They evaporate pretty quickly!

You can also look at this from a time management perspective and ask yourself - is this particular doubt taking away from valuable time that could be spent enjoying myself and creating, or getting the benefits from a great workout, or hanging out with some cool people? Doubt can often come from the fear of making mistakes - but today I realised, perhaps the greatest mistake of all is the fear of making them! Persevere and trust yourself and the universe that what is meant to be will be and you will play your part in it!

Sunday, 22 August 2010

Not Sure What To Do? Start With Something.

As mentioned in my last post, I recently had to modify this years major goal which was competing in SYTYCD Australia 2011. After this, I found myself uncertain of how to proceed, what my new goals should be, and how to get back in to the swing of things.

I was concerned I didn't have a vision - but the other day I started writing down a few little things I knew I did want and from there, well the flood gates opened, new and old dreams resurfaced and I found the energy and motivation to start moving in that direction again.

So if you are wondering - 'What do I want to do?' or even thinking 'I don't know what I want!' - just start with some little things and I guarantee this will give you motivation to keep going.

Saturday, 31 July 2010

Change Is Good

Dear People,

After a long absence from blog writing I return with the following news, it's hard to say non dramatically, but 'So You Think You Can Dance Australia ' has been cancelled for 2011 (see story here). So that has changed my course somewhat, but truth be told I was not ready for the competion. As some of you know I left Australia in January to train in the UK but a serious of events and experiences caused me to mainly be involved in non dance related work ie I was working but not dancing or training. It was a difficult year but it is time to re-assess, re-envisage and create my future anew. Stories like the video above help to put things in perspective. Continued love and strength to you all and I look forward to returning to my source of strength and love and sharing it with you all.

Lots of Love,

Robin :) xxx

Tuesday, 20 April 2010

Influence Yourself

Very Important. Choose what will influence you based on your preferences. Read things you are interested in (this includes blogs and websites etc), go places where you will be inspired, meet people with the same goals/interests/values/standards as you. Move in the direction of that which you love and which inspires you, otherwise there is the chance that you will just follow what is around you. Make standards of what you want to influence you. Inside you know what you want.

Wednesday, 24 March 2010

Time Spent - Practise Until It's Automatic

New Found Respect for Mike Tyson as a phenomenal athlete.

"Spring training, then, is about planning and practicing until it's automatic. That preparation is essential for success in any venture".
- Harvey Mackay (Businessman)
This quote made me think of Tyson in these videos and how you could see all the training just become activated when he got in the ring. I also experienced this in last years SYTYCD when I got into the choreograohy round and we rehearsed like crazy the sequence hundreds of times over and over without stopping so that when it came to do the routine it was automatic. This is something that I will apply to next years routine because, as Jason said, after I lost my place in my own choreography, that shouldn't be happening to a dancer at my level, it should just be automatic so that is definately something to learn from.