Discipline in Dance
☙ I feel, therefore I move; I move, therefore I dance. ❧
Everyone can dance. Not everyone has the privilege of formal dance lessons, but everybody has access to their own movement and physical response to emotions. My greatest joy is witnessing that connection; I feel, therefore I move; I move, therefore I dance.
If you have found the resources and have made the decision, that is, made the investments of time, money, and courage, to commit to a structured dance class, there is a certain amount of discipline required of you from now on, in several ways. If you have made this decision for your child, the same rules apply, and your encouragement of these disciplines is a valuable gift.
First of all, discipline is not a bad word. It is the sketch under the watercolour or the blueprints for a house, the proper running shoes for the marathon or a full gas tank before the road trip. Discipline supports you as you get to where you are going and sets you up for the best possible outcome.
I think we can associate discipline with rigidity, or getting in trouble, or as an uncomfortable reminder of what we're doing wrong. In the past, I have heard 'discipline' and thought 'scolding.'
If you are like me, I want to help you change the perspective from discipline as 'the mean teacher' to discipline as your unique and encouraging 'hype-person.' This also goes for your children in dance class; understanding discipline will make their experience more enjoyable in countless ways - but here are a few.
1. Discipline as a form of study
A formal dance class is prepared, not only by the current instructor but by many dancers and teachers before them. Some dance disciplines are hundreds, if not thousands of years old, and that commitment to development alone is something to recognize as special and worth respecting.
Before meeting them in dance class, there may be movements, sensations, or shapes alien to your body. For example, the way ballet dancers shape their hands may feel unnatural and absurd, but that is part of the discipline. Likewise, certain facial expressions and pelvic gestures can bring up an array of feelings when first becoming acquainted, but the technique may require them; therefore, they are part of the discipline.
The act of releasing preconceived notions of movement, or how the movement will feel in your body when studying dance, is a form of discipline and a crucial element in progressing.
2. Discipline as a form of focus
I understand it, but I always cringe a little inside when a parent comes to collect their child after class, and the first question they ask is, "Did you have fun?"
Just as the word discipline is often connected to sternness, constraint and correction, fun can often insinuate ease, abandon and self-indulgence.
Although enjoyment is a priority, that doesn't always come in the form of 'fun.' When the question is asked, 'Did you have fun?' and the child did a lot of heavy learning that day that wasn't particularly fun, any answer other than yes may seem like a failure. Not having ‘fun’ is a quick way for a student to develop an aversion to class.
Asking for a student's attention multiple times during a class is not fun, and neither is stopping instruction of an exercise to discuss respect (listening), consent (hands to ourselves) or safety (please stop running into people or walls). However, understanding the expectations and terms of proper behaviour during class is part of learning, and therefore part of the discipline.
It may take a long time for a student to understand that fun comes from multiple sources, not just from being silly. Fun is found in conquering a tricky rhythm challenge, waiting for your turn, or jumping so high you surprise yourself. Fun is being a part of something bigger than you and recognizing that you belong there simply because you want to. Fun is not always found in laughter or outside validation but in the power of being present.
3. Discipline as a form of resilience
Discipline asks you to fail repeatedly, and that is painful, which is probably why discipline can be so daunting. Who wants to struggle?
I hate not getting it right the first time, and I think lots of you can relate to the desire to be instantly good at everything. But, frustratingly enough for us, the idea that we can master something the first time round is unrealistic, and if we really examine it, boring.
I wish, and I want so many things, like my balance to be unflappably consistent; for my legs to lift higher in the air with less effort; to not project my insecurities onto my students.
Getting what I want and wish for takes dedication. I need the discipline to practice and be gentle with myself when I still have work to do.
The very decision to build up and reinforce the weaker areas is discipline.
Resilience through discipline is like taking care of your home because there's always something to do, but the time and effort spent makes home what it is - a wonderful place to be. I commiserate that the never-ending chores can be exhausting, but the upkeep, even in small doses regularly, is what keeps the walls standing and the roof over our heads.
4. Discipline as a measurement of progress
It really is the small steps we take that add up to enormous gains.
Showing up day after day and week after week in pursuit of a skill you are drawn to is literally what it's all about. And that doesn't necessarily mean we're always working.
There is a difference between taking rest and slacking off. Slacking off is when we view discipline as the enemy, so we fight and say, "You can't tell me what to do!" Unfortunately, this 'break' generally leaves us feeling unsatisfied and unmotivated because it comes from a place of defiance rather than acceptance.
Taking rest is when we recognize our minds and bodies need some time to retreat and regroup to come back ready for the next step. This type of recognition is part of discipline. It means we aren't fighting the waves; we see the signs of a storm and batten down the hatches in preparation to face it.
Taking rest doesn't necessarily mean we need to stop our practice; it just means we have the discipline to vary our approach to achieve something different and something more. This is maturity and a beautiful sign of progress.
5. Discipline as a method to mastery
Similar to the small-steps-equal-big-gains ideology, discipline not only in practice but in attitude produces the highest quality of masterful execution in any attempted skill.
This idea harkens back to using discipline to discover the joy of your pursuits that won't always show up as 'fun.' There are a lot of emotions attached to learning anything, and even more layers when using both our brains and bodies in activities such as dance.
Masterful dancers can think for themselves, are reliable in their practice, follow through with their intentions and show up for class, understand teamwork and work for themselves, are motivated and know their stuff.
Growth, acceptance, frustration, determination, soreness and elation; discipline is the medium that pulls this vibrant and refined spectrum of knowing out of any dance class.
Discipline in dance is remarkable and essential for everyone.
Let me know your take on discipline! I'd love to know your thoughts.
With utmost respect,
Miss Jen
