Much thought has gone into this article regarding belly dance
burn out. For most dancers who are just starting out working in restaurants and
nightclubs, it is hard to fathom ever getting to a point where you find yourself
sitting on the side of the bed trying to talk
yourself into getting ready for another show,
but in reality it happens and the amazing thing about it is that it isn’t like a
virus that just hits you and you can get over it. It is gradual and towards the
end of this emotional rollercoaster, you feel like you just can’t get it
together to go out and perform for even the most appreciative audience.
Dancers, who experience belly dance burn out, feel like they are
unappreciative of their position in their dance community and guilt complex sets
in. So let’s talk about this and look at some warning signs before hand so that
no dancer has to experience “Belly Dance Burnout”.
Most dancers who are motivated to perform within the 4 to 6 year career spectrum
are ready to conquer the world. These are my favorite dancers because nothing
gets them down. Most dancers at this level are motivated from an inner core of
self confidence. But after awhile life takes a toll on this inner core and self
doubt sinks in slowly but surely. Why this happens is a very important question.
No matter how you look at belly dancing, this is an entertainment that effects
the life of the dancer which includes, family, friends, coworkers, and even the
dog or cat. When you are in this type of dance many things in your life change.
The first thing that most women notice is the effect it has on their body image.
Belly dancing will show you what is right about your body and it directs you to
a path of enlightenment.
ATTITUDE CHANGE.
When we change our attitude, there seems to be one thing that we forget to
change with it and that is our perception of the world around us. Perception is
very important because it helps you see the difference between the shallow
aspects of our dance to the deep and profound experiences. Many dancers forget
that attitude can be momentary and fluctuate between having a great show to
having an off performance. If your perception and knowledge of your dance are
kept equal than your attitude will follow in their footsteps.
EGO CRISIS
Another problem that can create havoc in a dancers world
is a crisis of ego. And
there seems to be different types. Type number 1 is usually created when a
performer doesn’t understand that she must work her way up to performing in
different venues. If any position is handed down to her, she won’t have any
respect for the venue or herself. Any performer who leaves this situation
stressed has to understand that anything handed to them must be acknowledged as
a gift and treated with respect. Through trial and error can a true performer
understand her place in her community. TYPE 2: happens when performers get
accolades early on in their career and forget their humility. We all want to be
told we are amazing and incredible dancers but the fact is there are a lot of
amazing and incredible dancers out there.
Remember that compliments are a dime
a dozen. The point is to dance from humility. Compliments aren’t guaranteed and
they won’t always come your way. There will be moments when a dancer performs
and finds the audience isn’t watching or interested. Eventually the feeling of
“what’s the use” creeps up and there you have the beginning symptom of belly
dance burn out. Remember why you started dancing in the first place. Go back to
those first moments of enthusiasm that you felt when you first started learning
how to dance. In those beginning moments all that mattered was that you were
doing what you loved and wanted to do. Center yourself on always being
appreciative that you have the chance to perform. Remember you are continually
shining your diamond of the dancer with in you. Peoples compliments are just
icing on the cake. TYPE 3: is the dancer who feels she can perform and compete
with the best of them even if she has only been dancing a fraction of the time
of her contemporaries. Time will usually teach this dancer a lesson by shocking
her with an experience she is unprepared for. This experience alone can knock
her off her feet. It will make her think twice and hopefully get her back on
the path of humility. These types of “Ego Crisis” when experienced for long
periods of time can strain the enthusiasm of any performer. Make sure you
replace the ego with self confidence.
CHOREOGRAPHY BRAIN FREEZE
This can create repetitive, boring moves. This is one area
that all dancers who have been performing for many years experience one time or
another. Remember that this is a dance of how you live your life. You bring in
your experiences into your dance and that in itself will keep choreography
fresh. Self criticism or comparing oneself to another dancer is not healthy and
it creates stagnation in the creative process. Remember that there is only one
of you in the Universe and what a true blessing you are. Your creativity is
already unique because “You” exist. Also remember that you must dance from your
own creativity. Becoming someone else’s carbon copy or imitating another dancer
may seem like a compliment but it takes away your own creative process. Dancers
need to perform from their own place and image. All performers have their own
treasure trove of moves. Just look inside yourself.
THE PROFESSIONAL “NO TIME” PROBLEM
Time management is
something that effects the
professional dancer. First is the fact that many performers dance so much that
they forget to practice or don’t make time. Moves get sloppy and repetitive and
the dancer’s enthusiasm goes down the drain. As a performer we must honor
ourselves and our audience by dancing the best show possible. Training and
practicing enhances techniques and they keep all of us in shape not only
physically but mentally. Another factor is not having time with family or
friends. The dance can to take over the life of the dancer. So the dancer has to
make decisions based on what kind of family life she wants to preserve.
Performing can also become addictive so make sure that the gigs that you agree
to are worth it in time and money. Remember, you can always say “no” to a gig.
THE DEAD AUDIENCE
This definitely does not help in the confidence area. Most people
if they are not educated regarding our type of dance, don’t understand what they
are watching. And if a performer doesn’t know how to perform in front of
different types of audiences, this can be devastating. One way to know what to
expect in advance is to find out what kind of venue you may be performing at. It
seems simple and rather basic but when dancers perform a lot, certain questions
can easily be forgotten. And there are those performances that you know in
advance might be questionable. Either way just know that you have to end the
performance with confidence knowing you did your best. There are venues where a
dancer was incredible and still will get a luke warm response from the audience.
Don’t judge yourself by the audiences response. Judge yourself by how you felt
inside. Your gut will always tell you the truth. Remember that second guessing
yourself just adds fuel to the fire of self doubt. So here’s a little secret I would like to share with you:All performers have an advantage before they ever get in front of people. This
one advantage is the fact that the story they will tell will be one of a kind.
This in itself is a miracle. And to remember oneself is a reminder of the
miracle that you are and dancing is a way of telling the world about miracles.
So when you are feeling the “belly dance burn out” just remember the miracle
that you are and the miracles that you need to share.
Many Blessings
Dance From Within and Create a Style of Your Own
Previous Page |
Del.icio.us
Digg
Furl
Google
Spurl
Y! MyWeb