“I dare you to train for a marathon and not have it change your life.”
Have you ever heard that quote? Being a 3 time marathon runner myself, I have heard it many times AND fully believe it. What I also know is that training for a marathon is VERY similar to what our students are doing now…preparing for our annual Liberty Dance Center Recital!!
Deciding To Go For It
The first step in anything big and important is deciding to do it! You may be scared, you may not feel ready, you may be super excited and pumped! Either way, you have to start by SAYING YES. And all of our students did that when they signed up to come to class each week and continued to show up and show out!
Training Time
It takes MONTHS to train for a marathon…you definitely don’t go from the couch to running 26.2 miles in a few days or weeks that’s for sure. And the same goes for dance. The fall/winter is spent learning new moves, working on formations and training our brain to remember choreography.
We also practice giving mini in-studio performances to overcome any stage fright. Then in early spring (next week for us!) we begin to learn the actual dance in which they will perform. For 12 weeks they will learn, practice and prepare that dance for their big show. It takes months of preparation for a 2 minute performance. Just like it takes hundreds of miles logged before the big race.
The BIG Day
Then, when the big day finally arrives…a wave of emotions are sure to be felt. You will start to ask yourself: “Am I ready?” “Do I know what I am doing?” “Do I have everything I need?” “Can I do this?” Guess what? The answer is YES! You’ve put in the time, effort and hard work and now is the time to take (as we runners call it) “the victory lap”!
You have to trust your training and preparation and go enjoy the fruits of your labor! Will everything go smoothly…maybe and hopefully, but probably not 100%. But that’s ok! That’s what makes this whole process so fun and rewarding. So be sure to be present and enjoy your hard work.
I always tell my students that they probably won’t remember if they nailed every turn or danced the dance “perfectly.” But they will remember how hard they worked, the new silly backstage memories made and the pride they felt when they got off that stage and did something that months ago they didn’t think they could do. THAT is why we dance. THAT is what will translate into so many other aspects of our lives. THAT is what makes us come back for more each year.
I can’t wait to see our dancers shine on stage and take that “victory lap” in front of their family and friends. And I can’t wait to see how that process helps them grow into even more awesome people than they already are!
