Dance studio dilemmas
Any dancer can feel the pressure in the dance classes they take, from beginners right up to professional levels. These pressures can be formed as a result of the dancer's own anxiety, from their peers and even their dance teachers. Pressures can be a result of injuries, aspiring to an 'ideal' body shape and even changes in the behaviour of dance teachers.
Worries in the dance studio have a direct effect on the dancer's performance and mindset, hindering progress and creating a negative stigma around their own experience of dance. Relaxing and enjoying dance is paramount to excelling, leaving worries behind.
Sometimes dance teachers can appear to not offer encouragement or help to progressing dancers, which can hinder their enthusiasm and be detrimental to their dancing progress. Teachers can be overly critical, however it is important to remember you are not their only student, so any criticism is not personal. As a teacher their aim is to pass on their knowledge and aid other dancers, so ultimately this should be their goal in the dance studio rather than making the experience unenjoyable.
While there can be jarring relationships with dance teachers, this can also occur on a personal level with yourself. Dancers are the first to see problems in their technique and performance, and can often get caught up with how they look in the mirror. However, teachers are likely to encourage the creation of a strong body which is fit and ready to take on the challenges of dance. Similar pressures can also occur as a result of injuries, especially those that are slower to heal, which is frustrating and demoralising. As a dancer the mentality is to power through the class whatever the cost, however it is more important to heal and rehabilitate the body, as it is of the utmost importance that the body and mind recover.