Being a successful Irish dancer is actually very simple -- just follow these steps:
- Decide what 'successful' means
- Work hard
- Be honest
- Believe in yourself
What? It can't be that easy? You want to know more?
First, there's absolutely nothing wrong with dancing just for the sheer pleasure of it. It doesn't make you any less of a person if you aren't world champion.
Second, the steps might be simple, but nobody said they were easy!
But you do want to succeed, right?
So what does 'successful' mean?
Success means different things to different people, and you have to decide what it means to you. The meaning will undoubtedly change as your dancing improves, though. Success for a beginner could be winning the trophy reel and moving up to primary, while a championship dancer might be less than happy coming 10th in the world!
You also have to decide how badly you want to achieve your idea of success. It's not easy to do anything worthwhile without making sacrifices -- top athletes don't spend every Friday night out clubbing! Remember, if it was easy, I'd be winning championships instead of doing these web pages. (Awful thought!)
You have to balance what you want to achieve against what you're prepared to give up for it. Do you want to come first at your next feis, or would you rather watch Big Brother and settle for that comfy third place you got last time?
And by the way, it's no good just saying you want to succeed unless you mean it -- because you have to make it happen.
Hard work -- yuck!
Funny thing, work. Even if you work like crazy there's no guarantee you'll get to the top -- but you'll certainly get a lot nearer than you would without working.
The other thing about work is that some people seem to get away with doing less of it than others, while still getting further. But it's no good moaning about it -- life's like a game of poker -- somebody deals you some cards and you have to make the best of what you get. You do have a simple choice though -- play your cards or fold!
So what are you going to do -- sit there being negative or use your time getting as near to the top as you can?
The honesty bit
This bit is crucial. You have to be honest with yourself. We don't mean you have to beat yourself up all the time -- that doesn't help anyone except your rivals -- but you do have to know what you're good at, and what still needs work.
You also have to be honest when you dance in competition. We all know the adjudicator sometimes doesn't seem to like you, even though you danced a storm, but one of the easiest things in the world is the 'cop-out'. You should be able to tell for yourself whether you danced your best or not. The important thing is figuring out why you danced like you did.
The opinion of your teacher is the most important of course. She sees you dance all the time and has the expertise to make judgements about what she sees, so think about what she says and then act on it.
Do you believe in life after love?
Well, maybe, but more importantly, do you believe in yourself?
Do you find yourself driving along the the feis thinking 'I can really win today', only to have your confidence evaporate when you see who else is there? You're not alone if you do, but you have to overcome it. You can't control the other dancers, or the adjudicators -- that's all out of your hands. Make sure you concentrate 100% on your own dancing -- nobody else's -- and do your best. That's all anybody can ask of you.
Still, it can be hard to stand up in front of an audience and put yourself on show. What if you make a mistake? Well, a big part of being successful -- at anything -- is being prepared to take risks; to be criticised; even to be laughed at from time to time.
You will make mistakes. You will feel embarrassed. You will get it wrong. But even the world champion has times they'd rather not remember, and part of becoming a champion is taking positive lessons from those things, rather than curling up like a little mouse. If you make a mistake, be determined to improve next time and hold your head up high.
And don't forget your friends are there for you, feeling for you, knowing what you're going through -- because you're there for them, right?
So -- it looks like it's really up to you -- have you got what it takes? We think you have!!
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