| "For Beginners" (reprinted from ZAGHAREET! May/June 2003) by Anthea (Kawakib) Don't you hate getting caught doing something "wrong"? During the first few
months of class I tell students I'll give individual corrections unless
they'd rather I didn't; over the years only a very few have decided to
forgo corrections. Most students seem to feel they'll get more for
their
money by hearing how they can improve, and take corrections with a good
grace. But sometimes I can tell by body language & expression that
some students wish they hadn't..."been caught". It's not that the home-practisers get LESS correction - they still get corrected! It's just that they and everyone else can see the difference in who is "getting" the move/combination/cymbal pattern, and who isn't. The home-practisers are more in touch with their bodies, more comfortable moving, taking a chance, trying new things - all of which tends to help them improve constantly. The NON-practisers are a bit more awkward and unskilled at controlling their body, and consequently less comfortable trying something new. They have less confidence - and that's a big part of success. Students whose self-image is suffering don't take corrections well. What was OK before now feels like being picked on and singled out. It's a time-worn saying, but true: with bellydance, you get what you give. Give it your time & energy, and you'll get much satisfaction back. YOU are the one in control - YOU can decide to invest in yourself, and reap the benefits. But even "the good students" get corrected and don't always like it. Maybe they don't realize they're just getting a chance to develop their ability to fail well. WHAT?? Yes - fail well. Success breeds confidence, it's true - but you can have too much of a good thing. If you're afraid to fail because you're used to being "the good one", that's just as much of a liability as clumsiness. Don't kid yourself - no one here is perfect. Like I tell my students: there's always someone better, there's always someone worse. Welcome the chance to experience failure because it teaches you valuable life-lessons like humility, perserverence, and helps you acquire wisdom - because defeat is the mirror that lets you see "the real you". Learn to fail gracefully! When you "fail" to get something right in class, accept your momentary "wrongness" - admit you were wrong without long-winded explanations of why or what you were thinking, etc. Forgive yourself for failing, forgive your classmates for witnessing it, forgive your teacher for pointing it out, and go on.
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