| "For Beginners" (ZAGHAREET! (May/June 2007) by Anthea (Kawakib) Calculating Your Odds of Success As I’m writing this, it’s close to Income Tax time here in the USA. If you have much to do with your own accounting (as many professional dancers and teachers do) it really provides an opportunity to see how it’s all “adding up”: - you can see how much performing or teaching you did - whether you got paid for it (and how much) or did it for free - how much networking you did (workshops, lunches, meetings etc.) - how much you spent on costumes, CDs, magazines.... And except for the number crunching and complicated tax laws, it’s sort of fun! Even if you’re a hobbyist, a dance-accounting (of your time, energy, and money) can be an eye-opener. You might be tempted to make some predictions–based on this cash-flow info--on where dancing will take you . . . but don’t be fooled. What determines success in reaching any goal is not as easily tracked as time or money–it’s your real potential. Potential depends on your determination. And your determination depends on your beliefs. Many times I notice a new student’s “dancer potential” but never can be sure if she’ll reach it or not. Sometimes I’ll think: “she’s graceful and learns quickly....she’ll be a great dancer”; or another one might be a natural performer, always “on,” entertaining those around her, playing such a convincing part in real life you know she’d be great onstage. Even if--on the surface–a student seems to be what “Superstars” are made of, in reality, she might: - lack the drive or ambition to become a good dancer - lack the money for enough lessons - decide to devote her time to other pursuits - move away and stop studying because there’s no other dancers or teachers nearby - or she just might not believe in herself enough. You Gotta Believe You can spend loads of time and money on the dance and never reach your goals, if they are not the right goals for you or you don’t really believe in them. I’ve seen lots of good students and potentially great dancers NOT make it - maybe they didn’t WANT to, and that’s fine. But why waste your time? Take a few moments to figure out WHY you want to dance - boy can those few minutes save you a lot of time and energy. If you really know what you’re in it for, you won’t “fall out” when trouble and disappointment come your way (as they will). The trick is how honest can you be with yourself? So many times we fool ourselves without even knowing it . . . and end up running away from what we really need! Keep an open mind and be willing to change direction. Don’t be swayed by your friends’ desires and abilities; what works for them may be wrong for you. Decisions are powerful tools–use them well. ....did I mention it’s “tax time”? Bye for now! |
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