Thursday, June 30, 2011

"Accept The Challenges, So That You May Feel The Exhilaration Of Victory." - General Patton

It's one thing to challenge ourselves because we want to better ourselves, and it is another thing completely to walk into a room, not sure what your getting yourself into, and challenging yourself anyway. Going with the first idea, in a way, you've mentally prepared yourself for the challenge, which means you know that you are going to have some rough moments up ahead of you. However, if you go with the second idea, you may see those rough moments as obstacles that you cannot handle. Sometimes... it is those moments that are in fact extremely defining.

I know you've heard me say it a million times already, but I really am impressed to see how these students here at Dancers Anonymous face challenges that they just simply walk into. Half of the time I know they keep pushing forward simply because they love to dance. What more could I ask for in a group of students? I mean... is that not the same thing we want in every job? Employees that want to be at work, students who want to learn, dancers who love to dance, teachers who ENJOY teaching, and people who just actually want to better themselves in every way. Today was no exception for these great kids! Most of them are used to Hip-Hop... or some form of whatever they learn off music videos these days, but to throw in a more flowing aspect to it, such as contemporary, is like asking them to walk a tight rope. No... it's not impossible, but it sure does feel like it! Especially limiting the class times to only an hour and a half, makes it even harder on them, but I become more and more impressed with them as I watch them take on these styles they've never done before. They always prove to me that they know they have to work hard to get some things, while they may not have to work as hard to learn others.

A student, Eddy Rodriguez, mentioned that he would enjoy teaching a class to our instructor Josh Bernal. Josh swore to me that I would be impressed and that I could trust Eddy to have amazing choreography and do a great job teaching. He was right! Eddy taught a really great class and I was so impressed with his choreography! There were moments when he was on one side of the room and I was on the other we all would have just learned a new move and I would be telling the students how much I loved that particular move. What's funny is that I'm pretty sure I mentioned loving a particular move about twenty times! It was definitely a challenge for me as well, but one that blessed me in a great way! Not only was I blessed because these students were working their butts off trying to get the choreography down, but also because I was challenging myself and also (as General George S. Patton said himself) feeling the exhilaration of victory. Sure... most of us messed up quite a bit but we had a great time and we pushed ourselves to do something new, and ended up having a great time. (Even if they were WAY too quiet for my liking for most of the class) Ha!

Courtney


I only got to know Eddy through our instructor Josh Bernal. He's been to quite a few of our classes, and seems to have enjoyed himself. His style is really great and his personality is easy to get along with. I wish he had taught sooner, because I really enjoyed his class. Hopefully even after he moves, he will return back for a class or two :)
"Well I first started dancing the way most other small town kids start; in their room, emulating what they saw on tv. My favorite style by far is hip hop, naturally, and pop, but I also like the movements and stories that contemporary can tell, so I always try to merge the two if I ever have to choreograph a piece. I would just like to see myself continue to use dance as an outlet to vent my feelings, emotions, thoughts, ideas etc. The way I have always done it. I've never sought notoriety for what I can do or compared myself and my 'skills' (for lack of a better term lol) to other dancers, nor do I think I will ever. To me, dance has always been one of the friends I can go to, if I need to set myself right by venting to them." -Eddy

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