As I head to sleep the night before a competition I like to listen to the album “With You in Mind” by the Empress Orchestra who have produced ballroom dancing’s finest selection of music. I lie in bed absorbing the beats and seeing myself dance the next day and experience what is to come. But besides visualizing the feeling of the floor and the shining lights, I remember everything that brought me to this moment of preparation—the calm before the storm.
To be a competitive dancer is to accept a different lifestyle: the lessons, workouts, training, traveling, sacrifices, and long nights perfecting this sport and artform. A competitive dancer is the fusion of training, experiences, and balance.
Training
As with anything, to reach the highest level and achieve one’s best there is no shortcut, only practice. And so, on a daily basis practicing takes up most of my time and energy. Even though I work and go to university, I rarely find a time when my thoughts haven’t wandered off to what I will practice or when my next competition or camp will be. There is a certain ever-presence that dance takes up in my life.
When eventually I do get to the studio, the real work begins. Practice is my favorite part of dance; I prefer it far more than competing (not to say that I can’t get competitive…). Nonetheless, sometimes it is difficult to find inspiration or motivation to practice. I cannot even begin to recount how many times I have warmed up and put my shoes on, only to stand there and suddenly have no clue what to do. At this point I have found that discipline and perseverance are the most important tools. Fortunately, the body learns from drilling and repetition even when the mind is not at its best, perhaps like after a long day of school or a restless night.
Travel
Besides practicing and growing my skills, I have found great pleasure in being able to travel the world. Even if we only ever get a couple days to see the different places that we go, the memories we make there are unforgettable. In fact, sometimes I like to travel for dancing more than a vacation because it feels like a true adventure. Holly and I have an end goal of the competition, but before and after there are a multitude of side quests. Travelling for dance is a bit more coarse. Afterall, the flights and lessons don’t pay for themselves.
Balance
Lastly, finding balance in this lifestyle is a never-ending saga. But by being challenged with managing a practice schedule, teaching schedule, work schedule, school schedule and of course dance and personal finances, I believe I have developed some very practical skills. I won’t say that I have mastered them yet (there is always room for practice), but perhaps I will. Being pushed and pulled in different directions by my ambitions have only motivated me to become a better version of myself as a person and as a dancer so that I may fulfill what it is I want to.
