Article written by Chris Lynam of Arthur Murray California
New Year’s Resolutions are a disposable holiday item.
Don’t get me wrong. They are meaningful.
Like a Christmas tree.
And yet that tree, as important as it was in December, is now dried up and being converted to mulch somewhere.
Yes, resolutions are important, ornate, and sparkly reminders of our best intentions… until the season is over.
By February they are mulch.
How Do We Avoid “Mulching” Our Dance Resolutions”?
Think of it this way: The further you are from home, the more likely you are to get lost. There’s nothing wrong with dreaming big, but successful dance resolutions should be steps up the staircase, not a Superman style “leap tall buildings in a single bound”. The following is a list of dance resolutions you can use based on the level of Bronze you are working on. This will be your Arthur Murray dance resolution ladder into the Silver level. Pick a few, stick to them, and while other dance resolutions are mulching in February, you’ll be another step up the staircase.
Bronze 1 Dance Resolutions:
Leaders: I will navigate the compass clearer. (North, South, East, & West)
Followers: I will focus on my posture and balance before I focus on my partner
All: The only person I will compare myself to, is the person I used to be before I started dancing.
Bronze 2 Dance Resolutions:
Leaders: I will talk and dance (simultaneously) as much as possible
Followers: I will emphasize my legs and feet before I wiggle my hips and rear
All: I will follow my teacher’s recipe for all things technical in my dance program
Bronze 3 Dance Resolutions:
Leaders: I will never attempt a passing twinkle with a newer student.
Followers: I will keep my head in closed position “until I feel” the promenade, not “when I feel like” a promenade.
All: I will not dance Bolero to Rumba music
Bronze 4 Dance Resolutions:
Leaders: I will use Cuban motion or arm styling, or maybe both.
Followers: No lead, no follow. Pure and simple.
All: I will perform an honor dance at the Medal Ball that, in some way, pays tribute to how far I’ve come since I started.
Dance resolutions, or any resolutions, can be the most disposable holiday item of January. If you choose carefully, and make them specific, you may keep every one that you’ve picked. In fact, you’ve kept some great dance resolutions before. In fact, one, in particular, even when it wasn’t January: Your dance lessons. Anything in addition to that is just frosting.
Sure beats mulch.
Happy Dancing!
Arthur Murray Dance Studios - Woodbridge 