Dancing makes you better at dancing.
Surprise, right?
As much as running and Pilates and the yogas and stretching and reading psychology and physiology books and watching champions and talking technique points are great and fun and worthwhile pursuits, practicing the craft is actually what makes you better.
Damn.
I realized (or it was pointed out to me- and no, I'm not going to say who because he knows who he is) that I rationalize doing a lot of activities in the name of [insert semi-whiny voice here] "it'll make my dancing better" .
Turns out? I just enjoy them.
Damn. Again.
Yes, I enjoy running, okay? I enjoy it. There. I said it. Happy?
And even though I just started the yogas, I like those, too.
And I like aaaaaaallll those other dance-related activities just for themselves.
Yes, they might encourage your dancing in one way or another, but as I've ever so sadly discovered, running 2 miles, or 5 miles, or 30 miles is not going to make your footwork better, or make your promenade position correct, or your crossovers any less awkward, or remember your choreography for you, or keep you balanced on turns.
Sigh.
I'm not saying you shouldn't do all those lovely extra-curricular sports, I'm saying you should practice practice practice. Practice doing all your moves and steps and turns and basics correctly (or as correctly as you know). And enjoy enjoy enjoy all those things that might kind of sort of in some way make your ballrooming easier.
That includes drinking beer. And watching trashy tv. And maybe running, too.
And read this post about all my favorite dance stuff.
One year ago today: But this is..., a crochet starter kit
