Motivating Your Dance Students
The choice to dance is a very conscious one: as a hobby or as a profession, dance requires huge personal effort. Usually this effort is one we don't even acknowledge as our passion for dance makes the effort so natural, however sometimes that effort required can be too much. Whether for personal, physical or economical reasons, sometimes dance can fall to the bottom of the priority list for dance students.
Dance itself can even be exhausting, both mentally and physically, and often it can be difficult to muster the strength to continue. Dancers are renowned for their enthusiasm and determination to try new classes and work continuously on their craft, but sometimes it is too much to rehearse again and again, take the same class or take part in the same supplementing practice to better their skills and technique.
Motivation can be a challenge for every dance student, no matter how passionate they are. But competition in the dance world is far too intense to slump. If you feel yourself sliding, it is important to get back to the place where you give everything your all. Encourage your students to acknowledge that they are in control of their efforts, and aim to not take the simpler path, unless it would be detrimental to their health and body not to. With that awareness they should be more inclined to make the right decisions, as to reach their full potential, they have to be willing to choose the more difficult path.
To maintain motivation, sometimes it is important to cut themselves some slack in order to channel their energy to where it’s most useful to avoid burning out. Don't forget the ultimate goal of being the best dancer they can, and try to keep inspiring them. Try new things in class to tweak; even something so small can refresh students’ outlooks. Many dancers find taking a class in a different genre, or trying a new cross-training method helps them refresh, or even just going outside for a walk to clear their head.