No matter what we do in life we are constantly at a learning stage and with belly dance there is no exception to this rule! It does not matter if you have been dancing for 1 month or 10 years there is always something new to learn. There are certain levels with learning and as we gain more confidence we climb up to the next level. My motto is: never stop growing and never stop learning. I have always felt this way with everything I have done and it is even more true with dancing.
The first stage in the learning process is unconscious incompetence. This stage is when a dancer may be just learning or has not started yet but is thinking about learning. They do not fully understand the dance yet or they do not know about it. Each dancer or student will vary at this stage it really all depends on their own desire to learn.
The second stage is conscience incompetence. In this stage the dancer is still at the point where they do not understand the dance yet, but what is realized in this stage is that they realize their shortfalls and understanding the value of learning. This is done when a dancer starts processing the steps and or moves and is a big part of the learning process.
The third stage is conscience competence. This is when the light goes on. The dancer or student starts to understand the dance and the moves start feeling natural in her own body. Even though the dancer knows what she is doing it still takes alot of concentration to execute the moves. I see this all the time in class where I will tease my girls and tell them I see smoke coming up out of their heads! This though is a fun and exciting time for me as a teacher when I can see my students go through each phase and step.
Unconscious competence is the fourth stage and this is where the moves become part of the dancer inside and out. This is when the moves are second nature and happens after much practice. Each dancer will arrive at this stage and different times and there is no exact timeframe. It depends on you as the student and dancer how far are you willing to go and how much practice your willing to do. At this stage the dancer is able to layer easily and ad props to her dance such as zills. This involves doing two tasks at a time.
So I ask you where are you? It does not matter where you are going it is what is at the end and the final result. Being able to recognize these stages and knowing where you are will help you as a dancer and to keep you going in whatever you decide to learn.
Copy right June, 2011
This past week one of my students asked a very important question when it comes to facial expressions. Facial expressions helps bring the emotion that you are trying to conceive with the movements more alive and it is the finishing touch to your dancing. When performing or even practicing you should always be aware of the expressions you are making with your face. What is most important is to try and relax and realize it is not necessary to always smile. When dancing and performing it must be full bodied;meaning emotion comes from every aspect and adding emotion with the face is the key to communicating to the audience the story that you are telling because when we dance we are telling a story.
