I've been reading "The Law of Attraction". It’s a very simple book with a simple point; Whatever you want in life, you must first specifically identify what it is! Then you can focus your energy on attracting it in to your life. It's basically... the power of visualization.
As I started practicing this more and more to improve my life, I realized something else important. Visualization is a powerful tool in dance. It helps a young dancer in their quest for improvement. There is nothing more powerful than the human mind! It can greatly affect our physical world. Some people find this simple and others just can't stop the barrage of negative thoughts. It's not necessarily easy, but with practice (as with anything) we can get better at it.
Every day I encounter an array of different types of personalities in my dance classes. Some kids are instinctively positive and confident, while others are less sure of themselves.
What am I saying? In order to achieve a goal, we must first BELIEVE that we can do it. The next step is to set our minds on it and visualize success. We have to believe. They’re wise, we’re fighting an uphill battle.
The more a dancer is able to imagine themselves accomplishing things, the quicker they improve and achieve. No matter what the level of coordination. After many years of teaching and observation - attitude is everything. I have been including these principles in my dance classes for many years.
There are times when a dance student is able to master the steps while following the teacher (with a "visual" in front of them) but when the teacher steps away, they are unable to remember the movement. Often times that is because they are just following. It has not sunk down into a deeper place in the mind. The learning comes when the dancer can visualize the steps in their head. I always encourage students to mentally rehearse the dance movements in order to truly know them.
The bottom line is, once we figure out what we want and put that firmly in our sites, then success is inevitable. As I often say, persistence is omnipotent. Period.