One of my biggest passions in life has always been dancing. From baby ballet through to competing at the World Irish Dancing Championships, dancing has been a part of my life for more than 20 years.
Since retiring from competitive Irish dancing 12 months ago my relationship with dancing has shifted and changed. I no longer have the same training goals or intentions, instead my focus has shifted to teaching and choreographing.
I have been focusing on becoming more attuned with my body and allowing dance to be my creative outlet. I’m enjoying other styles of dance and am loving the challenge of something new and different. I recently spent some time reflecting on my dance journey so far and have picked out 3 main lessons that I learnt along the way.
1. Enjoy the Journey
Professional or Competitive dancing is something that you won’t be able to do forever, so enjoy the journey! Heading into my last year of competition, I made the deal with
myself that I was going to enjoy every last competition along the way because I wanted to walk away with no regrets at the end.
Enjoy the training, enjoy the performance, enjoy the energy of being on stage.
Soak it all in and enjoy being present in that moment.
I can say that at the end of 2021, I walked off the stage for the last time with a full heart and no regrets. I reached career highs in my last year of dance, and I firmly believe it was because I was enjoying every minute of the journey.
2. Celebrate the Highs and the Lows
Dancing can be a demanding and painful passion. It can leave you tired and sore and sometimes you feel like despite all the work you’re putting in that it’s just not getting any better.
But when you’re feeling low and uninspired just remember how far you have come. Look back at the progress that has been made in one week, one month, one year. Look at where you are now and where you started from. Sometimes when we are so focused on what we need to improve we lose sight of all that we have achieved. Celebrate the small wins! You nailed your spin in class, you finally got that one step in time with the music! Remember the big goals and what you are working towards but count the small wins too!
When walking away from a competition that didn’t go as planned and you aren’t happy with the results, it is 100% ok to be upset. Feel the emotion, acknowledge it and then use the competition as a learning experience. What went well, what do you need to work on? Reassess your goals and plan moving forward accordingly. The only truly negative experience would be one we don’t learn from.
3. Time Spent Correctly Rehabilitating Injuries is Time Well Spent!
Time spent looking after yourself, physically and mentally, is always time well spent, trust me! Take the time to stretch and foam roll after class. Make sure we are fuelling our bodies with wholesome foods. Use the time before class to properly warm up and prepare yourself for class. Make sure to prioritise time at home to do your conditioning exercises.
Time spent correctly rehabbing injuries will always be worthwhile. Don’t rush the process, it will only make rehabilitation time longer in the future.
Taking the time to look after your physical and mental wellbeing only makes your dancing journey that much more enjoyable! Dancing shouldn’t be painful, it should leave your feeling happy, inspired and joyful. That’s why we started dancing in the first place, because we loved it! Don’t let an untreated injury sour your relationship with dancing.
I will always be thankful for the decision my parents made to put me into dance classes as an eager young child. Dancing has given me fantastic opportunities to learn, develop and grow both as a dancer and as a human. I learnt how rewarding it is when your hard work and dedication pays off. I learnt valuable time management skills that I use in my day to day life today. I learnt to be adaptable and always eager to learn and improve. Nothing is ever perfect and that is normal, but we can always strive to be 1% better than we were yesterday.
Dana x
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