A woman recently posted on Dance Forums asking if goals were absolutely necessary for learning to dance. This woman had no interest in competitions and was reluctant to go to dance socials, but still enjoyed her private lessons and wanted to continue. Did that still require her to set goals, she wondered, and if so, what goals should she pursue?
My first thought was an immediate, “Yes!” Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows that I am strongly in favor of setting and pursuing goals in order to improve one’s dancing. Not only do goals give you direction, but they give you a standard of progress to measure yourself against. Furthermore, goals help you financially because one can evaluate one’s progress against the standard using different methods of training. I firmly believe that for any dancer trying to improve as a dancer, goals are absolutely essential.
As I re-read the woman’s post, however, I realized that I was making a false assumption. I don’t have a goal; I really have several goals, such as executing flawless progressive footwork and maintaining a toned frame, all of which support a larger goal of passing my next certification exam, which in and of itself supports my overarching goal of being a better dancer. This woman simply has a different overarching goal, and that goal isn’t to be a better dancer, it’s to enjoy dancing.
One of the first things teachers are taught is that nearly everyone has a reason they want to dance, and that discovering that reason is the key to not only making sales, but to creating appropriate lessons. A student may want to feel more confident at social dances, win competitions, make a special person happy, or improve their health, but almost nobody decides to take dance lessons solely to take dance lessons. The lessons are time-consuming, physically draining, and potentially expensive; most people need more than, “just because,” to invest their resources into dance lessons.
The woman in the post may have had one of these other reasons for starting her lessons (her claim that she wanted to build confidence suggests she initially wanted to go out social dancing) but over time her motivations have changed. Her new overarching goal is to have fun, and the lessons themselves help her realize that goal. Dance is a means to an end, not the end itself, and any improvement is a side benefit.
I have seen many people take lessons who never dance outside their lessons. I have known dancers, both individuals and couples, who will come in week after week, some practicing constantly, for months or years at a time, and never go to a social dance or a competition. For these people, the lessons themselves are the point. They may enjoy the physical activity or the learning process. I know several couples where they simply enjoy having an hour together each week as their “us” time. Some enjoy the comraderie and social atmosphere of the studio. I flatter myself by thinking that a few even enjoy their time with me enough that they want to continue the lessons. All of these are examples of people who have overarching goals that utilize dance lessons as a method of reaching those goals, but where improving the dancing is a secondary goal at most.
If you fall into this category, you can still benefit by setting goals. Think of it like going for a walk: it’s fun exercise and can lead one on a beautiful path, but it still helps to have a destination in mind, even if one doesn’t care about the destination. Medal testing can provide a wonderful secondary goal in this instance. Learning a performance routine, even if one never performs it publicly, can be another worthwhile goal.
Whatever you do, though, don’t turn yourself off to other goals. You may find that as your dancing improves, you start wanting to take your skills out of the classroom.
