As we traveled to Cuba in Tunisia and decided which workshops we were going to take, we started discussing our goals entering a workshop. What exactly is attainable in 60 mins? What do we want from those 60 mins? In today’s post we explore our approach to workshops.
Andrea
As far as what is attainable in a workshop, it has to be a very basic grasp of the structure/technique/movement. To expect mastery in 60 minutes is unattainable for most students. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t work toward mastering what you learned in the class, but it is helpful. It can be really easy to feel like you’re failing during a workshop, but you are learning. And learning takes time.
Ultimately gaining a repertoire of movements is my goal. This doesn’t mean mimicking the instructor. I have no interest in becoming them. My body is different body than theirs, and things are always going to look different than the instructor. By coming in to a class ready to receive tools/options I can adapt them to what works for me.
Alexa
Thinking about festivals in particular, there are lots of classes often back to back. By the end a lot of the classes blur together. So, for me, the goal is to take 1 thing at minimum and use it to do better in the next class. That of course applies outside of festivals. Then, hopefully I can start to incorporate it at the next social. While classes are great environments to develop a skill, executing it in a social is pretty amazing.
Lastly, workshops are for fun. It is so easy to get caught up in perfection. And because perfection is impossible, there is no one standard to become. So, after a lot of time spent frustrated and struggling in classes, coming into a workshop to enjoy dance is one of my goals. Learning to relax and enjoy myself was just as important as learning the movement from the instructor.
What do you hope to get out of workshops? Is it fun, skills, combos, gradual improvement, to figure out your own style? A lot of what we want stems from why we dance. Don’t forget to share in the comments your experience with workshops. Hit subscribe to keep up with new posts.
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