Gritty people have a growth mindset; they don’t give up.
This paraphrased quote is from author Angela Duckworth, who popularized the word “grit” with her famous TED Talk about the power of passion and perseverance. She wasn’t talking specifically about dancers, but she could have been!
The competition dance life we experience here at INnovate is no doubt full of fun and excitement … there’s nothing like the feeling of leaving your heart out on the dance floor in front of the judges after months and months of rehearsals! For our dancers, the event experience is made up of those moments and so much more, from the hallway-practices to the snack-and-selfie breaks to the awards ceremony. But of course with all of those moving parts, surprises can and do happen. Practice and preparedness are our strongest safeguards when it comes to powering through when unexpected things happen.
As dance teachers, we have all felt frustrated in class when a child is not executing a step properly, (after several attempts at teaching it), doesn’t retain choreography, or is displaying negative behaviors. We wish everyone could be like little “Jenny” who is standing quietly in line, trying her hardest, and comes to class knowing her entire piece. Of course we all know this is not reality, and it’s our job as dance teachers to recognize different personalities and learning styles, and use this knowledge to help each individual child learn and grow.
