Will you quit MJ?

[Steven666]

I feel as if I need to.

I had a smashing time on Saturday at Stockport then again at Grappenhall on sunday () and danced pretty much on top form (except when I tripped a mate up) but yesterday I may as well have not turned up.

I couldn't lead a thing yet I was dancing with people I've danced with for AGES. I couldn't even get the basics right, smacking myself over the back of the head on every octopus or comb. I couldn't double spin for toffee. In fact barely spin at all and was just all round rubbish. I felt I had to apologise before every dance for what I was (or wasn't) about to do.

But it got me thinking. I have felt like that before on a night. Sometimes it last one night, sometimes it can last a week or two. It doesn't usually happen very often but it happened two weeks ago then again last night. A bit too frequent from the norm.

I also getting to the stage where I'm getting a bit bored of my own moves. That can't be good. I tried to counter this by using the moves I know which I rarely use more than normal but this never worked one little bit.

So I'm thinking that I either need to seriously cut down (from 7 nights ) to say 2-3 or just totally give up for a few months then come back to it.

Has anyone else felt like this and what did you do? Would you ever quit MJ?

[David Bailey]

Originally Posted by Steven666

Has anyone else felt like this and what did you do?

Pretty much everyone gets to this stage - sometimes several times. It's the sign of development as a dancer to become aware of problems and become frustrated.

And if you think MJ's bad for that sort of thing, try AT - that leads to a whole new level of regular "dance crises"...

There are a lot of threads about "plateau"-ing, "losing the fun", that sort of thing. Generally, the advice seems to be on the lines of "learn technique / other dances" I think.

Originally Posted by Steven666

Would you ever quit MJ?

No, but I'm definitely easing out of it - only 1 or 2 times per month now for me.

[Andy McGregor]

There are a few things you can do.

Compete
Learn to teach
Run your own venue
Get some decent lessons from a real dancer to improve your technique
Learn more dances
Go to different venues

One of the main reasons for your dancing taking a down-turn is learning a new aspect of technique. You will incorporate this change into most of your moves and you are a beginner at that aspect of technique - this means you are back to being a beginner again where moves don't work properly because you are doing them all differently.

Or you could become Kylie Minogue's backing dancer, have a whirlwind romance and live happily every after

[Andy McGregor]

Originally Posted by DavidJames

No, but I'm definitely easing out of it - only 1 or 2 times per month now for me.

So now you talk about it more than you actually do it. Sign of old age

[David Bailey]

Originally Posted by Andy McGregor

So now you talk about it more than you actually do it. Sign of old age

Indeed, it takes all night for me to do what I used to do all night

[MartinHarper]

Sometimes temporary downturns imply a lingering cold, or stress, or similar things. Maybe take a day off work.

Originally Posted by Steven666

I also getting to the stage where I'm getting a bit bored of my own moves.

Two approaches.
1. Follow.
2. Be more aware of the music and your partner, and less aware of your moves.

And yeah, there are other threads on the topic of taking a short break from Modern Jive. I recommend it.

[DavidY]

Originally Posted by DavidJames

it takes all night for me to do what I used to do all night

I thought you were more into Tango than Swing?

[DavidB]

Originally Posted by DavidY

I thought you were more into Tango than Swing?

He is. It now takes him 3 years to do what he used to do when he was 1 year old...



... learn to walk

[StokeBloke]

Originally Posted by Steven666

Would you ever quit MJ?

I think people don't tend to quit MJ, they seem to drift away into other dance forms. AT seems to be a popular choice. It is as if MJ only holds a significant challenge for so long...... I think Ceroc are starting to realise this and starting to cater to that need a little more

So, to your worries I would say.... learn to follow or learn some new exciting stuff that you can bring into your MJ. Like WCS for example... lots of nice easy moves to steal if you leave the footwork (the hard bit) out If you can learn to WCS you'll never be short of dances at freestyles, and you may even earn a seat in the coveted hotshot WCS corner of the room - free from getting infected from the folks who are just jivers

[NZ Monkey]

I’ve definitely had nights and weeks were I’ve felt that nothing was coming together the way it normally should. Sometimes I know I was stressed about other things and put it down to that but sometimes there seemed to be no reason at all.

Just about the worst thing you can do is beat yourself up about it (Mary – I’m looking at you! ). It doesn’t solve any issues and can just make you more anxious. Giving MJ a rest for a week can be really refreshing. Sometimes giving dancing a break altogetherfor a week can work wonders. So can sorting out any other issues in your life*.

I think Andy is quite right when he says

Originally Posted by Andy McGregor

One of the main reasons for your dancing taking a down-turn is learning a new aspect of technique. You will incorporate this change into most of your moves and you are a beginner at that aspect of technique - this means you are back to being a beginner again where moves don't work properly because you are doing them all differently.

although I’d add that sometimes you can feel this way because you’re just starting to notice how you could be doing things better, but your body is still a few too many steps behind your perception to actually do it yet. You can feel like you’re getting worse just because you’re getting more perceptive and self critical.

If your partners aren’t noticing a difference this is probably the case, although stressing and feeling bad about your dancing usually will make you feel worse to them anyway. It’s a nasty Catch-22, but on the up side you’ll almost certainly be better a short while later as you internalize what you need to improve. There is hope

Originally Posted by StokeBloke

If you can learn to WCS you'll never be short of dances at freestyles, and you may even earn a seat in the coveted hotshot WCS corner of the room - free from getting infected from the folks who are just jivers

I find the chance of contamination is minimised if you thoroughly wash your hands after ever dance with a plain old vanilla jiver. If either of you are dip happy you may have to change your shirt as well though

* Always easier said than done….

[Twirly]

Originally Posted by Steven666

So I'm thinking that I either need to seriously cut down (from 7 nights ) to say 2-3 or just totally give up for a few months then come back to it.

Ever heard the saying "variety is the spice of life"?

There are very few things I can think of that I'd want to do 7 nights a week.

Go see a film, out for dinner with friends, watch TV, see an art exhibition. Anything other than dancing.

Then maybe it'll get it's novelty back?

[Mary]

Originally Posted by NZ Monkey

Just about the worst thing you can do is beat yourself up about it (Mary – I’m looking at you! ). It doesn’t solve any issues and can just make you more anxious. Giving MJ a rest for a week can be really refreshing. Sometimes giving dancing a break altogetherfor a week can work wonders. So can sorting out any other issues in your life*.

I think Andy is quite right when he says although I’d add that sometimes you can feel this way because you’re just starting to notice how you could be doing things better, but your body is still a few too many steps behind your perception to actually do it yet. You can feel like you’re getting worse just because you’re getting more perceptive and self critical.

Cheeky bu**er! After an intensive private lesson it feels like I've taken several steps back (no pun intended), before I can consolidate what I've learnt - so yes, I do beat myself up on a regular basis, so there. I'm not quite so guilty of it these days though, honest. Can't be bothered quite frankly, too much waste of energy.

And yes, sometimes a change is as good as a rest.

M

[Jamie]

Originally Posted by Steven666

Has anyone else felt like this and what did you do?

Yeah after about 2-3 months of discovering MJ... I learnt to follow

The question remains:

Originally Posted by Steven666

Would you ever quit MJ?

No but I might quit leading it

[Steven666]

Originally Posted by Jamie

I learnt to follow

That is what I am trying desperately to do atm. Yet I am in a vicious catch 22 with it all.

I'm a following beginner. I choose people (females) that I know can lead (well lead basic moves which is all I want at this stage). They either turn me down and just ask for me to lead or lead for about 30 seconds, claim to run out of moves (which is true tbh but still) and then ask me to take over. I wouldn't care if they just repeated the same moves. It will help me learn yet repeating themselves doesn't seem to be cushy with them.

So I'm not getting the experience to get better at following and I'm not getting to follow as the little experience I have is too apparant I assume.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

[Jamie]

Originally Posted by Steven666

That is what I am trying desperately to do atm. Yet I am in a vicious catch 22 with it all.

I'm a following beginner. I choose people (females) that I know can lead (well lead basic moves which is all I want at this stage). They either turn me down and just ask for me to lead or lead for about 30 seconds, claim to run out of moves (which is true tbh but still) and then ask me to take over. I wouldn't care if they just repeated the same moves. It will help me learn yet repeating themselves doesn't seem to be cushy with them.

So I'm not getting the experience to get better at following and I'm not getting to follow as the little experience I have is too apparant I assume.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Ask some guys who might be willing to help.

[MartinHarper]

Originally Posted by Steven666

So I'm not getting the experience to get better at following and I'm not getting to follow as the little experience I have is too apparant I assume.

Well, you're not alone. You want this thread:
Dancing as a woman