Sunday, June 14 2009
Karl Ullrich said:I think it's inevitable that the more you dance you more of a 'snob' you'll appear to others. And it's natural. Does anyone really expect an Olympic sprinter to accept that spectators walk across the track if they feel like it?! Or that competitors are allowed to cross over into his/her lane in front of them?! LOL. Of course not! We EXPECT that these athletes be given the most perfect conditions in which to practice and 'compete' in their art. Yet there's a common sentiment that EXPECTS that the great dancers dance with everyone; regardless of how little time, money and effort they've put into their own dancing - they EXPECT to 'jump leagues' into the Majors when they haven't done their time. The fact that great dancers DO dance at times with beginners is a BONUS and NOT an expectation. If i go to a congress i don't believe there's any harm in me asking Magna to dance because it's a CHARITABLE REQUEST on my behalf and NOT an expectation. If she says no; i'll be even MORE determined to go back to the 'workshop' and work harder on my dancing to EARN my spot in the 'Majors'. Every other sport on the planet requires minor leaguers to work their way up to the Majors - not just rock up the stadium and EXPECT to play with the best of the best merely because they've paid their 15 bucks to get in! LOL. When we start out EVERYTHING is great! Because we don't have any standards to measure our experience against! The more we know, the more we expect; of others, of the venue and the conditions and of ourselves. I think the only thing that's really important is consistency. I've often heard from students who've been dancing 6 months that confess they won't dance with 'that' person (who's been dancing 3 months) because they're so bad. And yet they EXPECT that a dancer who's been dancing for 5 years dance with them! If THEY are too good to dance with someone who's only 3 months 'behind' them then they've no right to expect advanced dancers to dance with them! Conversely; if someone expects advanced dancers to dance with them but who also NEVER baulks at dancing with anyone less experienced - then (whilst i myself don't operate that way) at least i respect it because it's consistent.
