Dance teachers are often overworked and underpaid. Considerable attention is paid to difficulties that are experienced by dancers. However, little consideration is given to similar problems that dance teachers must face. Many people simply do not realize that dance teachers are people too. It is important for the mental, emotional, and physical health of teachers [...]
The Favorite As you walk onto the court you are the clear favorite. You are simply better than your opponent. You know you will win the match. But as the match starts, you just don’t feel right. Your head isn’t in the match and your body feels sluggish. Before you know it, you’re down 1-5. [...]
Mental imagery is a technique that has been used by the world’s best tennis players for many years. It is common to see professionals close their eyes during changeovers and rehearse points. This technique can also be used to help recreational players to play their best. Tennis Imagery refers to repeatedly imagining a tennis performance. [...]
Aspen is full of highly motivated athletes who participate in many summer sports, particularly endurance sports such as cycling and running. These athletes have a variety of aspirations that may range from running in Boogie=s five-miler on July 4th to riding in the Leadville 100. But being motivated is not enough if you want to [...]
The interpersonal dance teaching style is the foundation upon which all specific teaching skills, whether technical, physical, or mental, are built. Interpersonal teaching style (ITS) is defined as the manner in which dance teachers present themselves to and communicate with their dancers. How they look, how they carry themselves, how they communicate both verbally and [...]
Imagine the pressure that Steffi Graf or Stephan Edberg feel in the final set of a Grand Slam event. Thousands of people are watching, there is money and the title on the line. I’ll bet you have felt similar pressure in matches you have been in. They might not have been at Roland Garros or [...]
Whenever I ask athletes how important mental preparation is, compared to physical and technical preparation, to achieving their competitive goals, everyone says either as or more important. But when I ask them how much time they devote to their mental preparation, they say, “little or not time.” Athletes in all sports spend many hours each [...]
A primary responsibility of dance teachers is technical instruction. However, this task does not simply involve demonstrating a particular technical skill, then having the dancers perform it. Rather, instruction is a complex interaction of physical, motor, psychological, and communication skills that occur between the dance teacher and dancers. As a result of this complexity, the [...]
One of the most difficult things professional players have to deal with is maintaining concentration throughout the whole match. With increasing pressure and fatigue, thoughts can wander, resulting in mistakes and lost points and games. The same thing can happen to recreational players during matches. Things may pop into your head that have nothing to [...]
A source of stress and frustration for the dance teacher is often parents. This is disturbing because teachers and parents are the two groups who have the greatest impact on the young dancer. Clearly, if they are at odds, it is the dancer who will suffer. The goal then is to move teachers and parents [...]