Thread: Can't Imagine how you do it?

As everyone, well most everyone knows, I'm not a pro and will not be for sometime, But I can't Imagine how you guys do it.

I feel overwhelmed just trying to get things together for a community show and show case. I'm working 60 plus hours a week at this time. Trying to get in my regular practice, working on exercises from the book the Artists Way which takes a lot of time.... Have a show to do for Saqra's show case in five days and I haven't even selected my music cause I've not had time to practice my competition piece which I was going to dance to at Saqra's. Its not ready. I'm not ready.. I still have privates and dance class to attend and I feel like I'm running myself into the ground.....c::

How do you guys do it?

It can get very overwhelming. I don't even dance as much as many others (I have a regular res. gig and perform in showcases, benefits and workshop shows). I had another regular res. gig, but gave it up. So, on average I'm dancing 3 - 4 shows a month

I run a troupe (we've been on hiatus) and am part of a brand spanking new troupe, so new, we haven't named ourselves!

I practice about 4 - 6 hours per week. I teach a beginner's class, and teach fitness stuff as well.

I manage partially because I like being busy, and I build breaks in. I'm dancing the late show this wednesday night, so I'm taking a few hours of work on Thursday morning, I have the flexibility in my job around that. The sacrifice is htat I use my vacation time like this, and I may not be able to take a real vacation.

My partner calls this my "avocation", I call it my vocation. It's not just what I do for fun, without it, I couldn't be me. I think it takes that level of committment to deal with the crap that comes from being a "belly dancer" and the willingness to sacrifice to this.

my $.02, ymmv

I often only get 4 or 5 hours sleep a night....and I don't have a day job!

Originally Posted by Lucinia

How do you guys do it?

Badly, sometimes.

If I'm working 60-hour weeks, I keep my dance REALLY simple. I'd rather do a simple dance well than do a complicated one badly. My favorite trick is to improv to music I've used for beginner choreos. I know it really, really well & have a few moves to fall back on.

I recycle a lot, too. Heck, if the ballet people can do Swan Lake again, and CATS is still showing on Broadway, then I guess I can haul out that hafla dance from 6 months ago for the workshop!

Also, prioritize. If I were you, the Artists Way would go on hold until after the performance. Regular weekly class would go next, if I wasn't committed to a group number.

And the best advice (which I'd do REALLY well to listen to myself) is to use snippets of time. Got five minutes? That's a runthrough! (two if it's a short piece).

I actually quit my last job because it was getting in the way. (And it was making me miserable in other ways, but we might have been able to fix those; it was the dancing part was non-negotiable.) I'm lucky in that I really liked my old job, and they wanted me back. (I only quit because I figured I should get an actual engineering job, since I had an engineering degree. Stupid "shoulds".)

I am facing a paycut of about 10% when you factor in the value of the benefits package, but ooooohhhhhh, did I miss going home at 6pm (making evening practice and regular class attendance possible), and being able to take 5 minutes to send a personal email (or, ahem, bhuz posting)! Not to mention all the free time I have now that I don't have to spend two hours every night destressing.

My goal (assuming I ever get sufficiently successful) is to go to half time. I don't think I'll ever give up having a day job entirely. When you don't rely on something to pay your bills, you can be much more choosy about which shows you accept.

Originally Posted by Lauren_

Badly, sometimes.
And the best advice (which I'd do REALLY well to listen to myself) is to use snippets of time. Got five minutes? That's a runthrough! (two if it's a short piece).

That's great advice! I've been trying to abide by it more often, too (for some reason, I seem more likely to spend five spare minutes on Bhuz than actually dancing...).

I do a lot of walking back and forth to my classes: it's about forty minutes round trip from home. I've taken to listening to music for upcoming performances while I walk. I also do that when I have spare time on campus. It really helps me break it down for dancing, so that what is normally a big chunk of non-productive time becomes a type of dance practice. Could you perhaps listen to your music in the car to and from work?

Originally Posted by Ainsley

That's great advice! I've been trying to abide by it more often, too (for some reason, I seem more likely to spend five spare minutes on Bhuz than actually dancing...).

I do a lot of walking back and forth to my classes: it's about forty minutes round trip from home. I've taken to listening to music for upcoming performances while I walk. I also do that when I have spare time on campus. It really helps me break it down for dancing, so that what is normally a big chunk of non-productive time becomes a type of dance practice. Could you perhaps listen to your music in the car to and from work?

I listen to music in my car/on my ipod all the time....otherwise I wouldn't have time to get properly acquainted with it. There's so much music to listen to that any chance I get, I put it on. I'm always looking for a good song to choreograph!