“What we hope ever to do with ease we may learn first to do with diligence.”

Like anything we want to make a habit, we have to practice changing the way we think and respond – this includes thoughts which are destructive.

It might be interesting to understand what happens in the brain when a correction given and why you can struggle so much when all you heard was a correction.

1. Correction is heard.
2. Subconscious dance movement is now shifted into ‘conscious awareness’ or what is called the “In Training Mind.” This activates the cerebral cortex which was lazing around.
THIS IS WHY ALL THE ANALYZING and REASONING stops progress. THOUGHTS interfere with the flow of performance. The body naturally slows down because the cerebral cortex does not allow the body to move freely.
If the Thalamus signals emotional stress then the amygdala agrees because it has all the EMOTIONS of stress stored ther –, all can be lost temporarily. This could mean that a dancer FEELS badly or something negative when corrected.

The cycle of despair begins.

YOU HAVE TO CHANGE YOUR MIND WHICH CHANGES YOUR BRAIN ACTIVITY.

Use a technique called THOUGHT STOPPING. which I wrote about in Jan2009 Dancer magazine.

Change the response to a positive when a correction is heard.
SEE the correction in your mind’s eye. FEEL how you are supposed to move. This moves you TOWARD how you need to perform.

Change your Mind to Change the brain to influence your performance.