Did you eat your humble pie today?

Let's talk about "humble pie"📷

"You have to eat a humble pie to win" - I loved it so much!

I heard this idiom for the first time today, inspiring some thought processes about dancing.

📷Being humble is so important in the growing process. Our ego prevents us from being open-minded, taking critique not as an insult but as a guide to progress. Our ego dictates we give up if we are not successful from the first trial.

📷We often compare ourselves to others. Some make finals and place in comps right after starting a new dance. Quick success. Is it inspiring? Well, not for me. I really adore it when I see the story when people put time, effort, patience, discipline, and consistency into their success. When it's not because of luck, random, or just because of natural gifts. You don't see fruits or flowers same moment after putting a seed in the soil. You need to water it regularly and give it time to make deep roots, mature, and grow into something beautiful, strong, and unique.

📷I wasn't accepted into ballet school when I was a kid because they said I was not anatomically gifted for that. Well, I was still doing a lot of ballet, not professionally but as an additive to other dance styles. And it helped me a lot, and I got fruit.

📷Another side of the medal: when we progress easily and quickly, we take success for granted. We have more chances to become upnosed and work less, not practice but will expect results because we got it once with no effort. Or we get points and make it to the next level, and because we placed, we assume we have amazing technique and skills. So we stop working on basics because we are too cool for school.

📷Because we placed, have titles, etc., we become less open to critique and trying something new and different. Our ego tells us: " How dare they even say something to me? I placed 1st!!!! I am better than everyone forever"

📷But we all have to constantly work to progress and stay at the same level. We don't practice- we lose skills. We have to go to basics, turn it upside down and be ready to sincerely listen to the teacher with an open mind and heart even if his/her advice seems to be too simple for the cool bean we are. Sometimes we think we can't get any better just because we don't have the experience teacher has. A teacher's eye sees deeper and way far more than a student's. " Why does the teacher says I need to work harder? He probably just doesn't like me?"- well, a teacher who doesn't like you will be indifferent to your progress. Of course, we all need praise. I like getting praise and saying praise. It motivates us. It helps our confidence. And healthy confidence differs from egocentrism. Healthy confidence is ready to hear honest, respectful feedback. We need to trust teachers because they may see a bigger picture than we do.

📷When I started WCS, I had 20+ years of ballroom experience. So when I saw people dancing WCS, I was like: "pfff... looks too simple after ballroom," and I asked the local instructor (who is still one of my favorite teachers ever, Marina Korzun) if I could take 1-2 privates with her to figure out this dance and win it all. I am still dying from laughter, remembering her facial expression after this request. I didn't take group classes regularly. I just started to go to events. I felt like a really cool rockstar. But not placing the way I expected and staying in Novice forever made me realize that I need to put in an effort. Novice is a deep swamp, especially for followers in Europe. My longest division ever. It's very hard to jump out of it. So I started to take group classes, private from many teachers, and practice regularly. I am also dying from my facial expression on video where I practiced just the right side pass years ago. I look like there is high math happening in my brain.

📷I love watching PRO's videos when they were just beginning this dance. It is sooo inspiring. Seeing where they were and how far they went gives us hope that we regular people (not just swing Gods born with natural gifts) can become great dancers if we work. Also, my favorite PROs are the kindest and the most humble people ever. They are setting up great examples of not only being great dancers but great humans as well. I heard stories when people were told they would never reach their dream level because of body type or lack of natural skills. Well, it's so sad to hear such stories - please don't believe them. Dream big, and you will be it. But you have to be very HUMBLE, honest, real, disciplined, patient, curious, and consistent. You will get the fruits of your beliefs.

📷Also, people say they stagnate or feel bored or demotivated. Be humble. It's a cure for many diseases. Take a group or private lesson. Ask the teacher for advice. Knowing what you need to work on motivates and inspires the practice. Big and little goals. The way of small steps will bring you far. But don't expect results same moment. We can't always feel motivated, inspired, and excited. But patience and belief will bring those feelings after the work is done. You will get to the next level after some boring period. We've all been there- demotivated, uninspired. A champion ( i mean champion as a human quality, not as pointed level) keeps going and believing.

📷Nobody is perfect. Neither am I. The message of this long read is just "BE HUMBLE no matter what level you are at." And the goal was to bring motivation or inspiration to dancers who don't see quick results or assume that success comes without work. There is always a bigger picture of hard work that stays untold behind the scenes. Also, it's not for competition only. If you don't compete but social dance- if you want your partners to enjoy dancing, you have to learn and practice too.

With love📷 Maria