Dear Dance Students,

Hello again … it’s me, your dance teacher. I wanted to talk about something really important today. It might be a little hard to hear, but it’s something that we need to discuss more openly in the dance industry. Honestly, I think will change your dance life.

Here it is: Dance is hard, but that’s what makes it worth it.

It might sound counterintuitive, especially in our culture today. People don’t really want to do hard things anymore. We are inundated with influencers and celebrities who seem to have it all, right away, effortlessly, and live glamorous lives filled with ease. Everyone seems to be looking for the next get rich quick scheme and achieve overnight success. And the dance industry is not immune to this problem: Social media is filled with dancers easily performing amazing tricks, showing off their fabulous extensions, puling off multiple turns like it was nothing, and sharing highlight reels of their best performances. We celebrate the hot young newcomer with killer turns over experienced dancers with nuanced artisry. Tricks, acrobatics, and extreme technical features dominate whenever dance is featured on TV and in the movies.

What we don’t show you, of course, is all the hard work it took for those dancers to get where they are. We don’t talk about the failures that they experienced along the way. We don’t discuss the not-so-glamorous times: the long hours in the studio, the cross-training, the mental preparation, the classes they chose not to miss – even when they were tired, had too much homework, or wanted to go out with friends. We don’t even always talk about how and why the potentially mundane aspects of class – ballet barre, conditioning, progressions, and drills – are VITAL if you want to be able to do all those fancy tricks.

And one thing we definitely don’t discuss often enough is how long it takes.

Except a few very rare natural prodigies, no one achieves overnight success in dance. Any dance teacher who promises that for you, is lying. Any goal that you want to reach as a dancer takes time – whether is is a particular jump or trick, going on pointe, doing a perfect split, performing a pas de duex, turning better … nothing happens automatically. It takes time, and it takes hard work.

But honestly … I think that’s a good thing. To me, one of the best feelings in the world is when you finally meet your dance goals, after working on them for weeks, months, or even years.

No, it’s not easy. And yes, in the process of achieving your dance goals, you may feel frustrated, disappointed, angry, exasperated, overwhelmed, and even ready to give up. There is no denying that fact. But here is the secret … the time and effort it takes to achieve your goal makes the end result feel even better. Seriously, it does! There can be joy in all the hard work.

Hard work, persistence, patience, and dedication are part of what brings us joy as humans – not the fleeting happiness that you always have be chase after. Not the kind of temporary excitement that comes from good luck or overnight “success” or Instagram follows or likes on TikTok or even overalls at competition. With that kind of success, you are always needing more: more likes, more attention, more trophies …

In contrast, the feeling we get from working hard for the things that we want, and honoring the time it takes to achieve them, is real, internal, confident, unshakeable joy. The joy that comes from following through on your goals, even when it was hard. The joy that comes from knowing that you gave it your all, tried your best, worked your hardest. The joy the comes from being confident in yourself and your efforts, not dependent on the attention you get from your teachers, the likes you get on social media, or even your competition placement.

So if you are going through it – the process, the work, the struggle of achieving your goals: don’t give up. It’s natural, it’s normal, and it good for you. Don’t settle for the easy path, the pain-free process. Enjoy the struggle. Embrace the discomfort. Trust that it will lead your to growth, and find the joy in all of it!

Check out my Dance Resource Shop for great items that will help you make the most of your dance training, including the Dance Student Journaling Prompts and the Dance Goal-Setting Guide and Worksheets. I’m also available for private lessons and coaching, online and in-person, with the goal of helping dancers be at their best in dance technique, artistry, and overall well-being through social and emotional learning.