A New Year, whether it starts in January or September, can make you think of setting new goals and looking to the possibility of new achievements. The optimism of new beginnings can work against you though if you set the “barre” too high. Here are some guidelines that may help you on your way to a successful year of progress in dance.

Review last year’s progress. It’s very difficult to figure out where you want to go if you don’t know where you’ve been. Was there a particular combination or step that gave you trouble? Did you want to work on technique to further your abilities in ballet?

Decide what you consider to be personal progress. This doesn’t mean nailing that ultra-difficult leap you’ve seen on YouTube which took that dancer years to perfect, but maybe getting closer to it. Big goals are great, but they take a lot of small steps to make them a reality. Maybe you could work on your flexibility to improve your split, or you could work to deepen and strengthen your plie to get more lift into your leaps.

Write your goals down. Now that you’ve decided what your overall goal will be, put it down in writing and add those smaller steps that will help you achieve it. Make sure it is somewhere readily visible (like your phone’s wallpaper or the mirror in your room) so you can reinforce how great it will be to reach that goal.

Put your plan into action. Ask your teacher for stretches that you can add to your routine to improve your flexibility, or barre work that will strengthen that plie and start working both in class and on your own. Your teachers may even be able to help you figure out a way to track your progress.

Make sure you are accountable. Support and encouragement from your teachers, fellow dancers, and your family will definitely help you stay on track.

Celebrate each step of your improvement journey. Reaching any goal, even the small ones on the way to a larger one, can be challenging so make sure to find a way to celebrate your milestones. It will motivate you to conquer the next step.

If you are ready to take your first “steps” in tackling your improvement goals, our Dance Connection teachers are ready to help guide you and cheer you on!