Let’s be honest. No one really enjoys being corrected. Having someone, no matter what their level of expertise, point out the things that you aren’t doing right or haven’t yet perfected can be difficult. Throw in a room full of your dance peers and you’ve got all the makings of a less than ideal day in class. But what if you saw it a different way? What if you went into your classes hoping for corrections? I know that it may sound crazy, but it could make all the difference in the kind of dancer you may one day become.

When your teachers give you corrections, whether in school or the studio, they are trying to help you grow as a student. We know that no one is perfect, and that you will (hopefully) spend your whole life continuing to learn new and different things, and the most essential part to learning is embracing what you don’t know. The best way to figure that out is being corrected by someone who has the knowledge you don’t yet.

Next time you are in the studio and receive a correction there are three things that will help you to fully take in the gift your teacher is giving you:

• Resist the urge to take a correction personally. They aren’t meant to make you feel bad, in fact they are a way that your teacher shows that they believe in your potential to master the movements and techniques you are working on in class. It’s their job to make sure you get as much as possible out of your dance classes, and this is the best way to do that!
• Focus on what your teacher is trying to tell you, and if you are unclear ask questions. Your teachers will be more than happy to make sure you understand exactly what they are asking of you. They may even ask you to try the movement several times until you understand how it is supposed to look and feel.
• Practice! The best way to make sure the correction sticks is to practice on your own. Repetition leads to muscle memory meaning eventually the move will be second nature and you’ll do it correctly without even thinking.

If you are able to change the way you look at corrections and see them as a positive it will help you to get the most out of every class you are taking, and help you to greatly improve as a dancer.