Goal Setting for Dance Students
The first month of the year is a great time to think about your goals or resolutions. For dancers, goals can be anything from nailing a new "trick", to perfecting a technique, to getting a role, or advancing in class levels. To borrow a concept from the business world, a dancer's goals should be "SMART" - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time framed. Here's how:
SMART Goals: S = Specific, M = Measurable
First, your goals should be specific. This means, rather than saying "I want to get better at pirouettes," start your goal with "I want to achieve a clean, triple pirouette." By using specific terms (clean, triple), the goal becomes something tangible. Simply saying you want to get better at something does not constitute a goal, since getting better is objective and isn't easily determined to be achieved. When you hit a clean, triple pirouette, even your teacher and classmates can tell that you have achieved it. By knowing what you want to achieve, it is easy to break down the specific things that you need to work on in order to achieve it, such as the individual things your body needs to do in order to get a triple turn.
A measurable goal also does not necessarily have to include a number. If your goal is to get all the way down in your right and left splits, that is also measurable. There will be a point that it is obvious that you have achieved the goal, and it will be observable by others. Getting your splits is specific and measurable, and you know what you need to work on in order to achieve it.
SMART Goals: A = Achievable, R = Realistic
Your goals should be achievable and realistic, in that they should coincide with your abilities and current class levels. For example, if you have just started dancing and are at a beginner level, it is not realistic to set the goals mentioned above. However, it would be realistic to set a goal of mastering one of the new skills you are learning, such as a time step in tap or a tendu sequence at the barre in ballet.
Setting goals that are not achievable for your age or ability level will be frustrating, since it is likely that you will not achieve them in the determined time frame. It is better to set a goal that you can realistically achieve, but one that will take hard work and determination in order to reach.
SMART Goals: T = Time Framed
The final component of your goal is a time frame. In order to phrase the first goal mentioned above, of achieving a clean, triple pirouette, you need to add a period of time to it. For example, you could say "I want to achieve a clean, triple pirouette by April 1st," or "I want to achieve a clean, triple pirouette before my summer intensive audition." This goal is specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time framed. It gives a specific end date, and puts a timeline on your preparation.
Next Steps: What to Do After the Goal is Defined
First, be sure to write down your goal in a place that you can refer to it often. It can be in a journal, in a notebook where you take notes for classes or write down choreography, on a piece of paper tucked into your dance bag, or on the mirror in your bedroom where you get ready for dance class. This will help you to keep sight of your goal or goals as you go through the dance season. It will be that much more satisfying to cross it out or throw it away when you have achieved your goal.
Dancers also have key allies in the pursuit of their goals: their instructors. After you have decided on your goal and written it down, tell your teachers and classmates. This helps you to be accountable for your goals, but it also gives you a support system. If you are working on a particular technique or step, your teacher can give you pointers and guide you to achieve it. Your classmates who already have their splits or turns may be able to tell you the things that helped them to achieve their goals. Don't be afraid to tell someone what you want to achieve, because he or she may have been in your shoes and have the perfect advice.
Be careful not to overload yourself with numerous goals. Set at least 2 goals for yourself: something you want to achieve by the end of the year (or end of the dance season, or at your annual recital), and then set a goal that you want to achieve in the next 1-2 months. Once you achieve your short-term goal, you can set another one and continue to update your goals every month. When you achieve your long-term goal, you can set one for the next year.
It is important not to get discouraged if you do not meet your goal in the time frame you set. Examine the goal again, and determine how to make it better. Maybe you need a longer time frame, or maybe you need to adjust your expectations a bit. Either way, discussing your goals with your instructor can help you to make sure your goals fit the SMART criteria, and press you to work hard during the dance season.
SMART Goals: S = Specific, M = Measurable
First, your goals should be specific. This means, rather than saying "I want to get better at pirouettes," start your goal with "I want to achieve a clean, triple pirouette." By using specific terms (clean, triple), the goal becomes something tangible. Simply saying you want to get better at something does not constitute a goal, since getting better is objective and isn't easily determined to be achieved. When you hit a clean, triple pirouette, even your teacher and classmates can tell that you have achieved it. By knowing what you want to achieve, it is easy to break down the specific things that you need to work on in order to achieve it, such as the individual things your body needs to do in order to get a triple turn.
A measurable goal also does not necessarily have to include a number. If your goal is to get all the way down in your right and left splits, that is also measurable. There will be a point that it is obvious that you have achieved the goal, and it will be observable by others. Getting your splits is specific and measurable, and you know what you need to work on in order to achieve it.
SMART Goals: A = Achievable, R = Realistic
Your goals should be achievable and realistic, in that they should coincide with your abilities and current class levels. For example, if you have just started dancing and are at a beginner level, it is not realistic to set the goals mentioned above. However, it would be realistic to set a goal of mastering one of the new skills you are learning, such as a time step in tap or a tendu sequence at the barre in ballet.
Setting goals that are not achievable for your age or ability level will be frustrating, since it is likely that you will not achieve them in the determined time frame. It is better to set a goal that you can realistically achieve, but one that will take hard work and determination in order to reach.
SMART Goals: T = Time Framed
The final component of your goal is a time frame. In order to phrase the first goal mentioned above, of achieving a clean, triple pirouette, you need to add a period of time to it. For example, you could say "I want to achieve a clean, triple pirouette by April 1st," or "I want to achieve a clean, triple pirouette before my summer intensive audition." This goal is specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time framed. It gives a specific end date, and puts a timeline on your preparation.
Next Steps: What to Do After the Goal is Defined
First, be sure to write down your goal in a place that you can refer to it often. It can be in a journal, in a notebook where you take notes for classes or write down choreography, on a piece of paper tucked into your dance bag, or on the mirror in your bedroom where you get ready for dance class. This will help you to keep sight of your goal or goals as you go through the dance season. It will be that much more satisfying to cross it out or throw it away when you have achieved your goal.
Dancers also have key allies in the pursuit of their goals: their instructors. After you have decided on your goal and written it down, tell your teachers and classmates. This helps you to be accountable for your goals, but it also gives you a support system. If you are working on a particular technique or step, your teacher can give you pointers and guide you to achieve it. Your classmates who already have their splits or turns may be able to tell you the things that helped them to achieve their goals. Don't be afraid to tell someone what you want to achieve, because he or she may have been in your shoes and have the perfect advice.
Be careful not to overload yourself with numerous goals. Set at least 2 goals for yourself: something you want to achieve by the end of the year (or end of the dance season, or at your annual recital), and then set a goal that you want to achieve in the next 1-2 months. Once you achieve your short-term goal, you can set another one and continue to update your goals every month. When you achieve your long-term goal, you can set one for the next year.
It is important not to get discouraged if you do not meet your goal in the time frame you set. Examine the goal again, and determine how to make it better. Maybe you need a longer time frame, or maybe you need to adjust your expectations a bit. Either way, discussing your goals with your instructor can help you to make sure your goals fit the SMART criteria, and press you to work hard during the dance season.
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