Motivation Information |
Can You Can Can? What You Can Do If You Really Go For It
One hundred years ago the laundry girls of Montmartre invented a street dance which became known as the Can Can. Some dancers love it and some hate it. The audiences, especially the men, love it. One instructor who teaches this dance commented that dancers do not like the thought of doing the dance if they are having an off day and are tired: "It is difficult; it causes breathlessness; it can be painful. You have to be crazy to volunteer to do this. " However, some of the staff of Cheltenham Ladies College, an independent girls school in the UK, recently did volunteer to take a crash course in the Can Can by training for two weeks in Paris and for one week back in Cheltenham. They would be selected and taught by professionals and would do just one performance at their school. An audition was held at Cheltenham. The staff began by trying to do high kicks. They were amazed at the flexibility of their instructor, Amanda. Then they attempted cartwheels. Some were excellent at this; others needed "a little bit more courage". One lady remarked: "I don't like being upside down; I can't do that kind of thing." The group were picked for enthusiasm, fitness and personality. These qualities are more important than technical perfection. Janet one of the instructors said: "There is no good being technically perfect if there is no energy." The instructors promised: "We are going to give it our best shot All we want is that they give it theirs." 3 days of fitness training and running up steps came next in Paris followed by dancing lessons. Eric, one of the instructors, drilled them relentlessly in strength and endurance and flexibility before the dance training began. He constantly prodded them to improve: "Come on you have to do it better." They had to spend several hours a day of serious stretching and seriously hard physical work. They spent hours and hours of repeating and repeating.One of the Cheltenham ancillary staff, Jackie, lacked concentration. She was told "This is serious. You can't give in every time you feel like it. You have to keep going" Later Jackie understood what the instructors were getting at. "I realised that I've been a bit of a quitter all my life but now I am trying to work through that". One of the instructors became a little frustrated by working with amateurs: "I'm used to working with dancers who work for 5 or 6 hours non stop. Their (the staff's) concentration seems to go very quickly" The volunteer dancers saw some of the best dancers in Paris and were inspired. They had to learn to walk in a sexy way with swinging hips. Some of them found this difficult because of years of inhibition. After the high kicks they had to learn the famous corkscrew kick which again they found difficult. One member of staff was in tears when she saw herself on video. She felt she looked like an elephant. She was reassured that: "What looks good is your personality not your figure". Janet, the ballet mistress was, at times, exasperated: "I've never known so many tears. Good grief; we're talking grown women here!" The splits caused even more pain and more injury. Amanda devoted two days to teaching the splits. She told the teachers to concentrate: "Stop talking and listen. If not you will end up in hospital". She explained that their hands would reach the floor first so that they could control their splits. She also knew that most dancers have to dance with some kind of injury. Complaints from the Cheltenham staff were not rare. One of them said: "I'm not flexible; it hurts up your back." Another said: "I feel the lowest I've ever felt." Another: "I don't feel prepared enough. I could do with another week of training." One other: "It's been so painful every day!" The instructors were worried that the staff would be demoralised when they had to dance the Can Can at the correct speed: "We are far from up to speed. When they go fast they may lose it. It can be demoralising when you think you know something and then you don't." The final performance at the school was only a week away. Another test faced staff: "Had they got the courage to show their new personality in front of their colleagues." There were a lot of nerves. One member of staff feared falling over. Janet told her: "Falling on your ass happens to every one. All you can do to be not embarrassed is to do it smiling" The performance at Cheltenham was a huge success. The staff had overcome all their problems to put on a great show. Their pupils were astonished at what their teachers had achieved: "The teachers were amazing." said one. Another pupil commented: "We are very proud of our teachers." The teachers themselves had discovered new depth in their lives. The drama teacher commented: "If I was 4 inches taller I would become a dancer". Another teacher remarked: "It's not quite on a par with giving birth but it's nearly there." One teacher found the whole experience life changing. Her comment is the reason I have written so much about this Can Can story: "It's something I'll take to the grave with me. It was a very special moment. I found it life changing. It makes you realize that you can do so many things if you just really go for it. But it can be painful and you have to work really hard." Resource box John Watson is an award winning teacher and martial arts instructor. He has recently written two books about achieving your goals and dreams. They can both be found on his website http://www.motivationtoday.com along with a daily motivational message. The title of the first book is "36 Laws To Ignite Your Inner Power And Realize Your Dreams Now!" The book can be found at this URL: http://www.motivationtoday.com/36_laws.php You are welcome to publish the article above in your ezine so long as you do not alter it and keep the resource box as it is.
MORE RESOURCES: Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting |
RELATED ARTICLES
Its Never Too Late To Start Many people never start anything because they think the bus has left them standing at the station.They think it's too late for them to jump in the game. Perseverance As A Virtue "Through perseverance many people win success out of what seemed destined to be certain failure." - Benjamin Disraeli (1804 - 1881) - British Statesman, Prime MinisterLet's face it: life is tough. Make Fear a Nine Day Wonder - Motivate Yourself with Fun! Have you heard something referred to as a "nine day wonder"? The phrase refers to something that causes a sensation for a brief period of time and then fades into obscurity. The origin of this phrase is usually tied to the nine-day reign of Lady Jane Grey (1537-1554) as Queen of England. All Talk And No Action; So Let It Be Written; So Let It Be Done! It is so important to know how to motivate ourselves in an effective manner and in a desirable direction. Throughout life we continually struggle between the dual forces of what we say and what we do. Choose Your Suffering - Be Willing to Pay the Price for Success! One day when my friend Todd and I were having lunch, he let me know the best piece of marital advice he ever received. He said "Phil, It's up to you. Beginnings Arent As Complicated As They Seem Beginnings are seldom as complicated as they seem. You know what I mean by "complicated - the dates and the duties and the things-to-be-remembered, the stuff that piles onto your plate with a new project or obligation. 7 Key Steps to Unshakable Confidence Do you remember that day? Perhaps it was your first job interview. Perhaps you were speaking to a group for the first time. Nothing To Lose I stormed out of the office and headed for the patio area in front of my office building. It was October 2003, and everybody knew what happened. Stretch! "Only as high as I reach can I grow, Only as far as I seek can I go, Only as deep as I look can I see, Only as much as I dream can I be" Karen RavenIn spite of the unpredictable weather (tropical heat, then snow blizzards!) it is Spring! (Or is it early Summer? I can't tell!) With Spring comes the chance to be outside more - even if it is dodging between rain showers! I know, the weather isn't really playing ball at the moment, but couldn't you be? After a winter conserving energy and warmth inside, and of lovely comfort foods, it is time to shake yourself off and become more active, to add more movement to your life and to begin to breathe.When you wake in the morning, instead of rolling out of bed groaning, take a moment to throw back the covers, raise your arms above your head and stretch! Take deep breaths and really welcome the start of a new day. ADHD - Its a Wonderful Life As I usually do over the Holidays, I watched one of my all-time favorite actors in one of my all time favorite movies and that's Jimmy Stewart in "It's a Wonderful Life". Co-starring Donna Reed and made in the 1940s, the movie was not critically acclaimed at the time, but over the years has become a stable of the Holiday Season. How to Get rid of the "Overwhelm" Monster If you wear many hats, manage a family and/or a business, it is easy to feel overwhelmed on a regular basis. Too much to do, not enough time, money, or help to do it. 7 Reasons To Stop Procrastinating Today Procrastination is a delay tactic that has the ability to choke your dreams and abort the plans and purposes you have for your life.It has to be nipped in the bud. Change 101: How to Get the Changes You Desire Here's a bold statement:Change can be simple and easy.It really does not have to be so hard, although sometimes we make it much harder than it needs to be. 3 Great Ways To Stay Motivated At Work Staying motivated at work is easier than you think when you know what to do.1. Universal Alignment When the Universe is aligned, all things are possible.Kismet, Karma, Synchronicity and Serendipity work together in unison to provide for us when we sometimes least expect it. A Reality Practice Suggested practice to gain freedom from self-limitation.It is suggested that what is actual and real in the world can only be experienced in the ongoing moment (by moment) and that to be fully in the moment can only happen if all ideas and beliefs about it are gone from the psyche - including the sense of "I", of self identity. Motivation By A Challenge Many humans are motivated by the thought of doing something they or others think they cannot do. They don't want to do what they already know they can do. Make Motivation Stick Motivation is the elusive elixir. Not only does it help people do good work, and do it faster, but it also helps them feel good about it while they're doing it. Decide Where do you want to be in a year? In five years? In ten years? Is what you're doing now -- the way you're living, your friends, your habits, your focus -- Are all of these things moving you in the direction of your goals? How does it look?Are your habits the kinds of habits that the person you're going to be in two years would have? Are your friends or associates, or whatever you call the people you hang out with the types of people the you you're going to be in five years will want to know and be with?What about the things your mind gets hung up on? Your focus. Do you even know what your focus is?If you and I were sitting together right now (and pretend we are) What would your answer be if I asked you where you're going? What are you focused on accomplishing or achieving? You are certainly focused on something. Changing Lifestyles We stood in the kitchen talking. I was discussing my upcoming change in lifestyle. |
home | site map | contact us |