What You'll Learn
- Why the mental act of remembering is your most important task in the studio.
- How to view forgetting as a necessary step in the learning and improvement cycle.
- The way active recall during exercises physically changes and improves your body.
- Strategies to stay focused on technical goals without feeling discouraged by mistakes.
About This Video
Have you ever felt frustrated during a ballet class because you could not keep every correction in your head simultaneously? It is a common experience: you focus on your *plié* and forget your *épaulement*, or you concentrate on your *pirouette* and lose the engagement in your *tendu*. At Broche Ballet, we want to shift your perspective on this struggle.
In this Quicktip, we discuss why your primary job in class isn’t to be perfect, but simply to remember. The path to technical excellence is not a straight line; it is a continual cycle of forgetting and remembering. Many students feel they have failed when they lose a correction they just received at the *barre*.
However, the act of forgetting creates the space for the most powerful part of learning: the recall. When you catch yourself forgetting a placement—perhaps during a complex exercise or a series of *dégagés*—and you consciously bring your focus back to the correct form, you are doing the real work. The physical act of remembering actually changes your body.
Each time you retrieve a technical detail from your memory and apply it to your movement, you are building stronger neuromuscular connections. This process is how a *relevé* becomes more stable and how an *arabesque* becomes more refined over time. By letting go of the worry associated with forgetting, you free up mental energy to focus on the goal of remembering to remember.
In your next class, try to view every moment of forgetfulness as an opportunity rather than a setback. Whether you are working on your *retiré* or the precision of a *fondu*, stay present in the cycle. Do not be discouraged by the times you slip up.
Instead, celebrate the moments you remember to check your alignment. This mindset shift is the key to sustainable growth and a more joyful dance practice.
