Riot and Frolic

It's Called Practice for a Reason

Recently, I found this AMAZING infographic from Zintro.com.

 

see it better by clicking the text link above

 

My ballroom dance practice sessions and I haven't been getting along lately, but this nifty picture put things in perspective a bit.  

Expert Status

Thankfully, I discovered I'm an expert, according to the graphs.  It'd be nice to know that after approximately 13,540 hours of deliberate practice, I'd look, or even feel, like an expert.  But I don't.  I wish I was more a Bill Gates example, but I'll keep working on it.

Deliberate Practice

I like that "watching an expert perform" and "teaching others" do not apply to towards your hours.  

• As motivating as it is to watch a badass perform, I have never learned anything about my own dancing from it.  
• Often, teaching makes you worse.  There's a thing called Teacheritis that pro-am dancers get when they dance with their students all day and then practice with their professional partners.  The other half of the partnership is like "Whoa, back off, buddy.  I can move myself around the floor": lady teachers back-lead, man teachers over-lead.  As fun as teaching dance is, it messes with your personal dancing.

It's so easy to do things you're good at and never get out of your comfort zone.  But then, that wouldn't be Practice either, would it?  

Similarly to how if you don't feel like an idiot when you're performing, it seems if you're not frustrated while you're practicing, you're probably not doing it right.  

Poop.

Practice vs. Perfect

First of all, it's called "practice".  As in:

Perform (an activity) or exercise (a skill) repeatedly or regularly in order to improve or maintain one's proficiency

Although in my fabulous mind, I unconsciously think it's "perfect".  As in:

Having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics; as good as it is  possible to be

Back-weighted out of that turning lock?  Not perfect!  FAIL!  

Didn't lower quick enough?  FAIL!

Couldn't hold that arabesque?  FAIL!

But no, dummy.  All those mistakes are just opportunities to improve.  To learn.  To progress.  

I'm not perfect.  So I practice.  [New mantra.]

 

What are you an expert in?  How do you practice your skills?  Do you practice deliberately?  Or stupidly?  What kind of standards do you hold for yourself?  

One year ago: Motivation to Shake a Stick At.  Perfect timing.

 



 

Breakfast Nastiness

Recently, I've taken to making a green smoothie for breakfast which I never thought I'd do because they sound gross.  

And let's face it, they look gross, too.

i mean, it's GREEN

Oh, and smell gross. 

But they don't taste too bad and they get your morning started with a crapload (E. L. James has ruined all the fun words like "crap" and "clamber" for me; I'm using it out of spite) of vitamins and nutrients and they'll keep you from eating all the Halloween candy before 10am, so, there's that.

Recipe for a Not-Bad Smoothie:

• handful of kale (or spinach or some dark, leafy green stuff; but let's face it, kale is the new black)
• a cup of your milk of choice (I'm a big fan of vanilla unsweetened almond milk, but use whatever floats your boat)
• a banana (this is the secret ingredient; if you don't use this, you're drinking a salad)
• a scoop of protein powder (it seems like every store stocks this now; I use Vi-Salus, but Target's vanilla flavor ain't bad either)
• optional add-ins: cocoa powder, peanut butter, chia seeds, granola

Throw your ingredients in a blender, in the order listed, and blend well.  Then blend some more.  

Tips: 

• chia seeds are awesome, but soak up a lot of liquid.  If you like a not-thick smoothie, add chia sparingly.
• if you use cocoa powder, you need about a tablespoon to get any chocolate flavor.  Plus, you might want to add some sweetener.  
• why wouldn't you add peanut butter?  Peanut butter is delicious.  All the time.  

Try a green smoothie today.  Or tomorrow.  And tell me what you think.  

One year ago: Learn How To Dance.  And that's an order!

List of Last Week's Labors of Love

- Book Club.  The ladies' version, not the online version.  ***SPOILER ALERT [SORT OF]*** I had about 10 pages left of the book, and apparently, a lot happens in those 10 pages.  AND apparently, in the newer versions of the book, there's an epilogue or something, because I finished that book 2 hours ago and I still have no idea what the "Buttercup's baby" part is all about.  

- have you guys seen the egg-in-a-pepper on Pinterest?  I finally tried it, and let me tell you...

 

FAIL

 

They doctor those images.  I did it about 6 times, and the egg oozed out from under the pepper every time.  Not to say that they weren't tasty.  I mean, egg.  Good.  Pepper.  Good.  Just not as pretty as I wanted.

- WHAT IS SKYFALL?!  I know now and I loved it.  It's one of the greatest Bonds.  And, yes, I've seen them all.  Even all the shitty Roger Moore ones.

- the end of an era.  Our CDs were officially collecting dust, so I took them to the nearest resale place and got a whopping $10 for them.  $10!

 

sad stacks

 

- despite my assertations that I can't take a vitamin every day, I think I need to.  I want some extra Vitamin D with the sun setting at 4pm or whatever and I think I need some extra iron.  But I hate taking horse pills.  Savior?  Jesus.  But also this neato liquid vitamin that I found.  

 

because i'm 3 and can't swallow pills

 How was your week?  See any good movies lately?  Read any good books?  Go on a fun trip?  

The Line Between Idiot and Awesome

After watching some recent footage of myself dancing, and witnessing a few Zumba classes, salsa dancers on the town, and DWTS clips, I realized most of us need to be more comfortable being idiots. 

For instance, I refer to most of my dancing as "having tea": it's very proper (posture, technique, facial expression) and nice, but not very compelling.  

 

pass the crumpets please

 

But have you ever watched a train wreck on the dance floor?  SPELLBINDING.

You know, those people who are rocking it so hard, regardless of technique, that you can. not. stop. watching.  

Sometimes I'm embarrassed for them; some of them seem to be making up for their lack of skill with loud sound effects and raised eyebrows.  More often, I'm in awe.  How does one shed their inhibitions and just decide to shake their ass in front of all those people?

Is it alcohol?  An inflated sense of ego? Watching too much Honey Boo Boo?  [shaking you by the shoulders] WHAT IS IT?! TELL ME!

I've always told my students that I'd rather have them overshoot their goal, so I can then reel them in to perfection, instead of me having to pushpushpushpushallthedamntime to get them to the finish line.  Similarly,when it comes to performing, I'm now realizing that if you don't feel stupid, you're probably not doing enough. 

Take Zumba for example.  I've peeked in on several classes.  The instructor is up there busting a move and the majority of class is sort of stepping around a little and trying to maybe catch up with the choreography kind of.  Think of the CALORIE BURN you'd see if you just said "screw it" and threw your arms up and wiggled in a general imitation of the leader.  Plus, you'd probably have more fun.  So would everyone around you.  Maybe have a drink first, then try that.  

 

i like the bottom version better

 

Salsa dancers: if you're new, you're likely shy and self-conscious.  And everyone can peg you as a newbie because of that.  Who cares if you don't know the steps?  Most guys are just thrilled to have a laaaaady (say it like a boss) to dance with, and if she knows how to follow?  BONUS.  I'm not saying you have to be that crazy lace-pants wearing, arm-styling-windmill, lip-licking weirdo.  Just dance with your chin up and stop apologizing.  

DWTS peeps and fellow ballroom nuts, you know we like to see people having fun.  So, at least, can we all smile?  For the dancers in the upper echalons, we like to be entertained.  I want to see that dance on your FACE (hopefully in your body, too).  Think you're feeling it?  Like really feeeeeeeling it?  I'll break it to you first: I can't see it.  You need to FEEEEEEEEEEEEL IT.  

Shoot, I need to feel it.  Turns out when I smile pleasantly, you can't tell I'm smiling from 10 feet away.  I need to open my mouth and grin from ear to f-ing ear.  Have you seen my profile picture?  I need to do that, like all the time.  It seems embarrassing.  

But it looks great. 

That line between idiot and awesome is very thin.  But if you want to be awesome, you have to take the chance of looking like an idiot.  Go way too far into Ridiculous Land and get your Tina Sparkle (or Ken Railings) on.  Be the person who a judge has to seek out to say, "I need you to scale it back a bit."  Can you imagine that?  WINNING.

 

i accept your raised eyebrow and raise you DWTS. please?

 

 

Smooky 2

Halloween was like any other holiday around our house: I had too much makeup on, The G was wearing my clothes, and 2 out of 3 little ladies were crying.

the sleeping beauty cast

I kid.  Sort of.

Back story: Sleeping Beauty, of the Disney variety, is obviously the best princess movie.  The music is classic (adapted from the Sleeping Beauty ballet by Tchaikovsky), Aurora/Briar Rose/Sleeping Beauty [her multitude of names is not confusing at all] has an amazing voice, Prince Phillip is funny and brave, and Maleficent has the greatest name AND is the baddest villian of all time.

"Now, shall you deal with ME, O Prince - and all the powers of HELL!" - Maleficent

Watching the movie shortly after Halloween last year, I decided it'd be hilarious to make the little ladies be the three fairies (Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather) and G and I to be Aurora and Prince Phillip.

Of course, I didn't start on these costumes until 4 days before the blessed event.

After cutting out the girls' dress pieces, I decided I would be Picking Berries Aurora, and not Getting Married Aurora, because Picking Berries involved pulling some neutral-colored stuff out of a closet and Getting Married involved an elaborate gown and sparkles.  (It's surprising I'm a ballroom dancer, isn't it?)

Here's what G and I used for a template...

i know you, i walked with you once upon a dream

 

 Except I really wanted G to have a cape, as seen here.  Strangely, I didn't want the hat.  People thought he was Dracula unless I was close by.  Even with all of us, I think only one house really "got" who we were, but that dude said we were the best costume of the whole night.  Who cares, people kept putting candy in my Picking Berries basket, so I'm happy.

could be robin hood

The fairies were based off of this scene...

pretty dresses, wings, and tea

V reminded me that the real fairies had long sleeves and capes, but she still thought her dress was "juuuust bea-u-tiful!"  The wings were also a huge hit.  

flora

 We had to tell Mae Cake that she couldn't really fly, it would just look like she could.  Mae Cake also insisted that she WAS NOT Fauna, she wasn't a fairy.  She was Tinkerbell.  Don't tell her Tink is a fairy, okay?

 

fauna, or tink

 

Zoo just wanted to eat candy and have someone carry her around the neighborhood.

 

fat merryweather

 

I didn't use a pattern for the dresses, just laid down some clothes that fit each of them on the fabric, cut around them and hoped for the best.  Turns out my best was good enough!

 

the fairies with their haul

 

Next year, I think we'll do the cast of Annie.  Orphans, Daddy Warbucks, and MISS HANNIGAN!

 

i will make my own bathtub gin, for authenticity

 

Do you plan ahead for costume parties?  What are your favorite go-to costumes?  Any plans in the works for next year?

One year ago: Crazy Bread.