Today's clogging vocabulary review shines light on something we all must do to become better: PRACTICE! Synonyms include rehearse, train, work on, prepare.

My formal definition:

Practice (verb): The act of repeating a clogging step, routine, or portion thereof in order to improve one's skill.

The practice you do as a team is great, but don't overlook the importance of individual practice! Have you been watching a fellow dancer's feet to get the timing on a tricky part? A little rehearsal on your own will help resolve those trouble spots!

Wanna annoy your teammates? Step 1: Show up to dance class without having done any practice on that new routine everyone's been working hard to get. Step 2:  Expect them to spend time reteaching you even though everyone else is ready to move on. Yep, get ready for some glares...

You can do this!  

There seems to be a collective notion that practice must take a specific amount of time, and isn't worth it if you don't have a solid hour or so. PSHAW! Start the music, dance the routine. Hmm, that only took the length of a song! (Even shorter if the music is a cut.)

Congrats, you just practiced! Granted, this level of work will not prepare you for an America's Got Talent audition, but running a new routine even a few days during the week can be noticeable at the next dance class!

What do you get as a reward? Confidence and fun! When the steps to a routine are ingrained in your brain, you can dance freely and give the performance your all!

Let's practice, cloggers!

(After writing this, I'm going to be in big trouble with teammates Dustin and Sabrena if I don't have their new choreography down before the next rehearsal! Better work on it after grocery shopping today - Sabrena is fully capable of kicking my butt...)

How do YOU fit practice time into a busy week?