What is High Performance and Why Do Dancers Need It?

Many people think the term “high performance” applies only to machines, like cars. However, high performance applies to people like you—dancers (and the parents of dancers)—as well. The most successful people in any industry are high performers. Dancers, also, need to become a high-performers if they want to succeed.

You may not have been born with high performance characteristics. However, you can learn to increase your performance so you have heightened and sustained levels of clarity, energy, courage, productivity, and influence—qualities dancers, studio owners, choreographers, dance teachers…and parents of dancin’ boys…need.

I got interested in high performance after attending Brendon Burchard’s High Performance Academy. Of course, I’ve always been interested in personal development and psychology. At the event, I realized quickly that, although many people saw me as clear-minded, energetic, productive, courageous, and influential, I could level up in almost every area of my life—personally and professionally. After completing a round of Certified High Performance Coaching, I knew I wanted to become a coach myself. I wanted to live the principles, and I wanted to offer Certified High Performance Coaching to my clients and customers.

I started out offering the 12-week program to writers and they achieved awesome results. They became more productive, courageous, and influential. They had more clarity and took huge leaps forward in all areas of their lives.

So I decided to expand and offer a Certified High Performance Coaching program for dancers as well. I knew my son would have benefited from such coaching and training. And I’m passionate about dance and helping your dancers, especially young male dancers. It just made sense.

Let me explain what high performance is and why dancers—or you—need to develop this character trait.

What Does High Performance Mean?

High performance means excelling beyond standard norms consistently and long term—not occasionally. These norms are not other people’s standard norms; they are your own standard norms. Thus, you make no comparison between yourself and others. Instead, you continually work to increase your own level of performance, and then you sustain that level until you are ready to level up again.

You can demonstrate high performance personally and professionally. That’s why high performance impacts every aspect of your life. In fact, it affects your physiology, psychology, productivity, as well as your persuasive skill. It also affects your ability to be present in every moment and to fulfill your potential and purpose.

Since Certified High Performance Coaching is based on scientific research, there is proof that if you level up in one area, like courage, you level up in all the other areas, such as clarity, productivity, energy, and influence.

Why Do Dancers Need High Performance?

The majority of aspiring and professional dancers I know struggle with some aspect of their lives. They aren’t as socially comfortable. They feel exhausted every day. They forget to do homework or pay bills. They don’t eat a healthy a diet. Maybe they don’t have the ability to influence their dance partners or team. Or they don’t feel able to stand up for themselves.

Every area of life affects other areas of life. If you are frustrated with performance in the studio, your relationships or health may suffer, for instance. To succeed at dance, you have to succeed at life and vice versa.

You Can Become a High-Performance Dancer

If you are struggling with any are of your life, including your dance life, the reason why is simple: You don’t possess high-performance traits, such as clarity, energy, courage, productivity, and influence. You don’t have the skill or strategies used by high performers in every industry, ones that help them buckle down and work hard as well as stay focused, energetic, present, on purpose, and intentional.

However, you can become a high-performance dancer and show up in the studio feeling confident, energized, enthusiastic, and joyful. You can intentionally approach your dancing (and your life) as a high performer by bringing engagement, courage, presence, and purpose, to every aspect of your work (and life). When you do, you will find yourself performing like a race car. You’ll consistently keep your mental and physical engine generating positive states of being that help you get to your destination. All your systems will run smoothly, helping you “race” toward your dance goals and dreams.

High-performance tools help you focus and approach your work with clarity despite the distractions and demands you encounter daily. As a high-performance dancer, however, you possess the ability and the tools to manage the chaos in your life. You take on the varying tasks involved with ease, such as stretching, strengthening, learning choreography, auditioning, performing, and showing up every day ready and willing to push your body to extremes.

How? By using tools and strategies that help you focus your attention, block out distractions, and energetically and enthusiastically approach your work.

Race to Your Best Dancing Self

There’s a difference between a race car and a high performer. Despite an experienced driver, a race car sometimes spins out of control. The car’s high performance can prove unreliable—the vehicle can run out of gas, experience an engine problem, or, if it gets sideswiped or rear-ended, can lose its ability to be navigated to safety.

High performance dancers know how to avoid crashes and keep their “engines” running smoothly in all situations. They know how to steer their vehicles in a deliberate and consistent manner toward the finish line. That means they are more likely to finish the race.

How do they do that? They manage their psychology, physiology, productivity, persuasive ability, purpose, and presence. They learn how to manage (and change) their limiting beliefs, fears, and negative thoughts. They push themselves to eat a healthy diet, strengthen their bodies regularly, and get enough sleep, and they are present and focused so they accomplish more in less time. They become good role models, inspiring and motivating those they encounter. They know why they dance and what they want to accomplish; they are on a mission to fulfill their potential and purpose.

High performance helps you generate the intentionality necessary to “race” forward toward your dance goals and dreams. As a high performer, you know how to maneuver smoothly around every corner, past every obstacle, and through traffic jams. You maintain (or regain) equilibrium when you get “bumped,” encounter a flat tire, or get squeezed out of your spot on the track. You keep your vehicle (your body and mind) in excellent shape so it’s ready to speed forward on commmand.

Isn’t it time you got into the driver’s seat of your dance life and took control of the wheel? Isn’t it time you took your foot off the brake and hit the gas? Isn’t it time you gave your dance life (and your whole life) a tune up? Of course, it is.

Photo copyright: Franck Boston|Shutterstock.com