The Dance (Baby) Whisperer – Introduction
Looking at my last entry, dated April 15th, I realize that it’s been almost 6 months since my last blog. It’s been a busy 6 months for me, having given birth to a beautiful little baby girl on May 20th, and having a new full-time job as a ‘Mom’. Now, on October 1st, with my baby girl a little over 4 months old, I am finally ready to dive back into my regular routine of blogging!
I suppose everyone can guess that from now on, my blogs will revolve around not only dancing, but parenting too, at least for the next little while… (or perhaps long while)… as they are now my two main passions in life! Some might wonder what one has to do with the other, but you’d be surprised. There are lots of things in common. It all boils down to the fact that, in both cases, we are constantly learning new skills. The only thing that is constant is change, and we need to learn how to adapt to these changes day by day.
Quite a few of my friends, who have had kids, recommended that I read a book called the ‘Baby Whisperer’, by Tracy Hogg. The book addresses many different problems for new moms, the most important of which is getting the baby to sleep. The thing I like about the book is that it is not meant to be a reference manual that you can just flip through and pick out the answers; but rather it teaches you how to solve your own individual problems and become a Baby Whisperer yourself.
As I am reading and re-reading the Baby Whisperer, I discover so many parallels that could be very useful for Ballroom dancers. Just like for the Baby Whisperer, there is no singular almighty solution that is perfect for everyone; each baby and each family (or each dancer and dance partnership) needs to look within themselves and find the strategy that best suits their individual situations.
For the next little while (or perhaps long while), I will be doing a ‘Dance Whisperer’ series of blogs. Find out how to read yourself, read your partner, read the situation and solve your own problems. As stated in the book, “A problem is nothing more than a situation calling for a creative solution.” Empower yourself as a dancer and become your own Dance Whisperer!
