I know that workshops can seem overwhelming at times,

and hard.

Difícil.  

Ricardo López, one of my favorite guys ever, knows this too.

And yes, even though he is a professional dancer who travels the world performing with people like Rafaela Carrasco, he still enjoys studying and taking cursillos.

So I want to share with you three suggestions from Ricardo that we can use in class.  

And after that I'll talk about how his tips can help us outside of the studio as well.

Ricardo on workshops

A mi me cuesta también.

"It's hard for me too,"

That's what Ricardo says.

So, just what does he do when it's his turn to be the student?

He goes in with a positive attitude

Maybe that seems obvious. Or maybe it just seems annoying.

According to Ricardo, if we go in with a good attitude, we can do it.

Sometimes set such high expectations for ourselves, for an outcome, that we leave no room to have a good time.

We leave no room to consider our approach.

But if we get frustrated, we get frustrated. We can take a deep breath, reset, and keep going.

His point is that we don't let that frustration block us from experiencing what is to be experienced. From learning what is to be learned.

And so we have TIP #1:

Try approaching it with positivity.

He finds his own way of remembering things

For example, let's imagine a tricky step.

Ricardo suggests first to figure out which foot it starts with. It sounds simple, but sometimes we don't take the time to stop and notice this, and doing so can really help to ground us.

This is one idea.

Try it out.  If it works for you, keep it and use it.

And then apply TIP #2:

Be curious. Find out what works for YOU, and do that.

He gives himself permission to do it wrong

Even if we don't have a step down, we keep going, and eventually we can get it.

We'll mess up. It's okay. In fact, it's not just that it is okay,

It's expected.

It's necessary.

It is what happens!

We're in class. We have permission to get it wrong. We are indeed expected to get it wrong.  Many times. Eventually, it will come. Or it won't.

But if we just stand there, if we freeze, we never give ourselves the chance to get it.

Which leads us to TIP #3:

Do it wrong.

...

And there you have it. Three pointers from Ricardo. I originally posted them two years ago.

But here's the thing,

Upon rereading I realized these ideas can be applied to any situation in my life.

When I try approaching anything

with some positivity

some curiosity

and an expectation that I'll make mistakes

It's always better than if I don't.  

Go ahead, try it right now ...

Comments

I would love to know how you approach workshops and intensives. I'm certain you have many fabulous ideas. Please share. Let's help each other out! Or can you apply any of the above tips to a situation in your life? How does it feel? Let me know in the comments below. 

Flamenco Intensives

I love flamenco workshops and intensives.

• They are incredibly fun

• They challenge us

• They provide a chance to study with someone new

• And a format for learning new things

No matter your level.

If you'd like to put these suggestions to practice in a flamenco intensive, join me for a private workshop with Mercedes Ruíz in Jerez or try them out with Oscar Nieto in Portland this May.