I'm a big believer in New Year's Resolutions. The results are a bit bleak, though - according to a University of Scranton study, only 8% of people who make resolutions are successful in achieving them (but this is in America, so other countries might be exempt).
I'm sure you can imagine what the most common resolutions are, but here you go, with the top ten for 2014:
1. Lose weight
2. Get organized
3. Spend less, save more
4. Enjoy life to the fullest
5. Stay fit and healthy
6. Learn something exciting
7. Quit smoking
8. Fall in love
9. Spend more time with family
10. Reduce cellulite
OK, I made the last one up. But despite the fact that only 8 out of 100 of us will actually keep our resolutions, 45% of us still make them, every year.
It may seem a bit silly - can you really re-invent yourself between the hours of 31 December and 1 January? But our desire to improve ourselves actually goes back a long way - all the way back, in fact, to the ancient Babylonians, who used to make promises to their gods at the start of the year to returned borrowed farming equipment and pay off their debts. Achievable goals, those.
Skipping ahead a lot of centuries to the early 1900's, before we had issues of back fat and online gambling addiction, it looked like New Year's was a time to resolve to ... be a nicer person. That's it.
Look, they even made postcards back then, to encourage people to live “a simple, sincere, and serene life,” along with “cultivating cheerfulness”:
This one takes it a step further, resolving to “bid adieu” to “gossip, slang, and cuss-words”:
As I said, I make a lot of resolutions. Most of my personal resolutions are, I'm sure, similar to everyone else's - improving health, fitness, finances, career, relationships, etc. But this year, I have some dancing resolutions, which I'd like to share with you.
Regarding my own dancing ability, in 2014, I resolve to:
1. Improve my fitness, stamina, and flexibility (I'm thinking about trying yoga for this)
2. Choreograph lots of new, exciting steps ... have look at this video for an example of amazing rhythm and movement - not to mention perfect turnout!
3. Be able to do a perfect switch-leap. Doing it on a beach at sunset would be even better!
4. Improve my toe-work in my hard shoes
5. Listen to more music, and start playing music again. Teaching at the Cobblestone, I have no excuse!
Regarding my dancing school, in 2014, I resolve to:
1. Have each and every class be a great class, where everyone, after it's over, is glad they came.
2. Involve the students in different festivals, events, and workshops around Ireland.
3. Create more performance opportunities for students throughout the year.
4. Bring Irish dancing students to a feis in continental Europe (they have adult categories). How does a feis in Milan, Vienna, or Prague sound to you??
5. Have a big dance and music event in June, where everyone will have the chance to perform.
How about you? What are your dancing resolutions for 2014? Let me know and we'll work together to help you achieve them!
Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you back in class in a couple of weeks.
Happy dancing,
Mary Beth :)
I'm sure you can imagine what the most common resolutions are, but here you go, with the top ten for 2014:
1. Lose weight
2. Get organized
3. Spend less, save more
4. Enjoy life to the fullest
5. Stay fit and healthy
6. Learn something exciting
7. Quit smoking
8. Fall in love
9. Spend more time with family
10. Reduce cellulite
OK, I made the last one up. But despite the fact that only 8 out of 100 of us will actually keep our resolutions, 45% of us still make them, every year.
It may seem a bit silly - can you really re-invent yourself between the hours of 31 December and 1 January? But our desire to improve ourselves actually goes back a long way - all the way back, in fact, to the ancient Babylonians, who used to make promises to their gods at the start of the year to returned borrowed farming equipment and pay off their debts. Achievable goals, those.
Skipping ahead a lot of centuries to the early 1900's, before we had issues of back fat and online gambling addiction, it looked like New Year's was a time to resolve to ... be a nicer person. That's it.
Look, they even made postcards back then, to encourage people to live “a simple, sincere, and serene life,” along with “cultivating cheerfulness”:
Photo credit: Wikipedia
This one takes it a step further, resolving to “bid adieu” to “gossip, slang, and cuss-words”:
tlt-swg.blogspot.com (Stephen W. Gilbert)
As I said, I make a lot of resolutions. Most of my personal resolutions are, I'm sure, similar to everyone else's - improving health, fitness, finances, career, relationships, etc. But this year, I have some dancing resolutions, which I'd like to share with you.
Regarding my own dancing ability, in 2014, I resolve to:
1. Improve my fitness, stamina, and flexibility (I'm thinking about trying yoga for this)
Jenny Sugar, www.fitsugar.com
2. Choreograph lots of new, exciting steps ... have look at this video for an example of amazing rhythm and movement - not to mention perfect turnout!
Rose White, New York (wearing shoes made by Redhead Industries)
3. Be able to do a perfect switch-leap. Doing it on a beach at sunset would be even better!
4. Improve my toe-work in my hard shoes
5. Listen to more music, and start playing music again. Teaching at the Cobblestone, I have no excuse!
Film by Daragh Murphy
Regarding my dancing school, in 2014, I resolve to:
1. Have each and every class be a great class, where everyone, after it's over, is glad they came.
2. Involve the students in different festivals, events, and workshops around Ireland.
2011 Fleadh Cheoil, Cavan (photo by Brendan Kiernan)
3. Create more performance opportunities for students throughout the year.
4. Bring Irish dancing students to a feis in continental Europe (they have adult categories). How does a feis in Milan, Vienna, or Prague sound to you??
Jan Burak Schwert, wanderlustandlipstick.com
5. Have a big dance and music event in June, where everyone will have the chance to perform.
Dancing school Christmas event, 2013 (photo by Ivana Varguličová)
How about you? What are your dancing resolutions for 2014? Let me know and we'll work together to help you achieve them!
Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you back in class in a couple of weeks.
Happy dancing,
Mary Beth :)
