We all get feedback when at practicas and (unfortunately) at milongas if folks do not know that one should not critique at a milonga. Some dancers’ advice helps our progress. Some information is just plain wrong. There are dancers who want to help us, and dancers who want to put us down. It is a mixed bag in terms of what we get out of practice. What else can we do to give more accurate feedback to ourselves?
Video yourself
I find it helpful, although hard on the ego, to watch myself dance. I am my own worst critic, and I see everything that I did wrong when watching myself. However, this is an immensely helpful tool when learning about your own dance.
The most important thing to remember is that watching yourself in 2-D will ALWAYS look worse than the dance in 3-D looked. Every time we performed in graduate school, our dance teachers reminded us of this fact. Some of the energy of the dance does not translate.
So be kind to yourself!
Things to look for in your dance
First, get over the initial disappointment that your dance is not perfect. Oh, well . . . Now, what do you notice is better than the last time you filmed yourself? What has not improved? What may have slipped back into a bad habit?
You will find that you know about your own habits, even if you have no idea how to fix the problems. It is better to know exactly what is happening and to move onto a new level of body understanding. Make a game plan for improving your dance: what is your priority? Conversely, what are specific, small issues you can address right away to feel progress?
Take a private lesson
If you feel unable to make a to-do list for yourself, take your video to your teacher and have them evaluate it with you, pointing out good moments and how you can improve. They can help you plan for improvement if it feels too onerous to do it alone.
Remember that you and your teacher are your team for making your dance better and more enjoyable. They want you to feel good, to succeed in your goals, and can be a good cheerleader to help you move up to a higher level.