Learning | IsabellaValentine.com

I’ve found myself amazed, for four years in a row, at the level of talent people display on So You Think You Can Dance. It blows me away that people can pop like that and do hip hop, ballet, salsa, and breakdancing in such a phenomenal way. I suppose if I were thinner, my knees would allow me to bend much more freely to be able to dance better. Vicariously, I live through them… watching them make it… or not make it…

Not only do I love the show for the amazing dance moves, but what really does it for me is the personal connections to the contestants. There’s a level of personalism and “getting to know them” that allows me to feel their pain if they fail… or feel their pleasure if they succeed. And I suppose one really important element that I continually learn from - is how to handle rejection.

When I was a poet-writer many years ago, I sent submissions to thousands of books, magazines, and publications and received hundreds of rejection letters. I used to frame my rejection letters sometimes just to prove to myself it was worth the struggle. When I received my first “yes” to publication, my heart stopped. And I can only assume that’s how those dancers often feel when they’re told to move on to the next round. Between the ages of 14-18, I was published in about 300 different publications and by the age of 19, I published my own book of poetry under a different pen name. But until that point, just the act of trying to get my work noticed… was heat too intense for flames. Now I can appreciate the coolness of it. This show is like icing for me. I love watching people succeed. And I love even MORE watching people who were rejected years ago… work hard… and harder… and hardest… to come back and make it on the show. I love seeing people who work hard for the things they want.

I must admit, I do cringe when a contestant starts giving excuses for their behavior or starts talking too much to the judges. One thing I’ve humbly learned over the years is when to shut up and just surrender to the masters. There are students and there are teachers. If a student is humble enough to trust the knowledge being offered to them, they are sure to shine for the rest of their lives. While it’s perfectly encouraged to question advice and learnings privately, it’s quite another to be confrontational to those trying to teach you.

So You Think You Can Dance