Why does practice make perfect?

Why does practice make perfect?

We've all heard this phrase from our school teachers, or music teachers, and certainly from your cheer and dance teachers, but why exactly does it? What is the importance of practicing at home to perfect what you learned in the gym?

The dictionary definition of practice is: "Practice is the art of rehearsing a behavior over and over, or engaging in an activity again and again, for the purpose of improving or mastering it."

When you were first born, your little body was not strong enough to do any movements yet, then as you grew you learned how to push yourself over, then you learned how to stand up, and eventually you learned how to walk. None of these things happened on the first try. You can just ask your parents. You tried, then fell, then tried again, feel again.... This happened many times before eventually you took your first successful set of steps. Do you now have to think about how to walk from place to place? Of course not, you practice walking every day, and now you do it without a second thought. This same concept is true for dance and cheer. It is important to learn a basic skill before an intermediate skill. Just as you learned how to stand before you learned how to walk. Your body had to first master how to stand up on its own, then it was strong enough to start attempting to walk. You first learn how to properly prepare for a turn, and balance, once you practice and perfect that, then you'll be strong enough to successfully learn how to and eventually master multiple rotations in your turns. This is why we drill a certain set of skills over and over in class, and then give you homework to practice. You have to master one set of skills, so well that you don't even have to think about it, before your body is strong enough to move on to the next set of skills.

Now let me ask, do you walk with a limp on one side? Or do you walk with your feet really far apart? Or do you walk strictly on your heels? Of course not. You learned how to walk the right way, so you could easily and efficiently and safely get from one place to the next, and then you practiced it that way. Here at Varsity, as a well trained staff, it is a part of our instruction to not only give you the knowledge of the skill, but how to practice the correct way to successfully master it. Just as you did not practice walking with your feet spread apart so that you would then walk slower and with more strain to your body, you would not want to practice a skill incorrectly, because then you would perfect doing it the wrong way. That is why we focus on giving every student personalized corrections. This way you have the knowledge on how to fix, and correct yourself at home in order to practice it the right way.

By the very definition of the word, the more you practice the more you will perfect what you are practicing. So if you practice the wrong way, you will master it the wrong way. Therefore, as important as practicing is, remember only perfect practice makes perfect.

Author, April Hamner, has been dancing for 26 years, teaching for 12, and coaching for 5. She was awarded Dancer of the Weekend several years in a row for New York City Dance Alliance. As a captain of her Poms team, she helped her team take 1st in state. Her choreography has won 1st place overall in the Hip Hop category at 2014 Primetime nationals in California. She currently has students all over in the US including 2014 1st place winners University of Minnesota and 2nd place University of Tennessee. She is very excited to spend time with the students of China to help grow cheer dance!

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Varsity Cheerleading Academy

Address: Zhuguang Newtown International Center Block A, 4^th Floor

Qingyi Street No.1, Zhujiang Newtown

Tianhe District Guangzhou City.

(Metro Line 5, Exit D, next to Zhujiang Park)

Tel: 020-37031336

Website: www.varsity.com.cn

www.varsity.com

Wechat ID: varsitychina