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What is All or Nothing Thinking?

I spend a lot of time with my dance students and Dance Strong Challengers talking about something called “All or Nothing Thinking.”

In short, All or Nothing thinking is when we think that if something can’t be done perfectly, it isn’t worth doing.

Read on to learn more about All or Nothing Thinking and how I combat it in dance (and life). Wanna learn more? Check out my latest podcast episode here!

Read on to learn more about All or Nothing Thinking and how I combat it in dance (and life).

Wanna learn more? Check out my latest podcast episode here!

How do I identify All or Nothing Thinking?

You might be thinking “Well, I’m not a perfectionist.” (Or perhaps you are!). But All or Nothing thinking can be sneaky. 

All or Nothing Thinking in Dance Can Look like:

  • Not choosing to do your dance practice because you’ve “only” got 10 minutes and that doesn’t feel “worth it”
  • Focusing on the one, single mistake you made during a performance, rather than all of the audience cheers and compliments you received after
  • Not placing on the podium during a dance competition, so determining your performance and preparation a failure
  • Deciding not to watch a pre-recorded class because it’s 60 minutes long and you’ve only got 30 minutes to practice

Do you recognise any of these in yourself?

Combatting All or Nothing Thinking

I’ve been keenly aware of all or nothing thinking in the past 7 or so years, and I’ve worked hard to combat it. But it still sneaks up on me sometimes – which is why I need these reminders too!

The most recent occurrence I remember was when I’d had a super busy work week. I was working until 9pm at night, but I’d planned to go for a 10 kilometre run that evening. I caught myself thinking “well, now I can’t go for that run.” Because I’ve gotten quite good at catching this style of thinking, I realised what was happening! And I went for a 3 kilometre run instead.

Was it what I’d planned in my training schedule? Nope!

Did it still do me good, both physically and mentally? You betcha!

Did it mean that I was closer to my weekly training goals, and therefore better prepared for the next training session than if I hadn’t run at all? Absolutely!

If you’d like to learn a little bit more about my approach to combatting all or nothing thinking, check out my new podcast episode which launched today! 

Listen to the episode here or click the button below.

Listen: Podcast Episode #99 with Siobhan Camille on All or Nothing Thinking

Know a friend who might enjoy the podcast too? 

Please feel free to forward this blog post to them!

Enjoy the episode. And leave me a comment if you take a listen and you’ve got any questions for me!

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Hi dancers!

I have some gifts and prize draws to share with you!!

First up: Win some zills (finger cymbals!) from Turquoise International!!

Yes, the cat’s out of the bag: The Bellydance Bundle is back this year! 

Every year Turquoise International is SUPER generous and they offer some of their high-quality zills for us to give away. It is totally free to enter, and 4 Winners will take home 5 pairs of Turquoise International Zills!

You can enter here for a chance to win. I have a couple of Turquoise zills myself (the itsy bitsies – great for practising at home – and some larger ones) and I love them!

And yes, everyone can enter – it’s a worldwide competition!

Enter to win some finger cymbals – no matter where you are

Plus, this amazing practice resource is back: Figuring Out What to Practice. This is a great guide to revisit at different points in your dance journey – if you’ve done it before it can be really interesting to see what’s changed now!

If you ever struggle to know WHAT you should practice, I’ll highly recommend you grab this free guide – Figuring Out What to Practice.

It’s got an easy to fill out worksheet (it’ll take you only 5-10 mins!) and you’ll know what to focus on in your upcoming sessions. 

Get your practice guide here and get started!

Get the free practice guide for belly dancers

Enjoy – and good luck in the finger cymbal competition!

Shimmies,

Siobhan Camille

P.S. I’m also offering a free live online Dance Strong Class next week! You’re already on my mailing list, so you’ll get the link 🙂 Got a friend who might like to join? Tell them to sign up here.

P.P.S. Don’t forget, my new online series with the one and only Issam Houshan starts this Sunday! Details here.

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RICE is at least 10 years out of date!

The RICE (or RICED; rest, ice, compression, elevation, diagnosis) method for injury management has been advised against in the research & academic settings since at least 2010. In early 2019 I wrote an article about a more up to date method, “do no H.A.R.M” (no heat, no alcohol, no reinjury, no massage). But there’s been even newer suggestions on how to remember to manage injuries!

What’s wrong with RICE?

RICE ignores that there are different phases of healing, and implies that passive modalities (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) are of utmost importance to healing. While we need rest in the very early phases of any injury, we know from decades of research that getting back to movement as early as possible is key to better recovery. And re-loading an injured area is what ultimately makes it stronger and restores it capacity – not resting it!

There has also been some research suggesting that icing could delay tissue repair because it could decrease inflammation.Inflammation is CRUCIAL in the early stages of tissue healing – this is what brings in all the white blood cells to clean things up! It is especially important to avoid taking anti-inflammatories in the first 48-72 hours after injury.Professional performers may also consider avoiding ice. Even if this blunts inflammation only slightly in comparison to anti-inflammatory drugs, professional dancers often need to return to work quickly. Anything that could speed recovery could therefore be worth considering.

A new alternative: PEACE and LOVE

A paper that came out in 2019 (Dubois & Esculier) suggested PEACE & LOVE as an alternative to optimise recovery.

P is for Protect

E is for Elevate

A is for Avoid Anti-inflammatory Modalities

C is for Compress

E is for Educate

L is for Load

O is for Optimism

V is for Vascularisation

E is for Exercise

Let’s learn what these mean!

P if for Protect

In the first 1-3 days, minimise movement that could further cause injury, BUT rest should be minimised

E is for Elevate

Elevate the limb higher than the heart. There is weak evidence that this helps, but it won’t cause harm

A is for Avoid Anti-inflammatory Modalities

Definitely avoid anti-inflammatory drugs in the first few days. The use of ice is questioned and cautioned because it could also disrupt inflammation – which is crucial to healing!

C is for Compress

There is conflicting evidence, but taping or bandaging does seem to offer some benefits to our ability to function

E is for Educate

Health care providers should let you know that an active approach (actual rehab, not just things that feel good) is what you need to recover, and help you have realistic expectations for recovery

L is for Load

Putting weight on the injured part or doing strength exercises should be introduced early, as soon as symptoms allow. This promotes repair & remodeling of damaged tissue, and builds capacity – so you can do the things you used to!

O is for Optimism

Patients who are optimistic have better outcomes. From pain science we know that distress and negative feelings (or anything that makes us feel in danger) can increase pain. I know it can be hard, but trust that your body is adaptable!

V is for Vascularisation

Aerobic exercise (“cardio”) should be started a few days after injury to increase blood flow to injured areas. Early mobilisation and aerobic exercise improve function and reduces the need for painkillers.

E is for Exercise

Exercise is strongly supported for reducing the prevalence of recurrent injuries, and can help restore mobility, strength and proprioception after injury.

While some research papers can be hard to read and/or interpret if you don’t have a background in science, this paper is really readable. Click here or click the article title below to find it!

Did you learn something new about injury management?

My name is Siobhan Camille. I’m an exercise scientist and a professional dancer. I love helping dancers get better, stronger, and more resilient. If this was helpful for you, please feel free to share this article, or sign up to my newsletter to get posts like this in your inbox!

Sign up to Siobhan Camille’s Newsletter to stay up to date on blogs like these

Want to dance stronger?

Siobhan Camille offers the Dance Strong 6 Week Online Fitness for Belly Dancers 4-5 times a year, and writes personalised strength and conditioning and/or rehabilitative programs for dancers year-round. Find out more about the Dance Strong Challenge here and find out more about personalised programming here.

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I recently learned a pretty tricky drum solo by another dancer in 5 hours, over 3 days.

When I was cast in Jillina’s stage production of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, I learned 7 choreographies in about 6 weeks. So here are some of my main tips to learn choreography quickly!

1. I watch well

Mirror neurons are a type of brain cell that fires both when we perform a specific action (like an arabesque) and when we observe someone else performing the same action.

That is to say, when we see another dancer perform an arabesque, the mirror neurons in our brains fire as if we were performing the movements ourselves.

This can help us understand and learn movements more effectively – so watch first, try second!

2. I don’t repeat mistakes

This one sounds really silly, but I’ll explain what I mean!

If I’m running through a choreography, and I keep making the same mistake, I don’t just keep going and hope it will get better.

I stop what I’m doing. I watch that section again. I practice it without the music. And then I do the run-through again. If I get it wrong again, I stop the music there immediately to break the pattern in my brain. I go from the top (or the top of that section again) and try to get it right.

3. I sing the timing

Especially with lyrical pieces or raqs sharqi pieces in general, steps are not usually on counts, but they follow the melody or other musical accents.

If I’m struggling with a step, I watch the piece again (there’s a theme here!) and I sing the steps. So if there’s a tricky arabesque combo with suspension, I sing along to the dancer performing it in whatever way makes sense for my brain. For example: “left, right, left, riiiiiiiiight, turn and….”

This helps me hear where it fits in the music.

4. I ask the silly questions!

If it’s an in-person or live-streamed choreography workshop, I’m not afraid to ask questions.

Don’t be afraid of looking silly. You’ll be more equipped to learn things independently if you ask questions about the technique or choreography while the expert is right there in front of you.

And chances are, there are other people in the room or the class who have the same questions as you, but are too shy to ask!

5. I prioritise practice frequency

Here for a good time, not for a long time! When trying to learn choreography quickly, I prioritise practice frequency over practice duration.

This increases the chances of me retaining the choreography in the long-term, compared to one or two super long practice blocks in a week.

6. I review right before bed

Sleep provides a lot of benefits to memory consolidation and learning (so getting enough sleep is also key to learn well).

Something I’ve done for a long time, is reviewing tricky things right before bed – even just once, perhaps even just watching instead of dancing.

So my brain can consolidate while I sleep!

These are just some of the ways that I learn choreography quickly!

Want dance tips like this in your inbox?

Sign up for my weekly newsletter here. I regularly send out short practice videos, tips, and freebies!

P.S. Here’s the drum solo I learned in 5 hours, employing a lot of these tricks:

Siobhan Camille challenged herself to learn this drum solo in 5 hours over 3 days

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Looking to get your isolations sharper, your figure eights and circles smoother, and your quality of movement crisper and cleaner? It’s all about practice! However, the way we practice can have an effect on what we get out of that practice. Mindful drilling trumps mindless drilling, so here are three tips to strengthen your belly dance isolations!

1. Know what you’re moving, and how you’re moving it

Hip locks. Well, we’re moving the hips right? Sure, but what’s the driving force behind that movement? We know we need to alternate straightening and bending the knees, so have you taken the time to notice if one leg is working more than the other?

First, start noticing what your default pattern is. Film yourself and watch it back, or ask your teacher or mentor to help you identify what’s driving your movement.

Then, it’s time to get a little nerdy. What muscles can you choose to activate a little more to emphasise the hip lift? (Side note: Muscles are always working – there’s no such thing as a skeletal movement, so here it’s more about what you’re actively choosing to contract a bit harder for emphasis!)

Are you feeling contractions in your glutes (butt muscles) or obliques (side abdominals)? You may be choosing to contract (or unconsciously using) one muscle group more than another. I cover some of the ways I use my obliques for hip movements in the free tutorial below on Bigger Hip Shimmies, and I also have an an exclusive video on improving Oblique Strength for Stronger Hipwork just for my newsletter subscribers.

It’s really helpful to learn what muscles could be driving the movement, and get an understanding of how privileging one muscle group over another could change the movement quality of that isolation.

I cover some of the ways I use my obliques for hip movements in this free tutorial on Bigger Hip Shimmies

2. Strengthen those muscles!

We’ve gotten nerdy, we’ve started to think about the muscles involved! Now what? Easy – strengthen those muscles. Interested in how you can get your obliques to play a part in increasing the size of your hip lifts and drops? Start strengthening them. Plus, there’s the added bonus of a decreased injury risk when our muscles are stronger.

(Don’t know where to start with strength training for raqs sharqi and fusion dancers? Siobhan offers the Dance Strong Challenge several times a year!).

3. Slooooooooow it down…

…. Then speed it up, but don’t cheat! Slowing down an isolation can help you to feel and see the “sticky” parts. When you take your hip circle, maya, or hip lock at a slower speed, you’ll be more able to see differences in size and symmetry. If you’re more aware of these differences, you’ll be more able to work on them. When we’re learning or perfecting a skill our brain has to be involved in doing the work. So slow it down, notice what you want to change, give your brain time to process, and keep at it. When you’re ready, increase the speed. Find where you’re comfortable, then get to that “sweet spot” that’s just out of reach – when you’re not flailing and getting too frustrated, but where you’ve gotta work and reach to get and keep that technique strong and even! Playing with speed is not only a good way to identify how we can improve our quality of movement, but also great for challenging our current level of technique.

Interested in putting some strength and technique work into practice? Register for the Greenstone Dance Arts semi-regular newsletter. You’ll be rewarded right away, with an exclusive video on improving Oblique Strength for Stronger Hipwork, and a mini lower body strengthening workout designed for belly dancers!