Slogging.

A confession: I hate to practice.

This might seem odd from a woman who has chosen a career in dance, where practice is one of the most important and time-consuming activities. And I love that period when you pick out a new piece of music and start to play with it, explore it, discover all the accents and arcs you can illustrate with your body.

But then comes the time when you’ve settled on a path for that song, and you need to put in practice. My brain will come up with almost any excuse to avoid this – I’m tired, I have email to read, I need to organize my sock drawer (OK, not really – my socks live in total anarchy). This is where I drag myself into my studio, tie on a hipscarf, go through my warmup routine, and put on my music. Sometimes, once I’m there, I really enjoy it. But lots of the time, it feels like slogging.

And that’s OK. Just as literally slogging through mud builds strength, slogging through practice builds skill and focus. Just because it doesn’t feel fun and joyous doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. Sometimes, down there in the mud, you’ll find unexpected insights and inspiration. But even if you don’t, the slog itself is worthwhile.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some practicing to do.