Dear Katie: I'm Not Feeling Motivated—How Can I Push Through a Slump?
In our “Dear Katie” series, Miami City Ballet soloist Kathryn Morgan answers your pressing dance questions. Have something you want to ask Katie? Email [email protected] for a chance to be featured!
Dear Katie,
After so many months trying to train at home in quarantine, I’m sad and frustrated. I’m just not motivated to dance anymore. I’ve even been thinking about quitting. How can I push through this slump?
Madeline
Dear Madeline,
I promise you’re not alone in this! So many dancers are frustrated right now. My advice? “Take a break, and don’t feel guilty about it.”
This is actually an ideal moment to think carefully about whether dance is the path you want to take. Sometimes, we need a break to get a sense of perspective on the bigger picture. You may find, when you take a step back, that you miss dance terribly. In that case, you can restart your training with twice the motivation you had before. Or, you might realize this is a natural endpoint for your training.
If you decide that you no longer want to pursue dance as a career, that’s perfectly fine. Don’t force it. Be gentle with yourself—always, but especially right now. You’ll be much happier in the long run if you dance because you want to, rather than because you feel you ought to.
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