Dancing too much??

[elisedance]

This came up in QPO's post on 'how many hours do you practise'.  What is the point where you are dancing too much?  And how much is that for you?  Do you feel pressure from your partner to dance more than you want to?

This can easily ruin dance as a pleasure.  To be honest, I don't think I have reached this point simply because first, I seem to want to dance more than my partners   and second, I keep a pretty good control of my dance time.  I wonder if this issue is a bigger one for those where their dance partner is also their life partner?

[Lioness]

I definitely haven't got to this point yet...I'm dancing no more than 4-5 hours a week. I want more.

[elisedance]

Maybe you could try to get a week holliday where you can plan your and DP's time (not easy I know) and decide to dance as much as you can.  I did this with my violin and discovered that it was actually hard to reach saturation - beyond the needs of biology that is   The best part was though that by the end of the week I really felt 'at one' with my instrument.

COme to think of it, I should do the same with our dancing....

[cornutt]

I guess one thing would be if you reach the point where it's not fun anymore, and you are only doing it because you feel pressure (internal or external) to continue.  The other point is where you start suffering chronic injuries, although I suspect that's usually got more to do with poor technique than just too much dancing.   

And the third point is where it's bankrupting you.   

[elisedance]

I agree with #1 and #2...
of course #3 'you know when you ballroom dance when...'

[SwingWaltz]

Difference between doing something a lot (or addicted to something) and doing something too much sounds like first one you are enjoying doing it, second one sounds like you don't enjoy it so much. 

[skipper]

So the question is, "How do you know"?

[cdnsalsanut]

The classic signs of addiction are:

When you keep doing it even after there are adverse consequenses

You continue to do the behaviour after you say you're going to stop

You constantly crave and are preoccupied with the behaviour. It impacts every area of your life: family, financial, emotional, physical etc.

Am I dancing too much? Probably.  Certainly it's costing me a lot of money, has affected my relationships, takes a lot of my time.

On the other hand, i don't smoke or drink or have any other vices; I don't watch tv at all.  I figure if dancing is the worst thing I do, hey it's not too bad.  In fact I enjoy it every day.  It brings me good health, happiness, I've met some good friends and enjoy both the social and competative aspects of it.

So, overalll, I'm doing something I love.  Thankfully I haven't any injuries yet and fingers crossed on that score that I'll keep doing it as long as I can...

[QPO]

It is quite possible that we are dancing too much and it do believe it is an addiction, but no more than anyone else passionate about a sport. Those that make it to the top of anything eat drink and live it each waking hour. I have seen it with the people at my work who have chosen that to become the main driving force in their life.

I have chosen to do something with my partner and I am fortunate that he loves it just as much as I do. I feel truly blessed.

[elisedance]

Thats great to hear Q.  Sometimes you sound a little stressed by it but its obviously just the normal daily variation....

[QPO]

I am sure that I do get stressed. but I am not as young as I used to be and my immune system is not the strongest....(I have hasimoto's)  so everynow and then I do need to rest myself so I can recover.

[elisedance]

one of the key things of getting older is pacing yourself - making sure you use what energy and resources you have as well as possible.  Indeed, that can make up for a lot of physical disadvantage to much younger people.

[ChocolateEclair]

dancing too much

No such thing.

[QPO]

I hear you, but the body sometimes has another point of view....

[elisedance]

thats cause you are not in your teens any more - least I'm guessing