Dance stocktake: What I'll start, stop, and continue five months into 2026

I have always wanted to be more involved in dance, especially ballet, so this year I decided to simply try. I do not mind failing.

As my coach suggested, progress typically plateaus, then jumps. My body refuses to listen, and then suddenly it gets better.

Progress in dance is elusive. You have to learn to sense it and recognise your own small gains.

Q4 2025: back to work

After my first Latin ballroom competition in September, my body felt "dried out". I felt thin and tense... but the first massage afterwards felt heavenly.

I took a short break in October and went straight back to work:

• Taking private classes and focusing on foot strength
• Increased my training volume
• Filmed myself, watched with a critical eye,

and closed November with one long, full day of dance.

December is ideal for a stretch physical challenge because it allows for consistent intensity. During most of the year, time and energy constraints force a choice between training hard and training consistently. December is one of the few times when both are possible.

However, an earlier 40-day run of Pilates had built strength in 2024. However, I was eating too cleanly and combined with stress, that showed up as hair loss. I learned from that, and my December "off-season" plans had to be adjusted to maximise my gains.

My first competition also exposed weaknesses in my strength, rib alignment, and overall posture. My sternum would collapse.

To address these issues, I added ballet, which I had personally missed, and reformer Pilates on my coach's recommendation.

Early 2026: building, month by month

Between work and dance from January to February, I chipped away at pieces of a competition routine with whatever time and energy I had left.

Then, I enjoyed a two-week break in Italy, which inspired a few posts like this one. I returned refreshed and rejuvenated in mind, spirit, and body.

Before the trip, I was worried about being away for two weeks, gaining weight and losing all my dance progress.

The combination of long walks, good sleep, museums, and pasta left me feeling stronger, healthier, and more energised than when I left.

In fact, I returned rested enough to take part in a local competition shortly afterwards at the end of March. It was the second competition of my life, and I happened to place second.

What didn't work: Also in March, I added contemporary dance to better connect with the ground and explore new ways of moving. It was fun, but I eventually decided to let it go.

April: competition season

In mid-April, I attended another major international competition.

I documented my learnings here. (Figure skater Alysa Liu once said that every second you are out there, you are gaining something. You win simply by turning up. From there, it is all upside. Writing and documenting this journey helped me see how much progress had actually been made.)

Looking back, I ended up working much harder after the competition season than before it.

The prize is a nice milestone, but it is only a moment in time.

I've also considered that achieving milestones or professional stability does not sustain passion. In some of my past pursuits, I found that what mattered most was whether I genuinely enjoyed the day-to-day grind.

This time, I want to learn to appreciate the substance of craft itself: the classes, the practice, the learning, and the gradual improvements.

For now, I cannot think of a better and more rewarding way to spend my time than practising, learning, and sharing it with people who simply love dance!

2026's goals recap

At the start of the year, I put together a roadmap to guide my training and decisions. It was meant to focus my attention.

As expected, reality had other plans. Some goals were completed while others were dropped. A few unexpected gains emerged along the way and were far more valuable than what I had originally planned.

Here's a summary of what actually happened.

• Green bold text: Completed
• Brown text: Dropped
• Green background: Unexpected gains

Start, Stop, Continue

From July, I will begin my first STOTT Pilates course, Anatomy. Beyond that, I have not yet committed to the next module. I would like to see how the first course unfolds before deciding on the next ($pricey$) steps.

Beyond that, the calendar is open. There may be a chance to perform later in August, and by September, it is competition season again. My soft goal is a double turn by the end of the year.

Here is how I am thinking about what to start, stop, and continue. I'll start with "Stop" first, because it's the most telling.

Stop:

• Ballet variation classes have served their purpose for me, helping me apply ballet technique and develop my choreography learning through Don Quixote and Raymonda. My priority now is to have high-quality, ROI-driven days and to fully focus on Latin Ballroom choreography.

Continue:

• Pilates push class once a week. I'm responding quite well to it.
• Ballet technique class with much more focus.
• Treating each minute at dance with a professional attitude, and also plenty of camaraderie and joy.
• Embracing the burn!

Start:

• Paying closer attention to music/rhythm and developing a deeper appreciation of it.
• Demanding more of each practice to make it high-quality, and not just going for volume anymore.
  • Dig deeper into Latin Ballroom.
  • Tracking my practice with good data: effort and calories burnt per session, plus close observation of myself
• Filming myself at least twice a month.

The work ahead

To stay calm, stay positive, never quit.

To do the work in front of me, with care and attention, and loosen my grip on the outcome.

To remember what matters: a long-term, professional mindset, quality practice, and people.