Thank You!

THANK YOU to all the schools, organizations, and events that have me fly across the country to do what I do. Thank you for supporting my mission to encourage, inspire, and make a difference in people’s lives, young and old. I am truly grateful to experience the joys (and even the turbulence) of travel.

Thank you for flying with me! You fuel my attitude of gratitude daily. (And of course, I’m on a bird as I write this. That’s the view from my window)

How can I help YOU soar to new heights? I have dates available this summer (only a few left). Let me know where I’m flying to next!

– Shawn Byfield

Here’s a question parents (and some teachers) always ask: “Shawn, how many hours a week should my kid be putting in at her studio?”

With over 27 years of experience teaching students, my response is two fold:

1️⃣ If they’re seriously interested, then invest in as many as you can reasonably afford!

BUT the next point is much more important…

2️⃣ The amount of hours (how many) pales in comparison to the QUALITY of the time spent in each hour. HOW you spend the time in each hour matters 3x more than the quantity of hours.

This doesn’t just apply to dance. Not being present, goofing off, and not putting in 100% in every class will not get you ahead, no matter how many practice hours you invest.

EQUATION: Crappy work ethic per hour X 3 hours just equals 3 more hours of crappy work ethic. 💩 You’re still in the same place- frustrated and left behind…

…while others who are committed, focused, and train with purpose every minute of every hour DRAMATICALLY come out ahead of their peers. One hour of motivated focus ALWAYS beats 3 hours of mediocre attention. It’s a law, and it works every time.

QUESTION: Why do some classes accomplish so much more per hour, while other classes constantly never seem to get ahead? The answer: they understand QUALITY of time over quantity.

Hands down, QUALITY always beats quantity. 💯

How are your kids, or your students spending each hour?

– Shawn Byfield 👊🏾

@ShawnByfield

Forget what you’ve heard… Your best performance does NOT magically happen once you step onto the stage. Surprised?! Shocked?! You shouldn’t be.

Here’s what you gotta do:

Practice at the best of your ability BEFORE you step on to the stage. That means rehearsing full out! Treat class like an audition!

The more you push yourself BEFORE you perform, the more you build your stamina. The more your stamina builds, the more you build muscle memory. And once muscle memory becomes automatic, you’ll see a dramatic boost in your confidence, and performance level.

You won’t do your best, until you know what your best is. Find out what your best is during rehearsal time. Discover your limits, and work hard to improve daily.

So what does this mean? Simple:

➡️ No more laziness in rehearsals. Invest quality time every minute of every session.

➡️ Step your game up in classes. You’ll quicky discover how fast you grow.

➡️ Be a leader, not a follower. Set the example for others.

➡️ Don’t wait for motivation to take yourself seriously. You don’t need permission to be great.

When you finally get on stage, you’ll be ready. You’ll have the muscle. And who knows? Maybe you’ll even have a fun time!

– Shawn Byfield 👊🏾

www.Instagram.com/ShawnByfield

** LYRICAL Category 101 **

#DanceCompetition is in full swing. Want to impress your adjudicators, feel incredible on stage, and wow your audience? Follow these simple steps below.

🎈STEP ONE:
Understand your lyrics

🎈STEP TWO:
Unfortunately, there is no Step Two, or any other steps, if you haven’t invested serious quality time in Step One!

You wouldn’t perform a tap dance solo without wearing tap dance shoes, would you?

Then why perform a lyrical dance, in a lyrical category, without understanding the LYRICS?

🤔 💬

HERE’S A SECRET

When I’m judging a lyrical category, and deciding between a dancer who shows emotional connection to the song lyrics, versus a dancer showing off gymnastics and pump turns… Emotional connection wins every time.

I mean, EVERY TIME.

– Shawn Byfield

#TheMoreYouKnow

#PublicServiceAnnouncement

#CategoryNameTellsYouWhatToDo

🛑 STOP SCROLLING! 🛑

Listen real quick: It all comes down to CHOICES. What you CHOOSE to do (or not do) matters.

Want a future that looks different than it does now? Here’s a tip:

➡️ CHOOSE to not make the next five years anything like the last five.

I choose to make the next half decade dramatically different from the past 5 years! That’s the vibe I’m on. I’m so grateful for the past and present, and excited about the future. 😁

Who’s with me?

– Shawn Byfield (Contact me here)