Moving up in jazz?

Question:ok soo i've been dancing since august ( just turned 18) and i was taking a beginning class but then i got cast in a show and won't be able to take jazz. so my jazz teacher decided to move me up to jazz 3 (out of 4) because she thought i could handle it and wanted me to keep dancing, and that class went better with my rehearsal times. So i went and i loved it but i realized i have to work hard to catch up to everyone in that class. they've all been dancing since they were pretty much in the womb. Does anyone have any tips that i can do at home such as work out advice or what not to get up to speed and really learn to dance to the best of my ability? thanks sooo very much!!

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: ok soo i've been dancing since august ( just turned 18) and i was taking a beginning class but then i got cast in a show and won't be able to take jazz. so my jazz teacher decided to move me up to jazz 3 (out of 4) because she thought i could handle it and wanted me to keep dancing, and that class went better with my rehearsal times. So i went and i loved it but i realized i have to work hard to catch up to everyone in that class. they've all been dancing since they were pretty much in the womb. Does anyone have any tips that i can do at home such as work out advice or what not to get up to speed and really learn to dance to the best of my ability? thanks sooo very much!!

A new class at a higher level can always be tough at first, especially if you join a class where all of the other dancers have been doing the class for a while. It's natural that you're a bit behind and feel a bit insecure. Give yourself time to catch up and get more comfortable with the class before panicking. I bet in a few months you will be more comfortable in the new class. Work toward your personal best and don't worry too much about comparing to the others in the class. Good luck!

I've been dancing since I was seven and it wasn't until I was 12 (now 13) I started to take it seriously. My new year resoulution (2007) was to get better. Every morning when I woke up and before I went to bed I did a half hour of stretches I did toe touches and splits (as far as I could go) and as many push-ups and so on... By March I could already hug my legs (head to knees) and I could split right. Now it's just as routine as brushing my teeth. I think I had it pretty tough because my Cousin is my ballet teacher! Everytime I see her at family things I think "I need to be good a dance!" and when I see her in class she singles me out. She knows I won't get offended and it gets on my nerves! (I love her anyway)