A friend of mine has (as he refers to it), “an almost religious habit, which you shouldn’t make fun of me for man” where he watches the clip below on a daily basis.

For him it has paid off, he recently placed the finals of a Jack and Jill where there was some stiff competition. He greatly admires Nick’s dancing and claims Nick’s musicality makes the songs Nick dances to come alive. That in turn inspires him to train hard and continuously hone his technique and dance skills.

Below are two clips that, while not daily, I watch fairly often.

The reason both these clips inspire me are the energy and the uniqueness of each dancer. Often in competitions these days I see people who look extremely concentrated and occasionally look like caricatures of their instructors. When I see people compete or perform, even when I dance myself I want to see who that person is as an individual and the joy of the dance in them.

Clips whether from recent events or back in the 30’s or 40’s can be powerful tools of motivation and inspiration in many aspects of ones own dancing. I also have another friend here in Orange County that before every competition he enters, watches his favorite clips to inspire himself and keep his spirits high.

If you have any favorite clips you like to watch consistently or are inspired by them in ways I have not mentioned, feel free to comment below.