Tango to the Successful Student Self:
An E-Chat With Dr. Wendy Guess, PhD,
Visionary Performance Coach
www.drwendyguess.com

by Fey Ugokwe, J.D., Founder/Editor-in-Chief

Q:  What a beauteous, lyrical, half-maddening mixture is Dance—multilingual and multidimensional, oft swirls from its luminous, limbic logic-and-illogic a heady, soul-stirring mash that both defies and defers to the righteous-but-ravenous demands of gravity, speed, and time. ‘Tis truly a brazen feat to twirl the amoebic

A:  It is truly a match made in heaven to choreograph the intertwining qualities of Performance Coaching and the Physical Arts.  The concept arrived as a result of many philosophical conversations revolving around [both] seeing students connect with various dances--after struggling with other dances--and spending laborious hours coaching partners on the appropriate subtleties of collaborating on and off the dance floor.  Perhaps most relevant of all [was] having witnessed caterpillar-to-butterfly-like transformations, as non-dancers experienced the exhilaration of their first performance and became virtual kings and queens of confidence and rapport. 

[Further], research provided on the dance floor of Life led to the creation of a personality quiz using the medium of social dances.  Imagine understanding how the passion and intensity of a Tango, the creative innovation of the Swing dance, or the elegance and strength of Waltz could guide and enhance your "daily performance."  [The realization] that performance anxiety is not limited to the dance floor or stage--it impacts test-taking, interpersonal skills, confidence, business and personal relationships, adapting to change, etc.—[additionally] set the stage for choreographing a Performance Coaching business.

Q:  How do you control the all-encompassing, exotic essence of Salsa (and as a half global South American, I know all about that hip-twisting tale!) to specifically coach, e.g., non-dance-majoring--sometimes two-left-feet-having--over-caffeinated and underslept University Co-eds, into forming, of all feats, better Networking and Business relationships?

A:  The secret is to use carefully chosen activities with the premise that "all we really need to know in life we learn on the dance floor."  As indicated by the ratings, shows like Dancing With The Stars fascinate and captivate viewers--perhaps [because] they secretly wish to have the same level of confidence and dexterity as [the] performers.  The social skills that benefit Networking and Business relationships are encoded in the very dances that have been passed down through time.  Each session continues the journey of discovering critical social skills, e.g.,:

1.      Bonding with a community and getting in sync;

2.      Developing rhythm and conversation skills;

3.      Understanding the roles and expectations of leading or following; and,

4.      Enhancing energy and performance abilities.

Q:   What is the most poignant University Student success story to evolve as a result of your Triumph-through-‘Trot Coaching endeavours?

A:   Many poignant experiences come to mind.  Frequently, [University] Students have timidly appeared--and [then] throughout the semester, have gained a stronger sense of confidence and ability to overcome performance anxieties [such as] speaking, testing, socializing, etc.  One student in particular truly found himself as a result of participating--and is now a nationally known expert in his specialty, as well as a gifted instructor. 

[Also], we regularly see [our] 5^th graders go from shy, awkward, [and] “cooties”-stricken--to respectful, confident young ladies and gentlemen.  Feeling part of a community provides many of these students with the desire to attend school, learn, and perform throughout all aspects of their lives. 

Q:  Just as Ed-in-Chief-truly, you matriculated from a traditionally single-sex institution at a juncture in your higher-ed high-jump.  Howe’er, your stint sprouted right here in the serene Southwest, at the graduate level of the historic Texas Women’s University. How did your years there particularly prepare you for female Entrepreneurship, and had you envisioned yourself in a Coaching profession at any juncture during that journey?

A:  My experience at Texas Woman's University has been a thrilling "high-jump" of higher-ed!  I entered the university intending to honor and continue the tradition of [my] great-grandfather, [a] university president from 1941-1946 ([I donned] his now-antique academic regalia at my own graduation).  Throughout my experience, I found myself surrounded by insightful colleagues and professors, from whom I gleaned an augmented world view of professional prospects.  My years there focused upon deepening [my] understanding of behavior change, and program development and evaluation--which further developed the connection between dance, performance, and business coaching. 

Q:   What personal, planet-hugging, e.g., eco-friendly, effort have you recently made of which you are most proud, and why?

A:   In addition to the more obvious planet-hugging activities that I choose to adopt--such as carrying my own re-usable shopping bag to contain purchases--an equally profound activity is promoting awareness of internal toxicity levels [which] dramatically impact our personal planetary performance.  While we view the external toxic residue leading toward a diseased planet, we frequently pay little or no attention to the toxicity that may reside with in us, [that] severely reduces our physical and emotional performance abilities--and eventually leads to disease.  Aligning myself with activities and programs that reduce personal toxic waste allow me to feel positive about [my] footprints.  My most favorite activity, not surprisingly, is to educate and connect with people through the process of engaging in community-bonding activities [that] utilize the global languages of music and dance.

Q:   Should your iPod/MP3 player be inappropriately ogled by a nosy-parker-of-a-non-repeat-dinner-guest, what would be the top three videos and/or songs residing therein that might shock them into either irrepressible query or soup-slurping stupor?

A:  Overall, [mine] includes the most eclectic combination of music--that would surely create a look of bemused puzzlement, as they attempt to comprehend the truly global collection of dances.  Each has an insightful story [that] enhances the process of understanding music, life, and each other. A few examples would include the 1981 Folk Dance of the Year, the Texas National Anthem, a dance found at most Jewish weddings, and a healthy supply of the incredibly healing beats of Afro-Caribbean dances.

Q:   Did you view the last Presidential Debate between McCain and Obama, and what was your impression of their final, official fancy footwork together?  Also, did you organize a Watch Party for the eve of Election Day ’08--and if so, given that e’erything consumable existed (or could be created, apparently) in McCain/Palin, Obama/Biden personage or nomer—from cookies n’ cakes to ice-cream n’ beer—what was scribbled on your shopping list for that knuckle-gripping night’s gnosh?

A:   I was fascinated with the debates from a choreographic point of view.  The sheer physicality of the event was most intriguing, from their clever--almost cheeky verbal footwork--as they each focused upon the other's potentially less desirable performance record--to the literal footwork, during which each candidate sought to develop a more intimate level of communication with the audience members, [whilst] creating a visual determent between the audience and [each other]. 

However, elements that could have significantly enhanced each candidate's individual performance included development of a stronger verbal solo—[such as] highlighting more of the candidate’s own skills and techniques, with less attention drawn to the opposing candidate’s performance (e.g., voting records), [and] more attention to their subtle physical positioning [when] speaking and listening.

The show-stopping item on my show-watching shopping list was a collection of delectable chocolates!