*buzz, static, reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee* oww

Feedback-
Anyone who has ever been to a live show, knows that horrible sound...  The monitors buzz for a brief second and everyone scrunches up their face quickly because they know that the horrible scream of feed back is about to come blasting out of the speakers.
It's just plain not a pleasant sound.
With any luck, sound techs can correct the problem and bring everything right back on line, before everyone goes horribly deaf from the ill sound. The best sound techs at this point have made mental notes about their set up and will do everything they can to make sure that mistake is not repeated.

This description applies even to dancers.  The feedback from another dancer or audience member who has watched you perform... The dancer squinches up her face for the blow.

I've worked very hard in my own world learning how to take and give feedback in a positive manner.  It makes me a better dancer.
Blessedly, in my own experience I have a few sources that give me good feedback, that doesn't come from the vicious inner critic who happens to think that everything I do is shite.
This for me came in the form of a beloved dance sister who looked at me one night and delivered the blow in a compliment sandwich... it went like this.
"I really liked what you selected for your music.  Please, don't forget that when the music phrase offers you up something juicy, where you can throw in a very powerful shimmy.  That little mistake aside, I found your ability to convey emotion in your body language, just amazing"

I found that to be a very positive thing.   Two things I could walk away with and be proud and one thing to remember to work on in the future.  Now, if you get several of these after each performance.  You get a solid picture of what you need to improve upon and what you are presently showing as your strengths.


The kind of feedback that does no good, for anyone.
"What were you thinking?  You lost me from the moment you first stepped on stage" .... *blink, blink* and the inner critic comes roaring to the surface with "Told you so.  You suck..  Why do you even bother?"
The other kind of feedback that does no good, for anyone.
"That looks fine"....   Really, Fine?  Not, good, not great, not even a poor?  Nothing specific to improve on and nothing specific that tells you that you are doing really well.

Now, I can say that even my best critique givers have come to me with an entirely negative report, as well as entirely positive reports too.  Never once have they ever given me a blanket "Fine".  Nor, have I ever given it back to them.

However, critique can come to you from everywhere.  It doesn't just have to be from your trusted sources. It can be from the photographer who looks at you and says: "Not many photos of you from the show.  You moved around way to much and well..  You didn't give me anything to shoot at."
The audience member who says: "I like your costume, but, I didn't get what you were doing"

Sound critiques come from everywhere and all should be taken to heart, chewed on and given consideration.
Sure, criticism from someone who doesn't dance, can come across as very harsh and not very helpful.  But, in reality, consider the words.  There is often more help in the words than what your knee jerk reaction thinks.

Let's use the audience member who said "I like your costume, but, I didn't get what you were doing"
That says very simply, that you look pretty and they liked looking at you -  This tells you that you got their attention.
It also tells you that you had a hard time holding their attention, but, they were still trying to appreciate what you were doing.
Long and short-  You are on the right track... but, perhaps your music choice was strange or your movements didn't match the music.
Perhaps, the next thing to do is have a critical look at your video and open a dialogue with one(or more) of your trusted sources and have them watch with you. 
It doesn't mean that you need to make any changes... since you could repeat that performance to a different audience and get rave reviews.

This brings us to the very last form of critique that is the worst of all.  Trolling.  This one really doesn't do anyone any good whatsoever.
If you've been on the internet for at least 10 years, chances are, you have run across one of these kinds of people.   Since truth told.  Trolls are everywhere.  
They are just as nasty in real life as they were in the fairy tale stories we have read.
Yes, Virginia, real life trolls exist.

A troll has NOTHING positive to say... EVER and are often quite nearly bat-shit crazy.
A troll can come in the form of another dancer, whom you may have taken some popularity from or have the potential to take popularity from.  A drummer, who only wants to drum so they can watch you shake your butt. An audience member who only likes one dancer at a show and will smack talk all the other dancers at a show, because they want to make sure that only their favorite gets attention or a random commenter on YouTube, who will say some wild and crazy things in your comments feed, just to get a rise out of you and anyone else who comments.
(Example:  "only whores dance like that" ... or... "I don't understand, why am I not seeing boobies, you MUST remove your costume".... "Old ladies shouldn't dance that way... GROSS")


It doesn't take long to figure out trolls and of course the best way to handle them, is not at all.  Don't feed them, don't respond to them... and most importantly... if they are nasty... don't let their crazy rub off on you.


Long and short.  Feedback, is often good..  should be taken with a grain of salt, paid attention too and yes, sometimes is best ignored.