Twyla Tharp choreographed more than 160 works and received numerous honors, including two Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, and the U.S. National Medal of the Arts.
She believes her success comes from a relentless and daily commitment to the fundamentals of her craft.
She has practiced the same basic positions and performed the same balance exercises since she was a child. These “basics” paved the foundation for her creative success.
Study the world’s best performers in every domain, and one theme stands out—their attention to the basics propels them toward sustained excellence.
The late NBA player Kobe Bryant was no exception. He never took the fundamentals for granted, practicing basic ball handling, footwork, and shooting drills to start every day. He credited his commitment to the fundamentals for his success on the court.
Thomas Keller is the only American-born chef to ever hold 3-star Michelin ratings for multiple restaurants. Keller’s obsession over the fundamentals, like knife skills, sautéing, and plating, produces the consistency he believes produces the excellence he strives for every day.
World-renowned trumpeter Wynton Marsalis spends the first 20 minutes of his daily practice sessions playing long and soft tones, focusing on producing a pure, round sound. He then engages in lip slur exercises, tonguing techniques, and articulation drills.
Marsalis always returns to the basics. Like so many other top performers, he believes the fundamentals create the foundation for more advanced skills regardless of the musician’s level of achievement.
The lesson is straightforward: Excellence in performance is the consequence of consistently practicing and applying the fundamentals.
The question every performer must ask themselves is: What are the fundamental drills and exercises I should commit to no matter how successful I become?
The best performers don’t go back to basics for the simple reason that they never abandon them in the first place.
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