Be The Best Dancer You Can Be
Wondering where to begin? Below are some measures you can take which can help you reach your full potential as a dancer. Read more if you are somebody who wants to start just for fun or if you want to become a professional dancer, these points are suitable for both circumstances!
The Initial Steps
Dancing takes a lot of passion and dedication, whether this is something you want to do just for fun or one day become a professional. Like many other activities, dancing is also a team sport so this is something that you want to consider is right for you. You’ll never know until you jump in and give it a try! So to start off your dance journey think about what style of dance you would potentially enjoy. The more the merrier!
Dance Like No One Is Watching
Explore a little online and try to find some music/dance videos that you like the look of. Begin by moving around freely in your room or around the house (beware of furniture). Then dance and groove like no one is watching (chances are they’re not and if they are, who cares? As long as you’re having fun!) Experiment with how to move your body but make sure you stretch first as you don’t want any injuries to occur.
Research
It’s time to do a bit of research and find a dance school, ask for recommendations, look at websites, follow word of mouth and anchor to which location you think has the right vibe for you. You’ll feel what’s right in your heart because finding a place that makes you comfortable and that you are happy is the key.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Try as many classes as you can! You never know what styles you might enjoy and the more styles you try the better. With time it will lead to you becoming a well rounded dancer. Ask your teachers for advice and to evaluate how you are going in your lessons. Watch your peers during class and adapt your style and movement to the things you like, watch yourself in the mirror and exude confidence.
Be open and ask questions, if you don’t understand steps, ask the teacher if they can be broken down and gone through slowly or filmed after the class. Make sure you are always stretching and warming up before lessons and then cooling down after to avoid any injuries.
Stretching in your spare time will improve your flexibility and working on choreography during this time will also make it stick in your head and become part of your muscle memory before you know it.
Stay Healthy
We are at our happiest and best selves when our mind and body are healthy and we are caring about our wellbeing. Dancing can be a very demanding sport and it’s important to stay healthy and hydrated to keep your bodies going!
For a healthy mind, find balance in your routine. Strive for dancing being a cog in the many wheels of life. When you dance you never just dance the steps, you can express any emotion going through your mind that goes with the music and overall mood/style of the dance at the time.
Carpe Diem (Seize the day)
You may be presented with opportunities throughout your dance journey, this could be professional work or progression into studying dance, beginning a teaching career, it may even be things such as being asked to be a lead role in a show! These are all amazing options and if you are presented with them then the answer should almost always be a yes.
There may be other opportunities which will arise where you will have to take the first step. This can be something such as an audition and if this is a path you are looking to go down then take that chance! You may not feel confident, you might feel like a small fish in a big pond and like there is a lot of competition out there but any experience you can get will look amazing on a dance resume down the line. You never know where it may lead.
“When you dance your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor. Its to enjoy each step along the way” - Wayne Dyer