Hinge! Check your feet. Are you in the ball of your foot? Where’s your angle? Dang, it’s hot in here. Are you bending your knees? What was the step before that? Oh yeah, don’t forget to have fun!
Anyone else relate to these thoughts rolling around their head for the entire dance class? There’s soooo many things to balance when taking a class. It can be so easy to solely focus on making sure you have the moves “right.” And don’t get us wrong; technique is important. However, these are dance classes. So if you’re moving like a robot, are you actually DANCING?? (With the exception of actually doing the Robot Dance lol.)
We want you to have the freedom to feel through your movement and make it your own. That’s what makes dance so special! It’s an expression of YOU.
So here are a few tips to keep in mind to make sure you’re actually DANCING when taking a dance class.
1. Get loose – Relax your shoulders and bend your knees. When we learn something new, people sometimes have a habit of tightening up and becoming stiff. If you feel that happening, I want you to take an intentional, deep breath in, and as you exhale, let your body sink down and relax. Or even shake it out!
2. Don’t over think it – As you take that breath, know it’s OK to make a mistake. Going back to #1, I think we tighten up as a way of having control over an uncertain situation. It’s time to let go of that need to control how you look, cause it very well could be hindering your growth as a dancer. It’s time to get out of your head, and see #3.
3. Own your swag – You don’t need to look like anyone else in the room. The way you naturally move and feel the music is beautiful. We’re just there to give you a little structure with technique, but you still have something special to bring to your dance… YOU! So never apologize for or question your swag.
Next time you take a dance class, we want you to ask yourself, “do I feel like I’m actually dancing or just copying the moves given to me without feeling it?” If you check in and realize you’re dancing like a zombie, it’s ok; there’s no need to be heard on yourself. Just follow these simple steps…
Take that deep breath, shake your body loose, tell yourself it’s ok to not be “perfect,” and own what you’ve got right now!
Do you have any other tips you use to make sure you’re dancing in a dance class? Let us know in the comments below!