Dancing With Confidence
How
To Dance With Confidence
Most
people love to dance
but when they are asked
to dance either socially,
or for a performance,
they lose their nerve
and don't believe they
can dance with confidence.
Do
you want to dance? Do
you want to enjoy the
feeling of moving to
music? Do you want to
dance with confidence?
Then read on
Dancing comes from the
inside.
It
comes from a powerful
innate need we have
to move our bodies rhythmically
to music.
There
are many different types
of dance from traditional
dancing, right through
to ballet, ballroom
dancing, disco and hip
hop.
Dancing
covers the whole spectrum
of culture and history.
Dancing
can convey every human
emotion.
Dancing
is at the very centre
of some cultures and
traditions, but in modern
Western culture dancing
does not form part of
the mainstream.
We
have no traditional
dances that the whole
family, or community,
do at a wedding, for
instance.
Dancing
is regarded as "frivolous".
Something that "young
people" and "people
with nothing better
to do" indulge in.
Many
people, especially men,
just DO NOT DANCE.
Therefore,
they feel awkward, clumsy
and inhibited when dancing
at a party or club and
they wish the floor
would just open up and
swallow them when asked
to do a standard ballroom
dance at a dinner dance
or wedding!
Some
people take dancing
seriously and train
to become professional
dancers, or invest time
and money in learning
how to dance "properly".
But,
this does not always
enable them to "dance
with confidence" - to
dance with their whole
being and to enjoy what
they do.
What
can you do in order
to dance with confidence?
Step
one -
Find
the type of dancing
that you thoroughly
enjoy. The type of dancing
that makes you want
to move.
The
type of dancing that
doesn't even remotely
seem like a chore.
Step
two -
Have
lessons. Find a good
teacher who will improve
your skills and boost
your confidence.
Make
sure that you can talk
to your teacher and
that your teacher listens
to what you say - after
all, it's you that's
paying, so make sure
you get your money's
worth of skill and confidence.
If
you don't want to pay
for lessons, ask or
observe people who are
good at!
Success
leaves clues as well
so look and observe
people who you want
to dance like and copy
them!
Step
three -
Go
out and dance. Get out
there. Go dancing. Try
out what you know. Smile.
Enjoy it. Make a note
of what goes well and
what needs polishing
up.
Don't
beat yourself up when
things go wrong - dancing
is about fun and enjoyment,
not pain and stress.
If
you feel nervous, wait
until the dance floor
is full and then make
your move - it's usually
dark as well! You will
not be noticed, so go
and strut your stuff
and get practising!
Step
four -
Believe
in yourself. You can
do it. Dancing is natural.
Dancing
is moving your body
to music. We are designed
to be able to do it.
Some dancing and some
steps are more difficult
than others, but persevere
and you will master
it in the end. Rome
was not built in a day.
Top
professional dancers
are always striving
for perfection - their
work is never done -
there is always something
new to learn or another
technique to perfect.
Step
five -
Don't
let the search for perfection
get in the way of your
enjoyment of the dance.
You will never dance
with confidence if you
continually focus on
the negative. Focus
on the positive.
Concentrate
on how much you CAN
do, not on what you
can't do - yet. Close
down the voice inside
your head that continually
tells you that you are
a clutz and that you
cannot do anything right.
Tell
it to "Shut up" then
get on and dance. We
would not dream of speaking
to other people the
way we speak to ourselves
- so don't put up with
it for a moment longer!
Step six -
Stand
tall and smile. Be proud
of yourself and be proud
of what you can do.
A
smile will cover a multitude
of errors. Do not amplify
mistakes by broadcasting
them to the crowd. Concentrate
on the positive, smile
and keep dancing.
Step
seven -
Enjoy,
enjoy, enjoy!
Most
of us will not ever
earn our living by dancing
and we will not become
World Champions - so
the stakes are not high.
Therefore,
do not expend time and
energy on overly worrying,
arguing or berating
yourself over a few
dance steps.
Dancing
is a release. Dancing
is good exercise. Dancing
is good fun - if you
allow it to be.
Get
out there - AND DANCE
WITH CONFIDENCE AND
ENJOYMENT! You can do
it!
|