Dancing is an amazing form of art. It provides one with an outlet for their emotions while also acting as an excellent form of exercise. It also helps one to understand their body better and to build a positive body image. While some of us have it naturally within us to be able to dance, quite a few of us find it difficult to naturally catch beats or create dance moves. However, it is not impossible to be able to dance, and everyone can learn how to do it over time. Here are a few tips non-dancers can use to learn how to dance.
The most popular answer, and quite possibly the most important one, that you will get if you ask a dancer how you can learn how to dance is to choose the dance style you want, and take a class or course on it. Dance classes take into account any dancing experience that you have had, and even if there is none, the instructors will slowly and gradually help you build a foundation for your dance technique. When you start learning, it is definitely better to have someone to guide you through the process of learning, because they are more often than not, able to see the potential that you don’t, and can guide you along the road to becoming a good dancer and developing your own style.
If, for any reason, taking classes is not an option, you can also always teach yourself! With social media on the rise everyday, and the pandemic causing more and more dancers to conduct classes and workshops online (sometimes, even for free!), there are many options to choose from. You can sign up for programmes on websites like Steezy, or you can access videos on YouTube and start learning. While this will be a longer learning process, you will become more easily aware of how your body moves when you pay attention to yourself more.
Watching yourself dance is also paramount when you’re dancing by yourself. You can use a mirror to correct your body lines and angles, and to learn moves when you are using a reference, such as a YouTube video. However, it may not be wise to use a mirror when you observe yourself dancing an entire set of movements. In such cases, using a phone or camera to record yourself would be ideal, since you can focus fully on your movements and observe yourself at a later time, and over and over again if needed. Taking care of your body while dancing is also another aspect to be focused on, with adequate warm-ups and cool-downs, stretching, a healthy diet and plenty of exercise supplementing your dance-learning journey to help build strength, flexibility and stamina.
What is most important while starting your dance journey is to take it slow. You must accept that it will take time to reach the level of dance that you want to. I have been guilty of this myself, wanting to get things right on my first try. Learning anything is always a gradual, constant process. Every good dancer you see on stages, dance shows or social media has put in years, even decades of constant learning and practicing to get where they are today. Also, if you feel like it’s too late for you to start dancing, just know that this is not true. While age does play a part in how much you can move your body and the amount of work you can put in, this can be developed over time, and consulting a doctor or specialist beforehand to check your physical health can also help. What’s more important for dancing is to believe in yourself, believe in the fact that you can, and will, bloom over time, and, gradually, you will see yourself shine brighter than ever.
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