6 Things Dance Has Taught Me

Last week, I competed in my last dance competition of the year, so I thought it was only appropriate to do a dance appreciation post this week. As most of you may know, I have been dancing for most of my life and it is one of my favourite things in the whole world. Dancing has taught me so many wonderful lessons over the years, and I want to share those lessons with you all. Hopefully all these lessons can be applied to areas of life outside of performing too.

T H E   M O R E   Y O U  D O   T H E   B E T T E R   Y O U   G E T

Like anything in life, the more you do, the better you get. Practise really is the only way to get better. So many people have asked me questions like "how do you remember the moves?", "how do you know how to do that?", "what am I doing wrong?" etc. Everyone starts somewhere and the only way to progress is to keep trying. It can be so disheartening when people look like they're ahead of you or they can grasp things quicker than you can, but dance has taught me that life is not a race. Everyone is different, and the journey isn't a competition. The more you dance, the better you will become at it. If you give up, then you're not going to get any further than where you left off. Go to classes, watch YouTube dance tutorials, dance with friends etc. The more you dance, the more confident you begin to be with it and everything will fall into place. Just practise, practise, practise. 

Y O U   W I L L   N E V E R   B E  A   P E R F E C T   D A N C E R

I have my fair share of favourite dancers and every time I watch them perform, i'm so amazed. There was a point in my life where it used to make me feel so insecure and I would constantly compare myself to them. I thought that their talent, took away my own. THAT IS NEVER THE CASE. Just because someone else is talented, it doesn't mean that you are not. There is no such thing as a perfect dancer (even if it does seem that way). Just like you, they started with a hobby, practised and got to where they are. Without a doubt, even they will have criticisms for themselves and goals of where they want to get to. You may look at them and think they're perfect, but they may think far from that. Don't focus too much on other people or even your own flaws, because it's all about progression. When you are dancing, steer away from the idea of getting something perfect, and strive for excellence instead. 

T H E R E   I S   G R O W T H   O U T S I D E   Y O U R   C O M F O R T   Z O N E 

I hate to admit it, but your comfort zone is your biggest enemy. If you're comfortable, it often means you've stopped growing in that area. If you want to progress you kind of have no choice but to feel uncomfortable. I don't think I'm very good at freestyling and for that reason I rarely do it in front of people. Any time I am asked to do it, it freaks me out. However, I know that the only way I am going to get better at freestyling is if I actually do it. I'm still trying to build up courage to freestyle in front of people and hopefully soon enough I will develop that area. Do things that scare you, because most the time so much beauty comes out of it. As I write this, I am thinking about all the times I have gotten out my comfort zone over the past 12 months and it is crazy where it has brought me. 

W O R D S  A R E   N O T   T H E   O N L Y   F O R M   O F   E X P R E S S I O N

I used to be really shy and was very selective about who I opened up to. Even now, I don't share my personal life with many people, but I have definitely gotten better at it. Dance has always been where I've felt most confident and people used to comment on that. I'm a hybrid of introverted and extroverted but I would say I am more introverted for the most part. Back in secondary school, people were so surprised that I was such an expressive dancer, because I just didn't express myself much as a whole. When I'm dancing, I genuinely feel like the best version of myself. Dance is my favourite way to express myself and I've found that its the best way for me to open up. I don't think I'm very good at praying, so dancing to worship music is my way of talking to God and I always feel his presence more than when I speak. If you are like me and struggle to talk sometimes, explore other things because words are not the only way to be expressive. Whether its through dance, painting, drawing, music etc, it is SO valuable. 

Y O U   H A V E   T O   L O V E   W H A T   Y O U   D O

People ask me ALL the time if I want to be a professional dancer or follow the dance career path and my answer is always no. Not because dancing for a living isn't a fantastic job, but because I know I would easily fall out of love with it if I'm reliant on it to pay my bills. Some people still love dance just as much as they did when it was just a hobby, but I know my personality and I don't think it would be my case. I've found that no matter how good I am at something, if I don't love it anymore, I just won't commit to it. In fact, dance is probably the only hobby I have never given up on. I just have this passion for it that I can't ever see going away. With that being said, I think it is important to enjoy what ever it is you are trying to do in life. When people can see you love what you do, it translates. You could get every other step wrong, but if you look like you're having a fun time, people will still vibe with you! 

I T ' S   N E V E R   T O O   L A T E   T O   S T A R T

Like the previous 5 lessons mentioned, this applies to other areas of life too. It's so common for people to hold back from starting dance classes or careers due to believing that it's too late for them, but it is never too late! You don't have to follow the conventional route of starting at age 3, dancing all your life, going to performing arts school and then making it big. The most interesting success stories never start that way. All you need is the desire to start, and you're a step closer. I had only been doing hip-hop for 8 months when I was elected as my university vice captain, which I will never get over. I didn't think I was qualified for the job, simply because of lack of experience but people don't always look at that. Sometimes we need to forget about lack of experience and look at potential. You can start at 3 years old or you can start at 50.

So these are just a few of many lessons dance has taught me. I'm so grateful to have learnt the things I have and met some of the most incredible people over the decade I have been dancing. I can't wait to see what the next decade will introduce to me and I hope that if you have the desire to get into dancing, you too will experience many successes and achievements.

What lessons has your hobby taught you over the years? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading,
Have a great day x