Anything is a strong word… But the major building blocks of life: work, relationships, leisure activities and growth—dancing can help you with all of these. How? By getting you out of your comfort zone. And getting out of your comfort zone is the first step towards being a dancer, as well as succeeding at most other activities.
The Comfort Zone
The comfort zone is a state in which we control stressors in order to remain safe. However, remaining in the comfort zone stops us taking risks, even small ones, which stops us progressing in life.
Source: PositivePsychology.com ‘Leaving The Comfort Zone’ Toolkit
How Dancing Gets You Out of Your Comfort Zone
Getting Started
Leaving your comfort zone is often the first step to achieving a goal. On your first day of dance school it will be (or was most likely) a very nerve wracking. That was the most important step on the path to becoming a great dancer, but it was only the first. When you decide to go after a goal, no matter how scary it is, you realise something: you’re not made of glass. Whatever you want is on the other side of fear. So, the next time you want to strike up a conversation with a stranger, or interview for a daunting job, or go to a dinner party with new people, you’ll be confident. If you can show up for day one of dance school, and then for day two, you can do anything. And it’s never too late to start dancing.
“The biggest challenge that you will ever have in life is you.” – Les Brown
Pushing Yourself Through Dance School
Dancing is hard. Yes, having a boogie in your own home when something bouncy comes on shuffle is easy. But actually putting on your dance shoes and showing up every week is hard. Dance school teaches you to push through, even when results feel out of reach or progress seems to plateau. You have to dig deep, believe in yourself, take the pain and show up again next time. There’s nothing comfortable about it, but it teaches you that perseverance pays off when you succeed in competitive dance. You can take this lesson into any other situation in life.
Related: 6 Reasons Why People Quit Dance School
Stop Making Excuses Not to Dance
We’ve all been there: your dancewear’s in the washing pile, your dance shoes are worn out, you’re tired, not feeling it, your friends are out having fun… It’s easy to make excuses to ditch dance school and relax instead.
It’s true that every now and then you do need a break. However, if you make a habit of ignoring the inner voice which says you can’t do it, you’ll become unstoppable. This habit will get you promotions at work, help you finish projects on the side, give you the inner strength to help people who need it. You can find excuses not to do anything in life, but it always feels great to dig deep and do it anyway.
Related: How Dancers Overcome Stage Fear
Express Yourself
For many, dancing is an outlet. It’s their art and how they express themselves. It’s easy to pretend to be someone you’re not or avoid speaking up at work, in class, in your relationships and even in dance school. Some people just go with the flow. But when you dance, you express your true self. Once you let yourself be free and show the world who you are, you realise that who you are is beautiful. You can then take this out into the world and express yourself in other ways, to speak up and get exactly what you deserve.
Solving Problems
When you come up against a difficult problem or task, it can be easy to say, “I can’t do that.” But once you’re a skilled dancer, there will be another voice in the back of your mind that says, “There was a time when I didn’t even know how to do a plié.” Acquiring one skill enables you to move on to another. Often they don’t even have to be related because it comes down to…
Confidence
It’s an unfortunate fact of life that so much of success comes down to confidence. As you build yourself in dance school, when it starts to click and you realise you can dance, your confidence will soar.
Related: 7 Ways Dancing Is Good For The Body (And The Soul)
You can then take this confidence with you out into the world and use it in so many situations. How scary will you find delivering a wedding toast after dancing competitively in front of a flock of judges?
Thanks for reading. If the only thing holding you back now is a lack of high quality clothes, check out our dance shop for the best dancewear in Canada. Struggling to find a good dance store near you? Our dance shoes, bodysuits, leotards and other clothing and accessories are available Canada-wide.
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