Virtually everything we encounter can teach us something about ourselves, and how we can enjoy this crazy experience called life. True, you usually have to be looking carefully to spot it. Perhaps what dance teaches you above all else is to just keep your eyes open - odds are, you'll recognize something worth learning.
The following are little things I’ve learned - or am learning - during my journey with dance. I hope it helps you as much as it’s helped me.
1. Nothing Worth Having Comes Easily.
We don’t feel a sense of accomplishment after eating our lunch.
But we will feel it after running that extra mile, or after nailing that exam we studied like crazy for. What dancing teaches you is that the more difficult the task is, the more awesome it feels to overcome it.
2. If it Doesn’t Feel Right, it’s Probably Wrong.
Dance is not designed to be painful. Sometimes your body isn’t ready or capable of some movements, and other times you may push yourself to the point of pain. But overall, what dancing teaches you is that your body is the early warning system for your life. If something feels painful, awkward, or unbalanced, it’s probably not helping you.
3. Patience is Key.
Even the celebrities on Dancing with the Stars get weeks of dance training - BEFORE the show starts, just so they can look more impressive. What dancing teaches you is to spend a little less time thinking about what you want, and be a little more being proud of what you’ve gained.
4. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff.
Most of us are guilty of over-exaggerating the little setbacks in our life. And dancing is full of little setbacks. Crushed toes, overzealous leaders, and unresponsive followers are just part of the game. What dancing teaches you is every mistake is just a lesson in disguise. So learn, laugh it off, and move on.
5. You’re In This Together
Dancing with your partner can feel like you’ve become one person with 4 legs. So, why shoot yourself in the foot? It’s so easy to critique your partner for their slip-ups, while overlooking your own role in the accident. Like car crashes, the vast majority of them could have been prevented if either driver had been paying more attention. Remind yourself that enjoying you partner’s company is the whole point of this thing, and work together without pointing fingers.
6. Be Yourself.
How much of our lives are spent hiding some part of ourselves away because we don’t believe it’s ‘good enough’ to take out in public? We constantly try to impress people by acting like someone we are not, yet the happiest people I’ve met are those who embrace their authentic selves. Perhaps what dance teaches you above all else is how wonderful and liberating it is to just let your freak flag fly.
7. You Define Your Limits.
I can’t say how many talented dancers I’ve seen quit because they’d decided they would never be good enough for themselves. We all have a built in resistance to change, to any breaks in our routine, that can drive us into a rut if we let it. If you walk into a dance studio for the first time - or a night school, or a gym, or a new job - you do so because, on some level, you know you can be or do more. What dance teaches you is the more you trust that voice, the farther you will go.
What other life lessons have you learned through dance?