Finally, we come to the end of my 5-Day Dance Camp adventure! For those of you who haven’t read the previous articles, you can find them here and here. Continue reading "A 5-Day Dance Camp Taught Me Perseverance, Part Three"
A 5-Day Dance Camp Taught Me Perseverance, Part Two
If you have been following from last time, I was relating my experiences at the West Coast Swing Dance Camp in Ancaster, Ontario - 5 gruelling days that taught me a lot about what drives us, whether we’ve been dancing for 10 months or 10 years.
The first two days of camp were challenging, but I knew from past experience that the worst - and best - were still yet to come. Continue reading "A 5-Day Dance Camp Taught Me Perseverance, Part Two"
What A 5-Day Dance Camp Taught Me about Perseverance
Every year, a 5-Day West Coast Swing (WCS) dance camp is held in Ancaster, Ontario. That’s 5 days of workshops, assessments, and coached practices, from morning to night. It’s quite the endurance run. And it’s often a painful process, as I discovered last year.
So this time, I kept a record of my journey, as a reminder to others who sometimes face doubts and negative thinking in their learning process; that they are not alone, and yes, it does get better. Continue reading "What A 5-Day Dance Camp Taught Me about Perseverance"
You Don’t Need to Start as a Child to Learn to Dance
There’s an assumption that’s made about ballroom dancing sometimes, that many opportunities are closed to you if you didn’t learn to dance from a very early age. And I confess, it’s an assumption that I believed as well, though I didn’t know it at first. Continue reading "You Don’t Need to Start as a Child to Learn to Dance"
5 Reasons to Enjoy Ballroom Dancing Classes NOW, not Later
Every time I greet a new student, I like to take them out on the floor and move them to music right away, so they can get a taste of how much fun ballroom classes can be. It’s usually then that I hear the phrase ‘I wish I’d started dancing sooner.’
Why do we hold off on pursuing the things we enjoy? There’s a mentality that traps us, where we feel the things we really want can’t come to us without years of hard work and toil - as though we could somehow free ourselves of all responsibilities, if we just pushed hard enough. Continue reading "5 Reasons to Enjoy Ballroom Dancing Classes NOW, not Later"
Facing Your Fears: My First Salsa Club Night
So often I see students spend hours learning to dance, yet never actually going out and using it at a salsa club or ballroom dance hall. They’d like to go, but feel afraid to put their skills to the test.
I feel for you, I do. Despite what a lot of people say about dance instructors, we weren't born with some special ability that lets us dance anywhere without a care in the world. We all had to face that fear at some point.
Here is how I faced mine. Continue reading "Facing Your Fears: My First Salsa Club Night"
How Ballroom Dance Lessons Gave My Life Direction
It occurs to me, dear reader, that I’ve been hiding myself from you. I’ve gone on about how fabulous ballroom dance lessons are for years now, yet I’ve never talked about what a transformative event it was for me.
In the interests of giving you new inspiration for your own progress then, here is the story of how ballroom dance lessons helped shape my own life. Continue reading "How Ballroom Dance Lessons Gave My Life Direction"
If You Are Frustrated with your Dance Progress
It happens to all of us; no matter how talented or experienced you are, sooner or later you will hit a point where your dance progress plateaus. When trying to reach the next level feels like beating your head against a wall, and as effective.
This is a defining moment for you - the point at which you push on to achieve your goals, or turn away from them. There is no shame in either decision, unless you leave feeling there was still something left untried.
Hopefully, the suggestions below will keep you from ever feeling that way. Continue reading "If You Are Frustrated with your Dance Progress"
What Dance Techniques Should I Learn First?
Learning dance, especially ballroom dancing, can feel like drinking from the firehose at first. Every new skill you master, just seems to reveal three more dance techniques that take twice as long to develop. How do you know what to focus on first?
Fortunately, there IS a fairly specific order to building your expertise. When learned in the correct order, each of the dance techniques you learn preps you for the next one. Continue reading "What Dance Techniques Should I Learn First?"
The Les Brown Approach To Your Dancing Dreams
When working on our dancing dreams, a time always comes - usually on a day when both body and mind are feeling bruised - when we wonder if we aren’t kidding ourselves. For many people, this is all it takes for them to give up and walk away. For Les Brown, that’s just another opportunity for growth.
Les Brown was born in an abandoned building in a low-income area of Miami, Florida. In school, he was classified as ‘educable mentally retarded’. And yet, he has since gone on to become a motivational speaker, author, radio DJ, television host, and politician. The following 5 principles he shared in countless speeches, as a way to find the strength to achieve your goals - no matter what. Continue reading "The Les Brown Approach To Your Dancing Dreams"