I have never heard anyone say they wish they didn’t know how to dance. I think deep down inside everyone feels the connection to movement but some are cautious to tap into it. It is said, back in Egypt, Dances were performed at births, marriages, funerals, royal functions and ceremonies for the Gods. This dates back thousands of years so dance has always been a strong part of human interaction.
Even animals “strut their stuff” to get the attention of the mate they want. Dancing does the same for humans at times. I have seen many people go FULL OUT to impress their family, friends, or someone they’re attracted to. Dancing is great for the mind and body. It carries great energy and has many benefits. Studies have long shown that exercise is associated with preserving cognitive function. Dancing ranks as one of the best exercises because of the added mental challenges required, some which include: remembering choreography, executing turns, recognizing the beat, synchronizing movement with the music to name a few. Dancing is now linked to a reduced risk of developing dementia. The benefits of dancing go on and on. So, if you want to learn how to dance your making a GREAT decision.
Dance should be connected to feeling the music. Start off by making a playlist of all your favorite songs that make you want to naturally get up and move. These songs will inspire you to let loose, have fun, and feel the music naturally. Music is your best friend starting out. If you're not inspired to keep at it, you will eventually stop. Consistency will be a huge factor to making the progress you want. This will help you get comfortable with your own personal set of movements. Naturally, everyone has go-to moves that the body has retained. It might be things from you’re childhood or something you've seen when someone else was dancing. Once you start practicing, you will start to be able to identify these moves. Once you do, I recommend recording your sessions. Dance moves can feel a certain way in our body and look different from an outside perspective. Watching your playback will show you if the move feels like the picture you’re trying to create. Repetition will make this an easier process.
Once your comfortable with your own movement and become familiar, you can start to take it to the next level. If you don’t, this information will be more than enough to get you to be the life of the party where ever you go. If you want to get even better, I would recommend taking beginner dance classes in what ever style you like. This will be a new challenge because it requires you to learn someone else’s style of moves. Over time, the process to retaining choreography will get easier. Repetition, repetition, repetition. If you take different styles of classes and teachers this will also help mold new moves for you. After taking some classes, go back and record yourself dancing and see how the new classes have influenced your movement.
Learning how to dance should be fun. If the process is making you stressed out you should email us and maybe we can help change a few things: Info@UrbanDanceLeague.com
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