A beginner's guide!
Taking a dance class is undoubtedly a great act of courage and of transcendence. Indeed, whether you are already a dancer or just starting to get used to it, you never know how your brain will react. I am talking about the brain because it is thanks to it - or because of it, too often - that our body responds positively or not to the information received.
Having taken classes for more than 25 years (yes, said like that it looks like I danced for more than a quarter of a century! Whoa...), I realize that certain "qualities" are required to make a class a good laboratory for discovering a style and oneself as well as an opportunity for physical and mental exploration of one's abilities. Here are some tips (my opinion):
1- Have the intention to learn
Intention is an essential element in any concrete action. And dance is no exception. Taking a course with no learning intention often leads to:
- a lack of listening (we do what we know, we do not follow the instructions given),
- frustration (we can find the course too slow or too fast),
- comfort (we do not question what we have learned, we will not test further)
- suffering (we regret having come, we feel ugly) to the feeling of being judged (we are afraid to try and screw up. We think about what others see).
In all cases, there is no progress. A good way to make sure you have an intention is to set a learning goal (s) that you will keep in mind throughout the course.
2- Finally I think we have seen the golden rule above! Oops!
Do not be surprised! Openness to learning and mental readiness are essential components of the intention to learn. If our brain is monopolized by ideas and concerns other than our investment in movement, the body encounters many blockages. Telling yourself: "I really can't do it!" or "Haha, there are some who are really not doing it well" or "Me it's easy for me", all lead to one result: you don't learn. We are not progressing.
I invite you, and I also invite myself, to take lessons to progress and unlock new skills, not to confirm or deny talent. Everything can be learned! And dance is no exception! Fortunately.
Véroushka Eugene
Written on September 18, 2018