Too many dancers whether they’re in the professional industry or not, have suffered from anxiety in dance at some point. More people than you think. The stigma and pressure that’s been created for dancers to look and act a certain way, until you feel like ‘you’re not good enough’ if you don’t match up to that stereotype of a ‘typical’ dancer.

The dancers body, dancers mindset, dancers diet plan, dancers training regime, dancers ‘look’, the way you do your makeup, how quickly you pick up a routine… all of those things. Yes don’t get me wrong, talent will take you far in the industry, but my goodness do you have to be strong-minded to stay in it. A million no’s before 1 yes. Can you handle that?

I tell you what, I don’t know how long I could handle that for… No one’s invincible – not me, not you, not her, not him. This in all honesty is everything that’s wrong with the industry in my eyes, and yes there is of course a time and place for all of the above factors to steer your success, but having the right mindset and inner strength will CHANGE your journey and make it ENJOYABLE. But why does that matter? Because if you genuinely LOVE what you’re doing, these things will come naturally.

The ‘no’s’ will push you to work harder because you LOVE training, those sessions where you’re sweating, aching and mentally fused, won’t be anything but the feeling of PROGRESS, audition success won’t dictate the way you feel about yourself.. they’re just an EXPERIENCE to add to your journey to make you better.

Feeling anxious and nervous is normal. It means you care. But feeling like you have to be somebody else to ‘make it’, and hating the need to work harder will never do anything positive for you. Imagine if it didn’t feel completely daunting to perform in-front of everyone at the end of class, but instead – excitable nerves because you WANT to do well. Imagine if the frustration you feel was because you know YOU didn’t do your best personally rather than someone else ‘not liking’ your performance but you gave it all you had…That’s not your drama boo – that’s just their preference! So what I’m saying is, please don’t get it personal. Take every negative, turn it into a challenge and see it as a test to improve yourself. THIS is what will get you to where you want to be.

In my classes, my priority before anything else is improving each and every person’s confidence, and happiness and drop that ‘not good enough’ feeling you might have felt before. By the end of class, my goal is to make you feel like the sassiest queen/king in the room and encourage the dancers around you to join your sass squad and feel the same too! Whether you want to dance professionally or you just coming to class for fun/fitness/friendship… In class it’s about leaving your sh*t out the door and once you’re in that studio, you can be yourself, interpret the routine your own way and express yourself however you want to.

Mindset is so important to me. Once you have control of your thoughts and feelings, everything falls into place. You become more focused, more inspired, more confident and actually believe in yourself as YOU. All of these factors will naturally help you to become a better dancer.

Who cares if you forget the routine or mess up sometimes? Who cares if you’re not the best in the room? This shouldn’t matter anywhere and it especially doesn’t matter here at The Army DC. I want the best for YOU. Not the best in the room. We are a family, who support and encourage each other.

Hear more about anxiety in the dance industry from my class at MOVE IT 2022 on our youtube channel here: MOVE IT 2022 CLASS

The Army DC is more than a team. We vibe together, we laugh together, we cry together and make each other feel as confident and as sassy as can be. Remember who you’re on this journey for and why you started dancing in the first place!
Do you. Beckie x