If I had a penny for every time I heard the same fears from dancer to dancer, I would be a very rich woman ahaha. So I thought why don’t I write down the top most common ones and how The Army DC actively handles/resolves these fears.
Fear number 1 – Fearing that you’re not good enough – Whether you are new to dance or have been dancing for years, I STILL see dancers struggling with this. For new dancers it’s a case of worrying about whether they will be able to keep up or look silly if they try. But for long time dancers, there is this pressure to always be the best. Don’t get me wrong, it’s completely okay to strive to be an amazing dancer but don’t be disheartened if you aren’t ALWAYS the best, or when others start to improve and get better. At The Army DC we have become a very close family and by having open and honest conversations during classes has definitely brought us closer but it has also shown each other that we are equal and we aren’t in competition against one another.
Fear number 2 – Worrying whether you’ll make friends – I completely understand that starting new something new can seem daunting but once you get into the studio you will soon realise that everyone is so welcoming. I also think the excitement of knowing you’re about to walk into a room of like minding people should outweigh the fear. Whether we have newbies or not, I love to start classes with an ice breaker, from rap battles to running around pretending we’re a piece of pasta haha! These activities are great at getting everyone in the room socialising, excited and more importantly feeling comfortable in their self and surroundings, which is the perfect environment to dance to your full potential.
Fear number 3 – Too scared to perform in front of everyone – Firstly, can I just start by saying how much dancers do not realise the this is such a good way to help other people in the room learn new techniques and styles from YOU! Even if you feel like that wasn’t your best performance, guaranteed there will be something you do that will make someone else think about themselves and want to apply it to THEIR dance. But another great reason we perform in front of one another is to get CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. This is SO SO important for you to be able to progress and improve and we have to be able to handle helpful comments because it will only benefit us. This is why I get my dancers to give regular feedback to one another because it is a part of growing and character building. Believe in yourself when it is time to perform, if you mess up, just keep going or freestyle and remember you might be helping someone else.
Fear number 4 – worrying you won’t know what you’re doing – I see it all the time where dancers are unsure and then start panicking and questioning their ability to dance. Please ask questions, because 9/10 someone else will be thinking the same thing but are too scared to ask!! Be brave because you never know who you are inspiring!
Fear number 5 – Absolutely dreading freestyling – You know all that stuff you do in the shower when no one is looking, yeah THAT’S YOUR FREESTYLE!! That right there is enough for us and we will help with the rest of it. There really is no right or wrong way to do it, that’s why it’s called freestyle!
Ultimately a lot of these fears come down to having the wrong mindset and not being fully confident in yourself. And yes, as much as we are a dance school, we are unique in the fact that we work on confidence building, which of course will benefit your dancing but it’s also a skill that will help you progress in the outside world.
It makes me happy to see a lot of our dancers who have overcome some of these fears especially when it was holding them back. So if you ever feel these fears creeping up on you then please remember it is normal, WE are in this together and WE will get though it!
And the difference is, I ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT YOU!
How we tackle your biggest dance fears in class!
