How can we all learn to be more confident in our own skin? And how can committing to our movements also help us to become betters dancers as well as happier human beings?
Amerita, a dance activist sums it up beautifully in her Ted Talk which you can view on YouTube here. You’ll only need 10 minutes, but if you’re in a hurry then fast forward to about 6 minutes in.
Like Amerita I too stopped dancing for a while during my twenties, disillusioned with the purpose of my dance career, and like her, the moment I stopped moving, I started feeling inhibited by cultural norms, and [ironically] began spending more money on clothes and make up in order to ‘fit in’ or ‘look right’. But I soon returned to my dancing roots and realised [like Amerita], that it’s all about committing to the movement, to being you, and to accept – which so many people don’t – that dancing and movement is a very natural thing and something to be celebrated and embraced.
As children we all love moving our bodies but as we grow up we are often discouraged from such frivolities and instead asked to focus on more ‘sensible’ things. But our bodies are us too, and in dance we get to explore and experience that like in no other way. Whether you’re a beginner or a professional dancer, when you dance you have to commit to the movement and to the here and now. It doesn’t matter whether you get the move right, or whether it’s big, small, fancy or not – it’s all about committing to it in the first place. A skill directly transferable to our every day life. Being in the here and now and committing to the moment will not only help you become more focused but also better at what you do – whether it’s dance or non-dance related. And when you commit to being you and what you do – you will not only get better at it but your confidence will grow too.
Do keep this in mind for when you’re next rushing from one thing to the next, or think you don’t have time to attend a dance or movement class in the middle of your busy schedule. Commit to the moment, commit to the movement and allow yourself to be present and enjoy the here and now. Happiness will be your reward…
Feel free to share your comments and views on this in the comment box below.
I hope you have a lovely week of dancing ahead.
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Dorte
Did you miss my last post? Read it here: If you change one thing to improve your dancing…
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