Two years ago, I stumbled across a dance studio and pondered whether I wanted to step inside. I remembered being infatuated with “Fame” as a young girl. The show, dating back to the 80s, featured a cast of dancers who shared their love for dance. I loved to dance and wanted so badly to be on that show. However, I knew that dancing would not be an ideal way for me to launch a career, so my life took a different path. Fast forward a few years, and I found myself standing in front of this dance studio with a decision to make. Should I go in or not? I chose to go in and at least sign up for a few lessons to see where it might lead. What’s the harm, right? A little dancing never hurt anyone.
Around the same time, I embraced my fear of public speaking and accepted the fact that speaking in front of a group was something I needed to overcome. In that moment, I connected dancing as a path for me to conquer my fear of public speaking. I would be forced to step out of my comfort zone and challenge myself to learn dances I am not familiar with. I could freestyle like a rock star, but learning how to waltz, tango, cha-cha, and rumba – this is uncharted territory.
I started dancing and fell in love with the idea of learning more about various dances. Dancing became my little secret, something I kept only to myself. No one knew me at the dance studio, and no one had any expectations of me other than to learn the steps I was being taught. The more I danced, the more I looked forward to the end of my workday so I could high-tail it to dance class. After a year, I realized that dancing wasn’t really helping with my fear of public speaking (imagine that). So, I decided to take a different path to work on that fear but chose to keep dancing just for fun.
There are so many lessons & observations that I have learned from dancing that I didn’t anticipate, and I would like to share them with all of you:
- It’s never too late to pursue that thing you’ve always wanted to do.
- Do more of what makes your soul happy.
- Take one step at a time, and with repeated efforts, it will eventually turn into a beautiful dance of success and accomplishment.
- Dedication is essential – learning various dance styles takes time and requires a dedicated commitment.
- Practice humility – give yourself grace when you make mistakes or miss a step.
- Overcome fear – despite nervousness, I’ve competed in front of large crowds, not allowing fear to hold me back.
- Dancing has brought me joy and serves as a form of self-care.
- It satisfies my passion for learning something new, preventing stagnancy and complacency.
- It fosters a sense of belonging – everyone in the studio shares a love for dance, creating a strong community.
- Building confidence and overcoming limiting beliefs – Confidence results from preparation. The more you prepare, the more confident you become in the outcome.
I don’t, by any means, believe that you can only learn these lessons through dance; however, these lessons have been an unintended consequence of my journey and my willingness to say ‘yes’ to something outside of my comfort zone. Stepping out of your comfort zone is the key to unlocking your true potential and achieving greatness. Embrace the challenges, for it is in the discomfort that you’ll find the motivation to grow and soar.
