June 07, 2012
Are you letting your fear of “looking like fool” stop you from getting good fast? Or let me ask this a different way, are you waiting until you get “good” to get out there and start dancing? Well, if you answered yes to this question, you are going to be waiting a long time! Dancing is not something you learn by osmosis, dancing is something you learn by doing.
Let me just start out by saying that you are not alone in this, everybody on the planet has this fear of “looking like a fool” in front of others. The question is though, are you going to let it stop you from doing what you love to do or from accomplishing your goals? The answer to that question should be NO. Believe me, the Michael Flatley’s and Michael Jordan’s of the world felt the fear, but it did not stop them.
Think of learning to dance as learning to swim. The swimming instructor can show you, demonstrate, and teach you everything about swimming. But until you get in the water and actually try it, you will not be able swim. Same thing with dancing, you can take a bunch of classes, watch as many videos on YouTube as you possibly can, but until you actually go out dancing, you will not be able to get good.
Don’t get me wrong, you will benefit tremendously from taking classes, this is a great way to get started. But you’ve got to get out there and start practicing what you’ve learned sooner rather than later. If all you know is the basic step, then you should be out there dancing and practicing your basic step until it becomes second nature. Scary thought I know, but this is the only way.
And it’s not enough to practice on your own until you “get good”. You need to get out there and dance with a real person. This is the only way to really learn how to lead and follow.
One of the best ways to get over this fear is by making friends with other dancers. If you’re taking group classes, then you are well on your way. It’s great to make friends with the people in your class because they are also learning, they are at your same level of dancing, and you can practice what you learned in class. This will take away the fear factor of asking a stranger to dance when you are out social dancing because you will already know them.
Another way is to go out dancing regularly. This way you will also start getting to know everyone. Dance communities are usually small, and after a couple of times, you will have met most everyone.
So don’t wait, get out there and start dancing! You will have so much fun, you’ll be wondering why you waited so long to get out there.
If you feel stuck or you’re not sure what the best way is to reach your goal of getting good fast is, then you’ll benefit from the Get Freaking Good Fast Salsa Bootcamp Series. This program will help you get the most out of the time that you have prioritized for yourself in an efficient and fun way and in a supportive environment. You can find out more about it here (Get Freaking Good Fast page).
Gabriela Gonzalez, The Get Freaking Good Fast Salsa and Ballroom Coach, is the founder of the Get Freaking Good Fast Salsa Bootcamp Series, the proven step-by-step program that shows you exactly how to become a Super Salsero(a), in record time...guaranteed. To get your F.R.E.E. copy of “17 Ways to Get Freaking Good Fast at Dancing” and receive her dance articles and tips on how to massively improve your dancing to get freaking good fast, visit www.gabrieladance.com and sign up.
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