Do you take dance classes as an adult? Are you thinking about starting dance classes, or maybe you danced when you were younger and are thinking about getting back into it? Making space and time for dance in a busy adult life is in no way easy, but – with intentionality – is also doable. The benefits are also immense: mentally, emotionally, physically, socially, and spiritually.
I recently wrote a piece on dancing as an adult, including the holistic benefits of dancing as an adult and tips for starting or getting back into it. For that piece, I sought the input of three other adult dancers. They all sent me wonderful insights, perspectives that were great in their own ways. I couldn’t fit all of that into the piece, but it’s all too good not to be shared beyond me.
So, for my blog this month, I’m sharing those perspectives – putting my own thoughts on the back-burner for now. I’d love to hear your thoughts – email me at kb1moves@gmail.com or message me on Instagram at @kb1moves. I’d also be very happy to pass anything along to these wonderful dancers – or, as I’ve provided their Instagram handles, please feel free to connect with them that way (and give them a follow while you’re at it!)
I hope that these nuggets of wisdom are useful to you – or perhaps even your students, colleagues, friends. and peers. Happy dancing
Caitlin DeCortin (Manchester, NH)
@caitlin_erica_rose
“Getting motivated to go to class on a weeknight after work can be very challenging—whether that’s simply just getting motivated to leave my house, or feeling like I can’t close my laptop right at 5 to have enough time to get to class.
For me it’s all about setting boundaries between my work and dance life. I’ll make sure I log on a bit earlier in the day and wrap up any major projects a bit earlier than usual so that I feel good stopping work right at 5. I’m always glad I made it to class!
I also know first hand how scary it can be to get back to class. The most important thing to remember is that pretty much every dancer there has been in your shoes before. Also, be up front with the instructor that it’s your first class back in a while. They’ll likely go the extra mile to make you feel comfortable!”
Lindsay Brunson (Columbus, OH)
@belatedballetgirl
“I think that the most valuable advice that I could give to someone starting ballet, or any sort of dance, as an adult would be to push yourself to become comfortable with the feeling of vulnerability that can arise while dancing.
In my experience, the classes where you allow yourself to connect with the music and truly lose yourself in the moment are so incredibly fulfilling. I also find that my technical execution is better on the days where I allow myself to really be expansive and to dance openly and honestly.”
Olivia Exum (Richmond, VA)
@fracturedballerina
“So, I’m a language teacher, and I see so many confidence parallels between adults learning Spanish and ballet. For example, the undertaking is something we are having to do after already organically acquiring one way of doing a version of the skill.
For example, if language is communication, and dance is movement, we’ve already learned how to talk in our native languages, have relationships, become highly functional and successful, before trying to “start from zero” in a new language.
We have already learned to walk, run, jump, sit, carry things, spin around, work out, before beginning the completely different language of dance. Because we acquired our original communication and movement organically, over years and many experiences, we have a high level of skill there.
So, my biggest piece of advice, and what helped me most in my return to dance after extreme injury (kind of starting over), is to not have a set of expectations, to not take yourself too seriously, and to learn to consume dance content with appreciation while not using it as a standard for comparison with yourself.
The second thing that has helped most is breaking down learning objectives into small, digestible bites. Rather than mastering a pirouette, I work to align ankle/knee/hip/shoulder, and find exercises and coaching for that. Once confident there, I add balance, the one leg, et cetera.
It’s much easier to identify a shorter-term, attainable goal and work toward it without losing motivation, than to tackle something challenging, knowing that I look stupid and am not doing it successfully. Small bites ensure that my confidence is not so damaged that I lose motivation to continue.”
Images courtesy of Unsplash