Don’t stop!
- Sarah Cleaver
- 7 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Advice to help you stay on the floor…
Dancers, I get it - I really do! Perhaps you are a new beginner, or you have been coming a couple of weeks. You are trying to master putting your weight in the right place, step sequences (like “vine right”), moving as a bloc with other dancers around you, fitting your steps to the music, remembering the steps, and dancing the steps facing a new wall (which feels completely different!). There’s a lot going on. I do understand!
But here’s the thing. I can’t teach you to dance if you’re not on the dance floor. So, please, don’t stop!
I know, it’s sometimes tempting to step off the floor and just watch everyone else having a good time… but as soon as you do that, your learning stops too. "If you want to learn to dance... you have to move your feet!"
So please, don’t stop!
Here are some tips to help you stay on the dance floor:
Let go of perfect. You don’t have to be perfect, it’s a leisure activity! Just do the bits you can do, fudge the rest, and carry on. (What do I mean by fudge? Just move more-or-less in the right direction, but without worrying about the detailed footwork.) Eventually, the bits you can do will join up, and that will be a moment to celebrate!
Ask! If there’s a bit you’re not getting, please do ask! I never mind questions - they are an opportunity to help you.
if it's "the turns", or something that you find difficult to do (e.g. if you have a dodgy hip) ask if there's an alternative move.
Find someone who looks like they know what they are doing, and watch their feet. There’s something about following someone’s feet that really makes it easier. This is why I recommend, if you’re a new beginner, don’t stand in the back row, and try not to stand at the end of a row either.
Laugh! Don’t beat yourself up, just forgive yourself (you’re the dance equivalent of a learner driver, but with a lot less risk!) The club is called Laughter in Line for a reason. Have a laugh… and carry on! Just don’t stop! Stay on the floor.
Comments welcome!
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