The Dance Primer

Why do you want to dance, anyway? This is a good question to ask yourself whether you’re just beginning, or “hitting a plateau.” For me the answer is the same as it is for most things I do in life; because it’s fun.

Now that I know my motivation is fun, I can set my dancing priorities. Do I have to be the best technical dancer in the room? No. Do I need to compete or show off? No. Do I have to be on the board of directors, spending hours organizing events? No. But will I do these things? Only if it contributes to the fun I have dancing.

It’s important to know your motivation so you can refocus when you have those down times.

• If you’re motivation is physical mastery, maybe you need to spend time practising and find a regular practice partner.
• If you’re motivation is because you get positive attention when you dance, don’t forget to respect others and give them positive attention, too. (Good Karma.)
• If you’re motivation is to make friends, don’t be a wall-flower, feeling sorry that nobody asked you to dance. Attend the drop-in lessons, remember folks names, and ask them to dance again later.
• If your motivation is to find a partner, be careful not to try too hard. You don’t want to become A Prowler, as you could easily harm your chances of finding a good one.

Whenever you hit the wall (figuratively), stop and remember your motivation. (If you’re hitting the wall literally, you need to stop staring at your feet.) Do you need to approach dancing from a new angle? Is it time to try a different type of dance? Hang in there and you’ll find that joy that hooked you on dancing in the first place.