Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been dancing for years, developing confidence is a process that can take time. Confidence refers to the ability to feel assured of your strengths, abilities and value. We’ve gathered a list of tips to help you improve your confidence while dancing. Enjoy!
Accept yourself and avoid comparisons
Whether you’re young or old, short or tall, you have to work with what you’ve got! Wanting what someone else has – whether it’s the body, the age or the moves – will not only fail to get you the results you want, but it will make you miserable. So ditch the comparisons, go at your own pace and embrace your awesome, unique self!
Manage your self-talk
Practice noticing when automatic negative thoughts enter your mind. Thoughts such as “I suck at this; everyone else is so much better,” will only bring you down and diminish your confidence. Once you have recognised the thought, replace it with a more realistic and helpful one. You could say something like “I’m doing a great job. I’m getting better with practice! Everyone else is doing well, too. I’m happy for them,” instead. By dealing with negative self-talk you will be better able to see your strengths and build your confidence.
Aim to have fun
Putting pressure on yourself to perform to high or unrealistic standards will only cause you stress and deplete your confidence. Rather than focusing on perfecting your technique, set yourself the goal to have fun and enjoy yourself and the former will happen naturally. Having a positive, fun mindset can help you to go easier on yourself and focus on the positives, which in turn can help to boost your confidence. So smile, let loose and have a good time!
Practice and mastery
It’s hard to be confident in your dance abilities when you’re just starting out, because you might not really be sure what you’re doing. Instead, be confident in your ability to learn and grow. Practice is the key to mastering your moves – once you’ve got some experience in dancing, it’ll be easier to feel confident. Trust that you will get better with time and enjoy the journey.
Be present and tune into the music
When you’re in a state of flow, you’re not occupied with self-conscious or self-critical thoughts. You’re grounded in the moment and are fully engaged in what you’re doing. This allows you to let go and completely be yourself. Being present makes it easier to assess how you’re actually going in a realistic and objective way, rather than getting stuck in a cloud of false judgements.
Just dance!
Dancing (especially to music!) is a great way to release endorphins and feel good. Dancing can naturally facilitate feelings of confidence because it is such a positive experience. If you’re curious about taking dance lessons, Care to Dance can help. Have a look at the classes we offer and get in contact with our friendly team for more information.