Overcoming Your Fear of Dancing

Is your fear of dancing and getting it right holding you back from having fun on your lessons or on a social dance floor? Then fear not! Here are a few strategies to help you overcome your fears.

Breathing: Sometimes a deep breath is all we need to help us feel better. Anxiety and panic attacks usual start from a shortness of breath and quick, shallow breaths can exacerbate the problem. Focusing on taking deep breaths can distract yourself from what you are doing and can trick the brain into remaining calm.

Think Positive: Statistically within dance, worst case scenarios are not likely to happen and if something does go wrong then we press on as “the show must go on”. So, forget about all the bad things that could happen and focus on the positive things that you are doing. Just turning up to a lesson or event is a big achievement in itself.

Don’t have to be perfect: Dancing isn’t about being perfect. It is about being expressive, creative and having fun. Allow yourself to make mistakes and be okay with it, as this helps us to learn and grow as dancers. The best thing to do is keep going - stopping and starting can be hindering to the learning process.

Setting Goals: Doesn’t matter if it is a small or a big goal but setting them is important in helping to overcome nervousness and fear with dancing. A goal can be a simple as not looking down or spending a whole lesson on one dance til you feel comfortable. Setting realistic, manageable goals will help to break dancing into smaller bite sized pieces and putting us at ease.

Putting on a Character: Sometimes pretending to be a character or having a different persona while we dance helps us to separate us and our anxieties from dancing. Beyonce isn’t “Beyonce” when she performs. She is “Sasha Fierce”.

Final Thoughts: Dancing doesn’t have to be scary. Believing in yourself and that you can do it is a hard first step to take. Don’t worry or panic about the other people on the dance floor, just focus on yourself in the moment.