Many of us know the 5 Stages of Grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance. What many do not know is that there is a similar 5 stages that people go through when learning to dance. These five stages are really something that we all go through when we learn anything, but when it comes to dancing, they really seem to shine!
Stage 1: Fear
The hardest part to taking lessons is walk through the door of an Arthur Murray. We all live with that innate fear of our own inability, insecurity, feeling uncoordinated, and not knowing what to expect. Overcoming this fear is the first step to becoming a successful dancer.
Stage 2: Trust Issues
You may not know it yet, but you have some serious trust issues. You do not trust yourself, or your partner. How do I know that, but the number of times that you will look down to make sure that your feet are exactly where you need them to be. They are attached right? I can tell the lack of trust in your partner by the death grip that you have on them. Please have no worries, this too shall pass in time.
Stage 3: Awkward
None of us want to be, feel, or seem awkward; however, in dancing, embrace it. You will spend much of your time here in the awkward stage. Yes, you will feel like a baby giraffe learning to walk. No, you will not look like that. You will look much better then you will ever feel. Being awkward is the point in your dancing when you have learned it theoretically or mentally, but it has still not fully transferred into your body. The constant application of it, better known as practice, is what will get you through to the next stage.
Stage 4: I’ve lost it
This is my favorite stage as an instructor. It is mean to say, but it is true. This is where we can trust you with so much information that at times you will feel as though your brain is a desk full of papers. You know that its in the stack somewhere, but you just can’t seem to find it. One day its there and working for you, but the next day it seems to have slipped beneath your chair. We will get through this stage together!
Stage 5: I found it!
Congratulations you have made it through! You can now say that you not only have been taught how to dance, but you can physically own it. You understand both mentally and physically what it is that you need to do. You have to put forth very little effort to get to work for you. Most of all, you are now that dancer that the new ones look up to; after all, you are now where they want to be!
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