When you sign up for dance lessons, you learn a lot more than the steps. Dancing, especially with a partner, requires you to learn or strengthen valuable skills that you might not associate with dance.
Whether you’re into swing dancing or salsa, you’ll learn valuable skills that will serve you well on and off the dance floor.
Seven Valuable Skills You Learn in Dance Class
1. How to Work With Other People
You probably know how to work with others in an office or academic setting, but when it comes to dancing, working with other people takes on a whole new meaning. Depending on the type of dance you’re learning, you have to learn to lead or follow your partner and/or respond to their movements with your own.
2. Stamina, Both Physical and Mental
It’s no secret that dancing is a great workout for your body, but not everyone realizes how good dancing is for your brain! Counting and memorizing steps all while remembering your form requires serious brain power. The longer you dance, the more you’ll notice your stamina improving.
3. How to Push Yourself
Part of learning is pushing yourself and when you take dance lessons, you have to be ready to push yourself past what you thought you could do. You’ll be surprised at what you can do when you step outside of your comfort zone!
4. Humility
One of the great things about dance is that it teaches us to be humble. No one ever gets the step right on the first try or executes a routine perfectly with no practice. You will probably get it wrong at first. That’s ok! It’s part of the learning process and helps keep us humble.
5. Trust
Dancing requires you to trust your instructor and your partner. You have to trust that your instructor is knowledgeable in what he or she is teaching you and that they’re pushing you at a rate you can handle. And when you’re dancing with a partner, you’re trusting that they can lead or follow properly. If you don’t trust your dance partner, it will show.
6. How to Be Present
Like we mentioned above, dancing requires a lot of mental stamina, including paying close attention to your motions. There is no room for daydreaming while you’re dancing! You have to be present and pay attention to what you’re doing, what your partner is doing, and what the instructor is telling you to do.
7. Discipline
Getting better at dancing requires a lot of practice. Whether you want to dance competitively or just improve your skills on the dance floor, you’ll need to be disciplined about attending your lessons and giving 100% every time. It’s not easy but it will be worth it!
Learn These Skills – and More! – When You Sign Up For Dance Classes at Fred Astaire Dance Studio of Durham
If you’re ready to start dancing, check out our new student special or check our calendar to find a class that works for you. Want more info? Call us at (919) 489-4313 or fill out our online contact form below!