I have stopped and restarted taking ballroom dance lessons several times over the past 17 years. I felt my passion dwindling as the last block of lessons I had paid for came to a close.
I was happy to step out onto the dance floor and rekindle my love affair with dancing. My body knew what it was doing and my brain just relaxed and went with the flow of the music and the lead of my dance instructor. We laughed. I learned a little. But mostly, we laughed. This is what hooked me in the first place. The fun factor!
I've learned a lot over the course of those 17 years. Here are just a few of the lessons I have learned from dancing:
• I have learned to follow. Not only to follow, but to relax and trust the person who is leading. Oh, to be in an environment where blind trust is encouraged and required! It is a good lesson in life, to learn to trust and follow the direction of another human being from time to time.
• I have learned to relax and stop thinking so much. Over-thinking confuses the body’s ability to just go with the flow of things. Whether it is simply "life" or "dancing,” sometimes I think it is best lived by not thinking so hard!
• I have learned there are no such things as mistakes. “Different perhaps, but not a mistake,” is a quote from my dance instructor. As it is in life outside the dance studio. Lessons are learned each and every time we do something "differently" than we first intended. Different may lead to better than you originally anticipated. Just don’t be afraid to try.
• I have learned there is no such thing as perfect. Perfection is an illusion. It isn’t real. To attain to be perfect is to limit yourself to only that which you think you can do well. Forget about being perfect. Just be the best you can be and the possibilities are endless.
• I have learned to go where the music takes me. There is nothing better than when the beat of a song gets under your skin and you can’t help but move to it. Whether you are dancing or just plain living life, follow the beat of the music in your soul. It will take you places beyond your wildest dreams.
• I have learned my muscles have memory. Repetition teaches your body what it needs to do so, before long, you can work on autopilot. Sometimes this is a good thing. Other times, consider your options. Just because it is something you have always done, doesn’t mean there aren’t better alternatives.
• I have learned that learning has no end. The learning ends only when you put a stop to it. How and whether you continue to learn is a personal choice. There are endless ways to build on the basics. What it all boils down to is practice, practice, practice. Practice what you want to learn and you may be amazed at what you can achieve.
• I have learned dance is an art form. You start with a basic step. You add a pattern. You add some technique. Then you add your own special flavour and personality and it becomes your own unique piece of art. Season your life with that which turns the mundane into a masterpiece!
• I have learned to take the lead sometimes. Yes, it is uncomfortable and unfamiliar, but it can be done. Taking control of your own destiny, whether it is on the dance floor or in real life, is empowering. It teaches you to respect those who do it with such ease.
Knowing when to lead and when to follow is a delicate balance sometimes. In my independent life, I must take the lead far more than I wish was necessary. Perhaps that is part of the allure of dancing, to just take a step back and trust in someone else's lead. It is a beautiful place to be, sometimes.
Perhaps I am not finished with dancing just quite yet.
