Confidence is 95% of dance, so lets improve it together!
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Confidence. It is something nearly every dancer struggles with. Even those that seem to have it all can still struggle to find the confidence they need to be THAT confident dancer. Levels of confidence are constantly changing, but what are some strategies that can help ease low self-esteem? Well fear not, because this post will guide you through some simple strategies and confidence tips to feel more confident in dance class.
Practice these eight dance confidence tips and go to the next level as a dancer.
After reading this post you will be a more inspired, confident dancer in dance class
This post is all about dancer confidence
Dancer Confidence Tips
Confidence Tip #1: Remember that YOU ARE A UNIQUE DANCER
We all hear the classic choreographer/director or Dance Moms saying that “Everyone’s Replaceable.” And while there MIGHT be some validity to that saying it isn’t the full truth. Spots, roles, jobs, and bodies in dance are replaceable, individual personalities are not.
You can only be the best version of yourself that there is because it is literally impossible for you to be anyone else. I’ve even known identical twins that danced together for years but had completely different strengths and personalities when it came to dance, they didn’t have to try to be exactly like the other.
With this confidence tip, remind yourself of all that you have that sets you apart from everyone else. Don’t limit this to your abilities in dance. Think of experiences you have had. What is an activity you’ve always enjoyed doing? Do you tend to push yourself harder in certain circumstances? What makes you different as an individual is what will help you realize your individuality and gain confidence.
You Might Also Like: How Journaling Will Change Your Life as a Dancer
Confidence Tip #2: Dance For Fun
Dancers are constantly dancing for an occasion. Whether that be for class, a show, or an audition. This tends to cause a large amount of pressure when dancing.
Remind yourself that you can still dance for fun. Find ways to dance for fun and allow dancing to be fun for you.
Maybe this is dancing or improving to your favorite song or finding strategies to make your technique class more fun for you. No matter how you choose to find the fun in dance allow it to be fun for you as an individual.
Confidence Tip #3: Dance For Yourself
Going along with the previous tip, find opportunities to dance for yourself.
As dancers we give and give and give. This is by our performances and even our classes. We are trying to dance for the approval or enjoyment of others.
We need to dance for ourselves sometimes. Let a performance or combination be for your own enjoyment and approval. Let yourself have fun doing what you love, dancing.
Obviously you can’t always do this but notice times or occasions where you can dance for yourself.
Confidence Tip #4: Find Positive Resources
We all have THAT song or outfit that just exudes confidence for us naturally. Find where that happens to be for you in your dance life. Maybe it is a certain style of dance wear or song that gets you hyped up for auditions. Find those resources and use them to your advantage whenever you can.
Maybe this is by wearing your “confidence outfit” for auditions or evaluations, listening to a confidence playlist before a performance, or a particular hairstyle.
Let the resources you use to be THAT confident dancer be flexible. If you have a uniform for class you might not be able to wear a specific outfit into class. For these circumstances, have other methods and resources that you can turn to. Listening to certain music or having a specific, personal warm up to complete are great alternatives.
Confidence Tip #5: Find the People that Bring You Joy
There might also be certain people in your life that just make you feel happy or excited to dance. Realize who those individuals are for you and surround yourself with them. You also need to know that you probably are that person for someone else. Take time to appreciate those people by letting them know you admire them and they lift you up.
Whenever I notice someone that is just killing a particular combination or they have an energy while dancing that fills me with joy, I let them know. There will be times in our dance careers where we feel a lack of encouragement or areas where we feel little affirmation. By letting those around us know that what they did while dancing made us feel something we can have the power to change their outlook on their own confidence.
Confidence Tip #6: Don’t Invalidate Positive Affirmations
Whenever you receive a compliment or affirmation from someone else don’t invalidate it.
Say you just did a combination in class and it felt terrible. Maybe you fell out of a turn, tripped, or forgot it all together. You were likely focused on all of those negative aspects but a friend of yours watching did not notice those at all and came to give you a compliment. Your instinct is likely to respond and say it was horrible. DON’T DO THAT!
It might sound harsh but resist every urge you have to invalidate their praise. Instead, take it with an open mind. Realize that by your performance someone else saw something or felt something. Know that you can’t change how they feel by expressing your own lack of confidence.
We need to treat affirmations and praise the same way we treat corrections and advice. When we invalidate affirmations we are essentially showing others a lack of self-confidence despite the fact that they have shown some version of confidence in us by their praise.
Of course it is important to be humble, but you can be humble and accept praise at the same time. Accept the fact that someone, whether it be your friends, parents, or instructors, sees you as a good dancer. That is often the first and easiest step to increasing your self-esteem and becoming THAT confident dancer.
Confidence Tip #7: Ask Why
Allow yourself to question everything surrounding your confidence. This includes questions such as why you aren’t confident, what areas you are confident in, and factors that influence your confidence levels.
Ask yourself what factors have caused different forms of low confidence. What are the underlying reasons or experiences that have lowered your confidence.
Usually when I ask myself these questions they have more to do with myself than anything else. Maybe I feel less confident as a dancer because I don’t want to disappoint anyone else. However, most of the time the only person I end up disappointing is myself.
You are more likely to disappoint others in your life by not trying than trying and failing.
Question any fear of failure that you may have.
Confidence and courage go hand in hand. Let yourself be confident and remember that failure is a part of life. You will never regret confident actions even when things may not go as planned.
By holding back you might never fail but you will also never succeed.
Confidence Tip #8 Reflect
With every dance experience you have, allow yourself to reflect.
Start by reflecting on the moments you are proud of. Being proud or satisfied with a moment, dance related or not, is a great way to increase your overall confidence.
Additional areas you can reflect on include areas you can set new goals in, places you grew, things that went well, and feelings associated with the experience.
A great way to reflect is by incorporating a journal into your dance life. Check out this post on dancer journaling for more tips and tricks.
Becoming THAT Confident Dancer
While it is a constant journey to find confidence as a dancer it is 100% attainable. So go forward and believe you have the ability to become THAT confident dancer with these confidence tips and tricks!
This post has been all about dance confidence tips
