How to Loosen up so You Can Be a Graceful Dancer
Dancing is both a talent and a skill. You are either born with it or can learn it later on in life. Those who are born with the talent of dancing mostly become famous worldwide due to their high levels of bodily-kinesthetic intelligence. And they achieve that kind of success due to something that’s more than just knowledge of the craft and regular practice.
But we won’t discuss that. In this article, we’ll explore what those who had stiff bodies or with two left feet did that allowed them to dance gracefully as they aged. Yes. This blog post is for you — the aspiring pro cheerleader who wants to hone your skill in dancing but doesn’t know where to start.
1. Work on your confidence
Belief and confidence are the foundations of learning. They help you handle setbacks easily and enable you to get back on your feet in the event of failure. You must be confident and have faith in yourself that with time and practice, you can be like those pro cheerleaders that inspired you.
From today on, instead of telling yourself that you can’t dance, keep in mind that you can. Alcohol can make you a confident dancer. But your dance will be awkward and you certainly cannot audition for a pro cheer team with your breath smelling peculiar. Promote self-positivity through other means such as stopping the habit of seeking validation from others.
2. Know when to stiffen up and limp your muscles
People who became good dancers from zero experience said that the reason why they were stiff was that they put too much control in their movements. And this is the reason why some of us look like robots when attempting to dance. To explain this better, let’s use birds as examples.
Before birds fly, they extend and stiffen their wing muscles to push the air beneath for an upward lift. Then, they loosen most of their muscles as they retract their wings to flap again. The same principle applies to dancing.
In order to move as elegantly as an avian animal, you should also be familiar with when to stiffen your muscles up and when to let loose. Now try to mimic the movement you’ve observed from the video. Imagine your arms as your wings and apply that muscle movement principle to some dance moves.
3. Study the various techniques of different dance genres
The third tip to learn about being a graceful dancer from zero is to help your body get used to different types of dance movements. One way to do so is to observe different dance genres, mimic the techniques, and then repeat until they become muscle memory. Start by watching simple hip-hop dance moves or pirouette videos.
4. Dedicate time to attend classes, practice, and workout
If you’re a fast learner, then good for you. But let’s face it. It’s really hard to learn how to dance well without a professional mentor unless you’re talented. So don’t be shy. Remember, confidence is the key and you’ll need that to attend dance classes and learn.
While you’re enrolled, don’t forget to also apply what you’ve learned in the studio. Use your free time to practice the moves taught to you at home. Stay in good shape so you can practice for extended periods of time and have the strength to execute complicated routines.
Don’t forget to do your stretchings as part of your warmup and post-workout routine. Flexibility is very important as a dancer.
5. Listen to music and feel it
The last and most important part of learning how to be a good dancer is your ability to appreciate music and finding your groove. Dancing without music can be done. But it will feel dull. Music brings emotion to the performance and the performer.
When music is combined with your knowledge, hours of practice, and experience of dancing, elegant movements will start to come as a natural part of you. Now, you do listen to music during your dance practices or lessons in the studio.
Yet, the feel is much more different when you put on your headphones and start to listen actively. This is the advice you’ll need if you want to find rhythm and coordination because you start noticing the beats and mood of the tracks.
In a previous article, we’ve shared a quote about how talent can be replaced with persistence. Yes, talent in dancing isn’t really necessary for pro cheerleading. What really matters is your willingness to learn and the effort you’ll put from being an “I can’t dance” type of woman into a “Yeah, I got some moves of my own” type.
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