I remember my mom sitting down with me when I was younger. “Okay Hannah, we want you to choose something to start doing. You can take dance lessons, gymnastics, or cheerleading. You get to pick.” So after some very intense deliberation (the way only a 7 year old could "deliberate"), I decided dance was what I wanted to do. And from there, I never looked back.
Fast-forward to now. I’m almost 20 years old, and I haven’t danced competitively in two years. I treasure the memories I made because I danced, and even now, I struggle not having it in my life the way I used to. But, even though it isn’t a daily--practically 24/7--part of my life anymore, I learned some lessons on the dance floor that will stay with me for the rest of my life. These are the 5 biggest life lessons I learned dancing.
1. Have Faith
Every dancer has been here at least once, if not a few times. You and your team have been trying to get your coach to make a decision in your favor—on anything from music, to costumes, to practice schedules—and they make a decision other than the one you had hoped for. It happens, and no one ever likes it very much. But chances are, your coach or instructor has been doing this longer than you have and might just have a clue what they’re doing; even when it’s not what you hoped for. The times this has been applicable outside of dance go beyond counting. Sometimes we have to trust that people in positions of authority above our own know what they’re doing, even when we wouldn’t prefer what they decide to do. You have to grin, bear it, and have faith that it’s for the best.
2. It's Okay to Make Mistakes
You know the song: “Everybody makes mistakes, everybody has those days.” But really though; if there’s one thing dance taught me, it was that even on your best days, you can make mistakes. It happens. But there isn’t any point in beating yourself up. When it happens, it happens. Just take a breath, relax, and fix it for next time.
3. Practice Makes (Almost) Perfect
Cliché, but true nonetheless. You can’t expect to have a perfect jeté your first time leaping, or a perfect triple pirouette when you barely have a double. It takes time and lots and LOTS of practice. Everything works like this in life—you can’t jump in thinking you’ll be great right off the bat. It takes work. Of course, that being said, no matter how good you are, there will always be room for improvement.
4. Do It For YOU.
Personally, dance wasn’t always easy for me. Each team is different, and personalities may not have always mixed well, or it was just a stressful time in the season; but that never stopped me from showing up to do what I loved. Ultimately, you have to do something because YOU want to—in the end, other people shouldn’t really matter. It’s hard to be happy if you’re trying to make others happy.
5. Living Without a Passion isn't Living.
When it comes down to it, dance was and will always be something I am passionate about. It gave me something to pour myself into—every performance had 110% of my heart invested in it. If you aren’t spending your time doing something you love, are you spending your time well? If you haven’t found something yet that gives you a feeling of excitement or joy, don’t give up searching. Having something you’re passionate about makes life seem all that much brighter.