I used to think that to be a real dancer, one had to spend years in a dance studio. Up until this past year, I have never considered myself a real dancer. Sure, I had taken dance classes on and off my entire life, but it never developed into a habit or lifestyle. I couldn't trust myself in executing a dance combination on the spot (or in the next 20 minutes) for the life of me. As soon as I was asked to dance, any ounce of self-confidence I had at the moment immediately disappeared. Considering the career path I am embarking on (theatre and dance), I soon realized that I had to improve my dance skills immensely before I entered the real world. I picked up a dance minor, took things slowly, and am well on my way to finally feeling like a "dancer". Here is how I found this sense of assurance.

Take things step by step. I learned quickly that it was important for me to understand my body, my particular insecurities, and conquer challenges as they appeared to me. I realized that I wasn't going to be able to do a triple within the first week of seriously focusing on dancing. I found a starting place that worked for me and am taking things as they come. Make sure you keep a positive attitude about the amount of time it make take to condition your body for certain things.

Take risks. One day I just decided I wanted to be certified to teach Zumba, so I went to the certification and am now a licensed Zumba instructor. I considered this a huge step personally, because I have always been insecure with how my body moves. The first time I taught Zumba routines to people, it was so empowering. They enjoyed a routine that I created, I couldn't get over my excitement. It made me finally feel like, "hey, I have what it takes to do this". You gain experience and become more in touch with yourself when you find out how you react to taking worthwhile risks.

Observe. I have always admired those who can just get up and dance without a care in the world. I became inspired by the other dancers around me whether they had years of experience or just a couple months. I could really tell when they were embracing their movements and it inspired me to find similar confidence in my own movements.

Listen to your mentors. I seek advice from others with expertise who have gotten some time to know me, how my body moves, and my work ethic. Their help has gotten me on a steady path to fine tuning my dance skills and self-confidence.

Confidence is key. Deep down I have always known that I have what it takes to finally become a dancer. All of the above steps were important to finding confidence because I ultimately realized that confidence is key. Everyone is different, so everyone moves differently. I still have a lot of room to grow, but I have finally understood that I can move and dance beautifully if I just get out of my head and embrace the dance. I finally understand the difference between executing the choreography and dancing.

Since I've taken the time to understand my body and what it takes for me to get to this level of embracing my movements, I no longer dread learning dances when I'm asked to for a show or audition process. Whether you are dancing to strengthen yourself as an artist, or were simply asked to dance on a dance floor; please realize that you have what it takes to be the bomb diggity.