| Over the next few articles, I’m going to be sharing with you Things Every New Belly Dancer Needs Know [Before They Start Lessons] Even if you are an experienced dancer, you might want to hang around, because we tend to perennially experience “something new” from time to time, and need frequent reminders to practice what we already know, or at least, I do. I’m writing this series, because the more you know about what to actually expect from a belly dance class, the less unpleasant “surprises” you are going to get that could potentially burst your bubble and discourage you from learning to dance at all. I want you to know exactly what to expect, so going into your classes you know what’s going to happen and what you need to do. No surprises [except pleasant ones], right? 🙂 Let’s start with… The #1 thing new students tell me after their first class. “Wow, I didn’t realize how difficult belly dancing was going to be!” And I suspect, many new dancers also don’t factor in their own ability to quickly overcome and surpass those challenges. They assume that any difficulty will likely include a long learning curve. This has NOT BEEN TRUE in my experience. What I see over and over again are those new dancers that get past the initial difficulty are able to go much further more quickly than they originally felt they could. So, while it is difficult, it’s not as hard as you might initially think. It’s important to understand that your first class or few classes, you are trying something NEW. And it’s not just the movements! You are in a new place, with new people, doing something you’ve never done before. What do you think is going to happen, especially if you are shy, introverted, lack confidence, or tend to self-doubt? You are going to be nervous. And what happens when you are nervous?You become mentally resistance and your body can’t relax as easily.Is it any wonder that your first few experiences aren’t as pleasant as you might wish? What can new students do to ease the transition into belly dance lessons, instead of getting discouraged and giving up too soon? The first thing you want to do is embrace your beginner-hood.Every great dancer started where you are now. We all went through our first few classes. You can too! No one would ever reasonably expect anyone to be good at anything after a few lessons. So, there is no need to put any pressure on yourself to get all the moves and steps at this stage. The #1 thing that can make or break your success is your mindset! ✔ It’s best to remove any expectations or unnecessary pressure on yourself. ✔ Actively practice self-love by being kind, non-judgmental, and gentle with yourself. ✔ Focus on fostering a pleasant, easy going learning attitude by giving yourself permission and time to relax and enjoy dancing. |
