There are several benefits of dancing, but one of the best things is the self-confidence that is built when dancers take lessons and perform for others. Even if you think of yourself as fairly self-assured already, dancing can help to improve your self-esteem even further! Here are some ways that dancing can boost your self-esteem or self-confidence.
Feel Good about Learning New Steps
When you start taking dance lessons, there will be many new moves for you to learn. Once you learn them and start doing them consistently, you will begin to feel a sense of accomplishment. Learning entirely new steps and choreography is not easy. Knowing that you can learn new dance skills and remember new steps gives you an awesome feeling. You can also consider this now you know much more than others who don’t dance. It’s like being one step ahead of everyone else!
Communication Skills Will Improve
When you start taking lessons, you may get the chance to dance with multiple partners. Since you might have the chance to communicate with many diverse partners, you should ultimately be comfortable with communicating with almost anyone. You will get used to how various people move when you dance with them, so any worries you may have about dancing with an unfamiliar partner should ultimately fade away, too. Attending a lot of social dancing events is also a good way to meet, dance, and have conversations with new people which will help your general communication skills.
Reduce Shyness and Increase Assertiveness
When you join a dance class or take lessons, you may eventually decide to perform in front of the public. Performances can push you out of any embarrassment or shyness you may have. The exposure can also help get rid of stage fright. Even if you don’t perform, you will still be dancing and practising in front of someone, whether it is your instructor or other students. Dancing around others is a frequent activity that you will have to get used to, and if you do it enough, it eventually will make you feel less shy.
Dancing and performing can also sometimes require you to be sharp and clear with your movements. That definition of the movement requires some amount of assertiveness which will develop over time. Once you begin to move confidently and assertively on the dance floor, those qualities might also start appearing in your daily life, as well!
Better Self-Image
Dancing has the potential of improving your self-image for a few reasons. First, it is good for your physical health, so it can make you feel healthier. Additionally, dancing allows you to create beautiful lines and poses which will certainly make you feel good about what your body is capable of. Over time, your comfort and familiarity with yourself will grow and you’ll be able to look at yourself in a more positive light.
You will also have the possibility of being praised for your dancing. Your instructor, other students, or observers may notice your improvements and give you compliments. In turn, this can make you feel better about your development and more accomplished as a dancer.
You Can Express Yourself
One of the greatest things about dance is that it’s a wonderful form of art that lets you express yourself. If you are a person who has some trouble conveying your emotions through speaking or writing, then dance can be a good outlet for you or a tool that you can use to explore your emotions.
If you take enough dance lessons, you may also eventually start to discover your dance style. Many dancers focus on movements and learning steps without really making the movements “their own”. Exploring and discovering your style can make you more confident because you won’t be concerned about looking like other performers. You will just be focused on looking like you, and once you are sure that you are dancing authentically, you will start to feel confident as a whole.
“Fake it ‘till you make it”
If you put on performances, you will have many possibilities to appear confident. You may even see a lot of dancers who seem over-the-top when they dance. Most of the time, they don’t act that way in their daily lives, but when they go on stage they put on a completely different persona. A lot of people think they need to have general self-confidence before they step out on the floor or stage. However, confidence isn’t a prerequisite for dance. A lot of people who lack confidence or self-esteem gain it through dancing. For example, when you perform or get ready for a performance, you might have to appear as a self-assured and cool person. This may not be your real personality, but acting that way can help you to gradually become more confident. Eventually, the coolness that you practice on the floor may end up transcending to everyday life.