3 Things to do before choosing a Dance school

So you want to learn how to dance? That’s awesome to hear. From my experience, learning to dance is one of the most emotionally satisfying and life-enriching skills that I have learnt in my time. And yes I said learnt, because my opinion is that anybody can be taught how to dance, as long as they’re willing to put in the effort.   I can’t say when or how long it will take for you to reach your goals but ask any dancer and they’ll tell you the journey of dance is more about the memories and experiences along the way rather than the final destination. When learning anything, whether it be dancing or how to do any kind of physical activity, the single most important thing you can do to keep yourself on track is to surround yourself with people who are on the same journey or have been in your position before and know what you’re going through. Surround yourself with people who are humble and positive and who want you to grow because it inspires them to grow too. For most people, this means finding a suitable dance school.

Many beginners start off wanting to learn how to dance but don’t know anything about the industry or what to look for when choosing a suitable school or academy. Unfortunately for some, they pick the wrong institution, get discouraged and quit, never to try dance again. To aid you in not becoming one of these people, we look at 3 things to do before choosing a dance school.

1. Establish what kind of dance style you want to get into. There are many different styles of dance out there. Hundreds. Thousands even, but only a few select ones are taught in dance studios as they are the most popular. I personally have delved a couple of months into salsa which I’m looking to get back into, I have also done a term of contemporary and tried half a ballet class but decided I did not enjoy pointing my toes. Bboying or breakdancing as its more commonly referred to was more for me. It had foundational moves but allowed me to create new ones and put my own expression and character into it. Urban choreography, otherwise known as hip hop (a debate I won’t get into) is the most popular urban style taught in dance studios and an increasing number of people are getting into it due to the latest music videos and streetdance movies. My recommendation is, if pointing your toes makes you shake your head then stay away from ballet and get into some form of urban dance.

2. Don’t always choose the closest studio. If dance is a hobby you intend on pursuing for a while, it’s in your best interests to get off to the best possible start you can. This might mean travelling a little bit further than down to your local dance school but trust me, the difference in quality can be surprising. Shop around, don’t be scared to try out a casual class or two to see if the classes meet your criteria and once you find one that is suitable for you, commit to at least 3 months before you look for other options. In the learning curve of dance there is usually a period of rapid improvement followed by a period of stagnation where students feel like they aren’t getting anywhere but before long it’s followed with another period of improvement and the cycle continues. All too often students don’t give themselves enough time and end up quitting before they get over that first plateau period.

3. Choose a school that specialises in the style you want. This might seem like a moot point but the amount of students I witness thinking they’re amazing hip hop dancers just because they take hip hop classes offered at their ballet school astounds me. It’s kind of like if I went to the butcher to buy my fruit and vegies. Sure he might be able to get some basic produce in for me but he’s not going to have the expertise or quality as compared to a fruit and veg farmer. And remember what I said about it being in your best interests to get off to the best start you can? Go to your farmer for your fruit and veg.

Now that you’ve found your dance school, it’s time to begin the learning process. Your attitude in regards to this is a defining factor in whether you enjoy yourself on your first and subsequent lessons or whether you quit straight away. Most people are scared to do dance classes because they don’t want to look clumsy in front of other people. I totally understand this because I have been in the same position and I still have those feelings every time I take class. However the paradox is everyone in class is too preoccupied with learning and improving themselves that they don’t even care if you mess up a move. Even if they see you accidentally trip over and fall on your face, they’ll be laughing with you, rather than at you because they know that could’ve happened to them. Rather than shying away in a corner and trying to learn by moving as little as possible so you don’t look like you’re messing up too much, my advice is to leave your embarrassment at the front door and just go with it. Introduce yourself to your teacher; introduce yourself to the people immediately around you in class. From experience as an instructor, the whole mood of the class changes to a fun and encouraging one when students bond with each other and help each other work towards improving. And if you want to get better quicker, PRACTICE. Going to one class a week and trying to learn the same moves you learnt last week because you forgot is a sure fire way to stunt your growth and leave you feeling like it’s all hopeless. Don’t fall victim to this trap. Even if you just practice for 15 minutes 2-3 times a week, you will notice a marked improvement in the next week which will boost your confidence which in turn fuels more improvement. So stop making excuses and get onto that positive cycle of practicing. You can thank me later.

 

If you live in Perth, I would recommend checking out the Cipher Dance Academy. Specializing in hip hop styles of dance, CDA offers kids and adult classes in hip hop / urban choreography, breakdancing and popping. Their class hierarchy and lesson structure ensures that students have a clear path to proceed from a beginner level through to an advanced stage. Knowing that you can plan your path from the beginning makes a huge difference in reaching your goals. All of their staff are helpful and friendly and the vibe of the classes are fun while maintaining a high level of work ethic. They also regularly offer specials and incentives to start so go to www.thecipher.com.au and begin your dance journey today!

5 ways to build your self-confidence through dance

Self-confidence is the feeling of trust in one’s abilities, qualities and judgement. It can mean the difference between landing a job that you’ve always wanted as opposed to failing to make an impression during the interview process. It can mean the difference between scoring the game winning goal or missing the opportunity due to the lack of self-belief. It plays an integral part in all our lives and is an important personal quality that everybody should strive to improve.

Lots of people want to improve their self-confidence however many think that it’s just a matter of telling yourself to be confident. While this does help somewhat, there are actual tasks that you can do to boost the belief in yourself. We will look at 5 ways we use dance as a medium to achieve this:

1. Set small achievable goals. By setting yourself little manageable tasks and completing them, you build positive momentum towards achieving your larger goals. Any task, no matter how big can be broken down into manageable chunks. Keeping track as you complete the smaller, easier exercises will give you the courage to tackle the larger and more difficult tasks on your list. If your end goal is to be able to follow a full class worth of choreography, don’t go into your first class and be discouraged when you leave and find that you can’t remember all of the moves. This is too much to ask for a first timer and students who try to do this get discouraged very quickly. Instead, pick 2 or 3 combinations that you like and practice those during the week. Then when you come back the following week, pick another 2 or 3 combinations and try to tie them all together. Slowly you will be able to increase the number of combinations that you remember and before long you will be able to remember the full choreographed piece.

2. Plan a course of action and stick to it. Discipline is paramount to learning and excelling at any activity. Without it, you’re pretty much wasting your time. We all have those times where we don’t feel like doing certain things because of external circumstances but to cultivate discipline we need to push ourselves to do them anyway. It might be cold and raining, your legs could be sore from working out the day before and you had a customer abuse you today for no reason but if you’ve planned on attending Tuesday night dance classes for the term, then unless you’re physically unable to, drag yourself to class anyway and put in your best effort. Just the act of turning up and holding yourself accountable for your actions will instil an unstoppable belief in yourself. Everybody has their good days but it’s what you do on your off days that define your character.

 

3. Surround yourself with people who support you in improving yourself. We all have those so-called “friends” who we all hang out with but mock us when we try new activities to aid in our personal growth. Leave those friends at home and join an institution that attracts members who are on the same pathway as you. Most dance studios and academies welcome beginners with open arms and want to help you to grow and build your self-confidence. However, the first step of getting in contact with them is still inevitably up to you.

 

4. Ask questions in class. This is an important one. A lot of students in class are too worried about asking a “stupid” question in class when they don’t get a particular move or need clarification on a step. Ask! You’re in class to learn. Your question will not only help you get the move right, your whole demeanour will also change when you are sure of what you need to do. The result of being certain is your self-confidence will undoubtedly increase. Plus your question will probably help out other students in the class with a similar query and they will be grateful to you for speaking up to clarify.

5. Look upon criticism in a favourable light. We all have been in a situation where someone says something about what we do or how we do it and we immediately become defensive. This is a protection mechanism for our egos and is completely understandable as part of human behaviour. However, if growth and self-confidence is what you seek then this defensive mechanism needs to be actively controlled. The next time someone offers you advice on where your hands need to be or asks you to change the angle of your body, instead of immediately justifying to yourself that you are “right” or “correct”, take the time to evaluate the situation and see if the advice they ‘re offering you is beneficial. Of course, not all advice is good advice however you need to learn to take on constructive criticism or else your self-confidence will be easily shot down by anybody, including people who are genuinely trying to help you.

Self-confidence is more than just telling yourself to be confident. Like anything in life, it can be learnt and built upon, through the actions you take and your perspective on matters. Dance offers a multitude of ways to cultivate and refine your self-confidence and it remains a fun way to keeping fit and healthy.

 

If you live in Perth, I would recommend checking out the Cipher Dance Academy. Specializing in hip hop styles of dance, CDA offers kids and adult classes in hip hop / urban choreography, breakdancing and popping. Their class hierarchy and lesson structure ensures that students have a clear path to proceed from a beginner level through to an advanced stage. Knowing that you can plan your path from the beginning makes a huge difference in setting goals for yourself. All of their staff are helpful and friendly and the vibe of the classes are fun while maintaining a high level of work ethic. They also regularly offer specials and incentives to start so go to www.thecipher.com.au and begin your journey to higher levels of self-confidence today!

4 ways dance will get you fit and healthy in 2014

 

Its halfway through 2014 and most of our new years resolutions about getting fit and healthy are all but out the window. Winter is not usually an easy time of year as the cold influences a lot of people to stay at home and hibernate.  But if you still have thoughts about living a healthier lifestyle and getting fit then there is a solution for you.

Many people do want to get in better shape and increase their levels of overall health and fitness however they lack the motivation and passion to get to the gym and run on a treadmill or lift weights. If this sounds like you then I invite you to consider dance as an alternative fitness activity. Here are 4 reasons why:

1. Dance is fun. If moving your body in sync with your favourite tunes sounds like an appealing way to exercise then dance is for you. Research has shown that listening to music while you exercise increases endurance by up to 15%. This phenomenon occurs because the music distracts your brain thus allowing your body to work out and get the job done with minimal interruptions.

2. Dance builds discipline. Discipline is, in my opinion one of the most important attributes that any person must have in order to succeed in pretty much anything. Whether it be playing basketball or cooking or riding a bicycle, without discipline your efforts are inefficient and most of the time, not up to par. The good news is, discipline can be taught and cultivated. By committing to a plan of action and following through with it, your brain slowly recognizes that you’re serious about getting your act together and week by week the tasks you have to do become easier and easier until they become second nature. This also has a positive flow on effect to other areas in your life so bite the bullet and commit to being disciplined.

3. Dance is social. Exercise is a lot more fun when you have people exercising alongside you. Not only can you feed off each other’s energy and push each other to succeed, you can also develop friendships that extend outside of dance and further build your social circle.

4. Dance builds self-confidence. By continually working towards and achieving small goals you build up a list of accomplishments that prove to yourself that you’re capable of doing anything you set your mind to. This in turn strengthens your resolve and your self-confidence increases. The best part of this is that your new self-confidence will circulate to other areas in your life including work, relationships and other chosen activities.

Learning to dance is in my opinion one of the most rewarding skills that anybody can undertake. The skills I’ve learnt, the personal growth I’ve had and the friendships I’ve made are all priceless to me. If you’re anything like me and love music then I implore you to find a good dance academy and commit to a term to see where it takes you.

If you live in Perth, I would recommend checking out the Cipher Dance Academy. Specializing in hip hop styles of dance, CDA offers kids and adult classes in hip hop / urban choreography, breakdancing and popping. Their class hierarchy and lesson structure ensures that students have a clear path to proceed from a beginner level through to an advanced stage. All of their staff are helpful and friendly and the vibe of the classes are fun while maintaining a high level of work ethic. They also regularly offer specials and incentives to get started so go to www.thecipher.com.au and begin your dance journey today!