THE HARDEST PART ABOUT ADULT DANCE CLASSES

Getting into adult dance classes for the first time ever or the first time since you danced as a child is no easy feat. As adults, we face so many barriers to starting something new.

Our desire to do something is so often overthrown by our complacency to go outside of that beautifully safe place called our comfort zone.

I have been thinking about taking up swimming lately, but I always find a variety of excuses that I use to justify staying away from the pool. Just like being under the doona in the morning, the comfort zone is warm. The thought of the pool is not.

These excuses extend from the standard “I was never a good swimmer as a kid” to the ridiculous “I’ll have to wash my hair more often”.

My creative arguments leave me in a state of ambivalence. I’m vaguely inspired to start swimming but I’m also vaguely worn out by the idea so maybe I should just not make any drastic changes to my life and stay right here where it’s snug and easy.

Since teaching an adult ballet class, I have seen the benefits of ditching this attitude.

Taking a dance class as an adult is very different to taking a dance class as a child.

Think about it: no one is forcing you to go, you have to pay for it yourself and there are no consequences if you stop turning up.

So what else is driving that decision?

Answer: pure passion!

The women who I teach at Dance Domain come from a range of backgrounds. For some, it was always their dream to do ballet as a child but they weren’t able to. For others, they want to break out of jazz and try a different dance style. And despite all the barriers they put up when they first come to class – “oh I’m not very flexible!”, “my coordination is AWFUL”, “I haven’t done dancing in years!” – something magical happens by the end of the class.

They walk away surprising themselves.

They finally did the thing they had been putting off for a while and it was totally worth it! Nailing a pirouette, learning the barre basics or even just spending an hour totally dedicated to themselves (instead of kids, job, study, dog, house etc.) just feels so darn GOOD!

Often the hardest part of an adult dance class, is just making the commitment to coming to class.

How do I know this?

Because my one-piece swimsuit is still buried somewhere at the bottom of the drawer…

But I know when I eventually go it’s going to be the best feeling ever, and fresh with endorphins and I’ll ask myself ‘what took me so long to get here…it wasn’t even that hard!’

See you at the studio!

Sarah xx

 

 

Keen to get into an adult dance class?

Check out our website to kickstart your adult dance class. We run a range of different adult dance classes including ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical and contemporary structured in 4-5 week courses.

Join our FB group to find out more about our latest adults dance courses and check out videos from class. What may start as a secret little dance-a-long in your living room to a video online could blossom into something beautiful!