Embracing the Dance Journey: Part Six - The Evolving Dancer: Balance, Growth, and Joy
As dancers, our journey is always evolving. Whether you’re new to the dance floor or deep into your tango shoes, growth comes from exploration, curiosity, and balance. In this concluding chapter of Embracing the Dance Journey (and don’t start crying just yet! - next week we continue with Embracing the Dance Journey: Exploring the Styles sub-series), we’ll dive into a few ways to keep your dancing fresh, inspired, and sustainable.
Exploring Different Dance Styles
One of the most rewarding ways to grow as a dancer is by stepping outside your comfort zone. Trying different dance styles—whether salsa, contemporary, or ballroom—can help you discover new rhythms, movements, and even new sides of yourself. Each style challenges your body and mind in unique ways, improving coordination, musicality, and adaptability. Most importantly, exploring diverse genres keeps your dance journey exciting and helps you reconnect with the joy of learning.
I know this advice may go against everything you’ve ever been told, but hear me out. Sure, you may need to learn a different technique, but contrary to popular belief, this doesn’t make the other techniques you’ve already acquired go away. What it does is teach your body how to be versatile, allows your muscles to work in different ways reducing potential overuse injuries, and expands your dance horizons. You don’t have to become a pro in every style you try, but you also don’t have to limit yourself.
The Role of Music and Rhythm
Dance and music are inseparable. Developing a deeper understanding of rhythm and phrasing can transform how you move. Try listening to different genres—classical, jazz, tango, or pop—and notice how each influences your movement and mood. If you are feeling adventurous, try dancing the same couple of steps to different music, and notice how they change with each genre. Pay attention to the beats, accents, and pauses. When you learn to feel the music rather than just hear it, your dancing becomes more expressive, natural, and connected.
A word of caution here - you still have to count your steps, stay on time, and dance the choreography how it was intended. Feeling the music is an addition, not a replacement for counts. Please, don’t be that dancer.
Creating a Home Dance Space
You don’t need a full studio to practice effectively at home. A small, thoughtfully arranged space can make a big difference. Look for an area with smooth, even flooring (a wooden or laminate surface works best), add a mirror to check your posture and alignment, and keep essentials like a speaker or Bluetooth headphones nearby. If space allows, a portable ballet barre or a simple mat can add versatility to your practice. The goal is to create a space that feels inviting and inspires you to move regularly.
Living in a tiny apartment with three roommates, two cats, and a lizard? Creativity is key here. For example, I recently discovered that the bathroom sink makes an excellent make-shift ballet barre for stretching while you are nice and warm-up after a hot shower (just use a folded towel under your foot for a little cushion, especially if you bruise easily).
Balancing Dance with Other Life Commitments
For most adults, dancing is one of many passions balanced with work, family, and daily responsibilities. It helps to set realistic goals and establish a consistent but flexible routine. Short, focused practice sessions can be just as effective as long ones if done mindfully. Remember, dance should enhance your life, not overwhelm it. Finding balance ensures that your enthusiasm stays alive while leaving space for the rest of what matters most to you.
Unfortunately, it is difficult to give any sort of overarching advice or strategy here. Everyone’s schedule is a different impossible mess. But here are some tricks that have worked for me and some of my students in the past: committing to a specific day/time each week; writing down the time of your dance class/practice in your calendar with all the other things you’ve planned for that day; letting your family know that you will be busy practicing for the next 25 minutes and will be available for questions about lost socks and dinner plans after your are done. Good luck!
Celebrating Achievements
Progress in dance often comes in small, gradual steps. Celebrate them all. Whether you’ve finally mastered a tricky turn, remembered to stay relaxed in close embrace, or simply showed up for practice after a long day—acknowledge it. Recognizing these moments boosts confidence and reminds you why you started dancing in the first place. Every step forward, no matter how small, is worth celebrating.
And if you are one of those perfectionists, who is waiving their feasts in the air reading this, remember that this is not the same as celebrating mediocrity. Yes, there are still about a gazillion other things you haven’t perfected, but all of them will still be there, ready for you to obsess about it immediately following your mini-celebration. Take a chance. Acknowledge your hard work. It will be worth it.
Final Thoughts
Exploring new styles, deepening your connection to music, creating a personal practice space, finding balance, and celebrating your milestones—these are all part of the beautiful, lifelong dance journey. Wherever you are on the path, remember that dance is as much about joy and self-expression as it is about technique. Keep moving, keep learning, and embrace every moment along the way.
Feeling inspired to explore the world of dance? Dance Flavor offers live and on-demand classes in various styles. Don’t be shy - contact us with any questions, or to try a private class in the dance of your choice!
