The “Thinkers” and “Feelers” in Dance

By SalsaSteph

What is up with people saying, “I am not a dancer”???

If you can walk…you can dance.

If you play hockey…you can dance.

Whether you’re an accountant, a lawyer, a designer or a consultant, you can learn – not only how to dance - but, how to be a great dancer!

What would it take for you to become a great dancer? First, think of the things you tell yourself that prevent you from even starting to learn how to dance…does this sound familiar?

• “I don’t have rhythm; I have 2 left feet.”

• “I’m not Black or Latino, so I could never dance properly and look good.”

• “Dancing makes me feel ridiculous, uncoordinated and awkward. Who wants to feel like that? People will laugh at me for trying.”

• Women: “I’m nervous around men. I feel like if I express myself while dancing, it’s like an invitation for them to come onto me.”

• Men: “I’m nervous around women. I feel like if I express myself, I’ll look too feminine.”

• Both men and women: “I feel like I’m being judged on how I move, as if that were indicative of how I would be in bed. I need alcohol to loosen up and not feel so exposed.”

• “I’m too old to dance - that’s for kids.”

Why does everybody think that one is born with the gift of dance? That either you have it or you don’t? Are you born and know how to walk right away? No - you work at it from sheer determination. Are you born knowing how to read and write? No - you are taught and then you work at it from sheer determination. Are you born with the knowledge of how human relationships work? No, you go through trial and error, learning how to effectively interact with people in a positive light.

Whatever it is you want to learn, you need to be taught, or self-taught…and with persistence and patience, you will be a great accountant, or a great designer…you will be the father you’ve always wanted to be…you will be a great lover! Whether they are innate things or learned skills, they all have to be developed and worked on to improve.

The same thing goes with having rhythm and being able to dance. If you want to dance, YOU CAN! If you don’t have solid timing, rhythm, nor coordination, then YOU CAN learn how to have timing – YOU CAN learn how to be rhythmical – and YOU CAN learn how to dance with coordination!!!

Here are the two big questions you may be asking yourself right now:

1. What about people who just seem to know how to move?

2. How come people pick up faster than others?

Well, there are three kinds of learners or dancers: FEELERS, THINKERS, and those IN BETWEEN.

Feelers trust their bodies to move to music, and will act spontaneously, whereas thinkers need to analyze their steps and premeditate these steps in order to move to music. Feelers move from the gut, from the inside; for thinkers, dance is a skill that is studied and developed from the outside, which is eventually transformed into a visceral reaction on the inside. Some people have a bit of both – they are in between. These people can think about counting and stepping to a certain degree, but then they have to do it in order for the information to sink in.

Since North American culture is very much of the “thinking” variety, and happens to have a minimal dance and musical influence in every-day life, you can see why dance needs to be analyzed as something outside of oneself. In this case, dance needs to be learned rather than acquired. In some cultures outside of North America, where music plays absolutely everywhere and where people dance at every social gathering, it’s much harder to expand their repertoire of movements because they have trouble thinking about structure. They want to dance from the inside to feel free and expressive.

Both are just as valid as the other! However, there are both pluses and minuses in each:

As a FEELER…

+Plus: You will probably be very satisfied dancing, even if you only know a few steps.

-Minus: You tend to have trouble learning steps, especially when broken down too much.

+Plus: You like to move your body with spirit, rather than listen to instruction.

+Plus: You feel liberated moving your body - not thinking about whether a step is right or wrong.

- Minus: Unless you practice and seek new movements, you will always dance the same and never really grow as a dancer.

As a THINKER…

+ Plus: You might take a little longer to learn, but once you understand your foundation, you’ll be able to dance more steps in the long run.

- Minus: Your movements might come out mechanical since you don’t trust your body to embrace the movement; the pathway from outside to inside may be difficult to break through.

- Minus: You might need an explanation on how music works to understand it better – that’s how you’ll find spontaneity and freedom of expression!

+ Plus: Since you think the structure through, you’re can easily expand your repertoire of movements, developing your skill as much as you like.

Most people start out being cerebral about dance - viewing it as an learned skill - and then transferring it to the inside, so they feel the urge to move, as if innately. This is called embodying a movement – when you claim it as your own. The movement becomes a part of you without thinking. Once the muscle memory kicks in, dancers can relax and let the spirit express itself. At this point, there is no more thinking, no more worrying if it’s right or wrong…it just IS.

What kind of learner are you? If you are a THINKER and would like to be more of a feeler, then you need to:

1. Understand music better.

2. Listen to music all the time to let it “get in your body.” Listen without dancing and first, and pay special attention to each instrument. Whatever you hear, clap it back. Then, dance to that same pattern.

3. Dance by yourself and be totally silly. There is no right or wrong.

4. Do not drink alcohol in order to let loose. Hardcore dancers do not drink, as it makes them feel dizzy and out of control. You need all the awareness you can get when dancing.

5. Dare to be spontaneous on the dance floor. Dance like there’s no tomorrow and that nothing matters!

6. Visualize yourself dancing and try to feel what is happening.

7. Try not to ask too many questions, or get down on yourself if you make a mistake.

8. You need to develop body control (trust and awareness) and lose your mind control (fear).

If you are a FEELER and would like to be more of a thinker, then you need to:

1. Take dance classes.

2. Understand how to count, so you know how to fit new moves to those counts.

3. Watch others and imitate them to help learn new moves.

4. Become more aware of your body movements and what you’re doing.

5. Be aware of your abstract thoughts to develop logic. (This can be very challenging!)

There is no reason why you are not able to become a great dancer and feel the joy and freedom that dancers can feel. All you need to do is WANT IT and DO IT. What are you waiting for?