What it Takes to be a Dancer…a Good Dancer…and a Great Dancer

Submitted by sbowman on Sat, 05/03/2008 - 18:17.

By SalsaSteph

  1. Understand how beats work in music.
  2. Keep time: Step to a beat steadily without speeding up or slowing down.

  3. Practice.

  4. Move to the music like no one’s watching whether it’s right or wrong.

  5. Listen to music even if not paying attention to it.

  6. Sit down, put the headphones on, and listen to the different sounds; notice the recurring repetitions and patterns.

  7. Take classes if you need more structure, or if you want to open yourself up to new possibilities.

  8. As long as you move creatively to any rhythm, you are a dancer. Hockey players are dancers, moving to the pace of their skating, making their movements flow.

  9. Move creatively to a dance pattern and let it sink in through lots of repetition.

  10. Practice.

  11. Make mistakes.

  12. Repeat over and over until you find a momentum, a dialogue, between your body and the music.

  13. Whether or not you have a partner to practice with, practice on your own.

  14. Feel silly and ridiculous - feel exposed - feel vulnerable - feel childish even! It means you’re on your way. You need to start at the beginning!!! Even pros feel this way, believe it or not.

  15. Watch for any signs of self-deprecation: “I’ll never get it!” …“I’m no good!”… “I suck!”… “I’ll never be a dancer!”…what’s the point? Stay positive!

  16. Make more mistakes. The more you make, the closer you’ll be to your goal.

  17. Set realistic goals, one step at time. Unrealistic goals would be like hearing a classical pianist play Chopin, and inspired, start piano lessons, only realizing that it takes at least two years before one can attempt to play a Chopin piece! Same goes for salsa.

  18. Practice some more.

  19. Play… and don’t take yourself so seriously!

  20. Go out and ask people to dance, even if they say no. The dance floor is a training ground for life: Be determined and persist; take rejection, then move on; learn; make mistakes; meet people, ask them for feedback; choose to have fun; ask people who are better than you for advice; don’t give up!

  21. Take your instructors with a grain of salt. Everyone has their perspective. Listen to what they say and see what suits your learning or vision the best.

  22. If your instructor gets frustrated with you EVER, it’s their problem not yours! Instructors need to know what kind of learner you are, so they can change their tactic and get the message across to you better. The caliber of the teacher is reflected in the student – so speak up!