| Most people with an ounce of talent in dance will never | | | | are: |
| realise it. There is one hurdle, one major obstacle which | | | | 1. The worry that comes with looking like a fool |
| will stop most in their tracks. Even the most ambitious | | | | 2. Ridiculously high expectations |
| and enthusiastic to start with won't be able to pass it. It | | | | You see, the thing that most dance studios don't tell |
| can discourage the most enthusiastic and make fools | | | | you is that when a dance class is described as |
| out of otherwise cool people. What it is I'm talking | | | | 'beginner' it doesn't mean that a beginner can easily |
| about...it's the first dance class. | | | | cope in the class. It means that once you can pull off |
| My word, what a freak show! You'll watch some MTV | | | | the routines at beginner standard you will be at a good |
| video, realise you can pull off a few of the moves and | | | | level of dancing and can progress to harder classes. |
| that you're pretty good. Then wham, you go to a | | | | So a 'beginner class' for a beginner is actually very |
| dance class that seems to be teaching the hardest | | | | hard. |
| routine in the world, and wham! It'll knock the balls out | | | | And you certainly shouldn't expect to be pulling it off |
| of most people from ever going again! | | | | first time. No one does at their first attempt! So what |
| I'd love to say this is an exaggeration but it's not. Most | | | | should a beginner do? Firstly accept that you are in a |
| people who walk into a dance studio will only walk | | | | dance class to learn and yes, you may look like a fool |
| through it once. Statistics will back me up. If you watch | | | | to begin with, but believe me, everyone including the |
| the first-timers in a dance class, you'll find that half of | | | | experts in class has been through this experience, and |
| them you'll never ever see again. Which is a great | | | | know what it's like. |
| shame, because a lot of them probably had enough | | | | And secondly, take your time learning and go in with |
| talent to pull off the same routine that frightened the | | | | no expectations. Be like a child. If a child learns one |
| hell out of them...with a bit of practise of course. | | | | new word a day, that's a good day's learning. If you go |
| Learning to dance is I've found as much to do with the | | | | to dance class and can only do one or two moves, |
| attitude as it is with what you're body can to. | | | | that's a good day's learning too. Because all the |
| Everyone has the same body, the same neurology | | | | learning you do is cumulative and will add up to an |
| that can be taught the same things. But it's attitude that | | | | impressive skill. If you learn 2 moves a day and do 2 |
| makes the difference. | | | | classes a week, that's 4 moves a week and 16 |
| A lot of people who are otherwise comfortable doing | | | | moves a month. In a year that's nearly 200 moves, or |
| most things, who will easily get up and give | | | | 200 different combinations - and that's a lot. SO think |
| presentations in meetings, who'll ride the theme park | | | | of the bigger picture. |
| rollercoasters that seem to start on the Moon, will be | | | | Most of all have fun when you're dancing. After all, you |
| terrified of being in a room full of people learning to | | | | should only be doing it if you enjoy it and want to learn |
| dance. You can try and entice them with all the Diet | | | | badly enough. The more you enjoy it, the more relaxed |
| Coke in the world and they'll still hunch up like a little | | | | and calm you'll be and this is the perfect state to learn |
| mouse. | | | | in, in the warm, humid atmosphere of the dance class. |
| The 2 things that'll sound the death bell for a first-timer | | | | |