I’ve taken a lot of dance classes in my life. It’s been a diverse range, from ballet to hip hop to salsa, and let me tell you, none of them have been easy. Each dance has its own set of rules, its own style, and a new way of feeling the music. For me, being trained in one style of dance rarely translates to being good at another.
I also love to dance in less formal environments, like if I’m out or even in my kitchen while doing the dishes. And I LOVE dance movies. The less realistic, the better. Footloose? Yes. Step up? For sure. Dirty Dancing? A classic. With all of this exposure to dance, you’d think I would be able to keep a beat pretty easily, but alas!
I’m not going to pretend that I’m the worst dancer you’ve ever seen. If you do something for enough time with enough enthusiasm, you will eventually improve. And a lot of casual dancing is confidence plus moving your arms around. But I rarely feel like I’m close to being the best dancer in any given environment. I’m assuming most people reading this are not trained dancers, nor freakishly talented on the dance floor, so I’m sure you’ve been in the same boat.
However, this article is in defence of bad dancing, so you and I have nothing to worry about. I am about to make the case that it absolutely doesn’t matter how good you are at dancing.
In a dance class, it can feel intimidating to try something new. Especially if you don’t know anyone. And there will literally always be someone better than you at that style of dancing somewhere in the world. But I am encouraging you to embrace this fact instead of being scared by it – everyone in the class wishes they were better at dancing. That is precisely why they’re there. And from lived experience, I am always focused on myself and my own jerky moves, not anyone else’s. So what’s stopping you from dancing badly in a class now? You will improve with time, and the only way to start getting better is to start trying to get better.
Social dancing is a slightly different story. However, I also believe in dancing badly in less formal contexts. The whole point of dancing on a night out is to have fun, and guess what? Fun doesn’t depend on talent. The pure joy of dancing with your friends is SO independent of what moves you’re pulling. Also, anyone who has a friend who is a good dancer knows that the only thing in that entire world that that friend wants is for you to come to join them dancing instead of sitting in the corner. They are not praying for your downfall (or if they are then they are not a friend, and instead an adversary in an upcoming dance battle that you will win via your winning smile). And I promise that no one else on the dance floor cares what you are doing. Even if they’re really cute and you want them to care. Especially then, it seems. Just me?
Dancing is maybe the most universal human experience. Anyone can dance. You don’t need to speak the same language, be a certain age, or be from the same walk of life. And you especially don’t need to be “good” at it. Because what is good dancing? Who even makes the rules?