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Writer's pictureGwen Rakotovao - DANSE

Facing the fear of dancing

As a dancer, choreographer, and dance teacher, I often wonder how our society would look like if each of us dance daily and freely. I strongly believe in the power of dance. The art of dance liberates us, transforms us, unites us, consoles us, and pushes us to go beyond our limits to become the most serene version of ourselves. However, despite all these great advantage, learning the art of dance often impresses, and therefore, it is not always possible to genuinely dance in our society.


The question arises: why are we afraid of dancing?


In some situations, dancing is synonymous with the fear of being ridiculous or feeling uncomfortable in one's body while moving. It always touch me to meet people who are convinced that they cannot dance and/or no longer want to dance.


My dance career leads me to think otherwise: we all have a dancer's soul and a marvellous dancer hidden inside of us, even if sometimes our education and experiences do not allow us to believe in this idea. Dance is, however, present in us since always and forever. It has so much to give us that it is a shame to deprive yourself of it.


I like to give the example of very young children. If you put music in a room where there is a toddler, he or she will surely dance to the rhythm and with great joy. Try it! With this starting point that we all begin with the same enthusiasm for dance, it is most likely our different life paths: education, encounters, experiences of life, maybe certain looks and comments that we have heard that influenced our approach to dance and stopped us from dancing. And, sadly, to prohibit yourself from dancing is to repress yourself.



So, shall we dance?


Then, how to return to the path of dance, how to move on the music with confidence and without fear? How to let oneself getting loose and live the magic of movement on a musical rhythm with joy and happiness?


  1. Find the "fun" and let it go. The repetition of the same gesture is a good starting point...

  2. Trust in the intelligence of your body and its ability to create beauty through movement. I wish to draw your attention again to the example of the young child who dances. Observe how these gestures are invested with a unique beauty and how each gesture are wonderfully executed with joy and nonchalance.

  3. Love and accept that your body is constantly changing. Understand that to celebrate it, is the most beautiful gift that you can give yourself. Whether your body change due to different experiences in life: getting older, pregnancy, illness, etc. Your body is your best vehicle. It takes you on the path of life and needs different attention depending on what you are going through. The important thing is to understand that you can adapt your mindset to allow your body to continue moving at its own pace: a little, bigger, smaller, a lot, quickly, or slowly.

  4. To dance regularly is to offer oneself the opportunity to live a life full of celebration. and ultimately, it can and must adapt to the different stages of life we go through.

It is with this idea that dance is in all of us and has the power to transform our lives that I created the meditative dance sessions: Les Rondes. They are dance lessons that help you connect with your bodies, express your emotions and feel more confident and empowered in your daily lives... Whether you're a beginner or an experienced dancer, my lessons are designed to help you improve your skills and technique while having fun and connect with your child's soul. So why wait? Let's dance now!



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