Breaking into Dance: A Hip-Hop experience

As my first endeavor in “expanding” my life, I decided to branch out and do something I never do. Sadly, that something is dancing. For anyone who knows me, I don’t just not dance–I can’t dance! Even my parents, who have to be biased because they are my parents, can’t help but chuckle when they see me try to bust a move on the dance floor. So when my friend, Jessica, asked me if I wanted to go to a Hip-Hop class with her earlier this week, my first instinct was to reply with a resounding “NO!”

Then I remembered my resolution. I have to try one new thing each week. I have to do something each week that I wouldn’t normally do to enrich my life. Why not start with dancing? Dancing is a great outlet for exercise and is very fun, even for people who have no rhythm. I am one of those people. My body just doesn’t move in certain ways, and the thought of looking ridiculous in front of others scares me so much that I usually refrain from dancing all together. My first thought was that maybe this class will help me finally learn to dance. Maybe it would help rid me of my fear of embarrassment and result in countless future dancing excursions. Okay, so maybe I was getting a little carried away, but maybe I would at least get some exercise out of it! I decided I would take the class.

I was dismayed to find that the only spots left in the class were right near the front. Dancing in front of a huge class of people, surrounded by mirrors and talented dancers, was enough to make me want to run right back out the door. Luckily, I had promised my friend I would accompany her so I was there to stay. I stood there in fear, wondering who was going to be watching me and what they were going to be thinking. As the class started, I tried to look around to see what everyone was doing. No one was watching. Everyone was just as busy as I was learning the first two eight-counts.

To my great surprise, rather than being stressful, the class was actually fun! I realized that no one cared how anyone looked or who was better than who. We learned eight-count after eight-count, dance step after dance step, and then danced it to the music. By the end of the one hour class, I was not only sweating, but I was wanting more! I was exhilarated everytime I kept up with the music, and challenged everytime I couldn’t. The instructor was enthusiastic and encouraging. I realized that everyone in the class was learning, just like me. Even the very good dancers weren’t perfect everytime. The girl in front of me was an amazing dancer, and I tried to imitate her moves to look “normal.” Even though I realized that I danced most of the moves with two left feet, the class was a great experience. I saw many friends I knew, and met a few of the girls around me, many of whom were trying just as hard as I was. The class is offered every week, and I already can’t wait to go back next week and learn some new moves. Had I not made this promise to myself, I would have never even tried Hip-Hop. Now, I have something to look forward to each Monday night, and maybe even some new moves to bust out on the dance floor the next time I go out. Okay, I may be just kidding with that last part, but so far expanding my life has already begun to pay off!