Tips for Becoming a Better Dancer

While being a great dancer may depend on some inherent talent, it is possible to become a better dancer even if you weren’t naturally born to dance. No matter what your level of experience or preferred style, from burlesque-style cabaret like Suzie Malone has mastered to dance moves like Madonna’s or Bollywood’s Hrithik Roshan, these tips are sure to help you improve.

Increase Your Range of Motion by Warming Up and Cool Down

Don’t go straight to dancing – to reduce the risk of injury and increase range of motion, you need to generate heat by warming up through low impact movements. An effective warm up helps to prepare you mentally as well while improving performance, and the transmission of nerve impulses too. Once your muscles are warm that have more elasticity, allowing you to bend and twist easier. 

Perform simple, rhythmical movements for 10 minutes before starting and before you finish, gradually reduce intensity. Afterwards perform gentle static stretches of all the major muscle groups to cool down.

Connect with Others

Dancing supports human connection, according to an article published in Scientific American. It does this because of cells referred to as mirror neurons, according to neurologist John Krakauer. He notes that this helps to activate movement areas in the brain, whether you’re dancing or watching someone else dance. Doing the same thing as someone else at the same time not only helps improve bonds and expand the sense of self, it can make you a better dancer as well as strengthening dance partner relationships.

Improve Your Posture

Proper posture is said to lay the foundation for optimal health. By understanding the body’s functional biomechanics, you can learn to optimize how you move at all times, including when you dance. As often as you can, think about how you’re standing – stand up straight, keeping your lumbar relatively flat while allowing the buttocks to protrude slightly. Keep your shoulders down and back, holding your head up. This will allow for more freedom of movement and can even help relieve pain. The spine will lengthen and settle naturally while you breathe.

Be Your Authentic Self

No matter where you obtain the source of your favorite style, be your authentic self. If you’re afraid to fail or embarrass yourself, you’ll be more afraid to dance which holds you back. There’s no need to fear the unknown and failures can be important steps on the way to mastering just about anything, including the dance floor.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Once you’ve learned a few techniques, practice as often as you can at home. The more you practice, the better you’ll get, and you’ll be developing your own style at the same time. You might also watch dancers on TV along with online lessons, taking note of body alignment and new techniques too. As you learn new moves, remember to continue to perfect the skills of each step of the techniques you’ve already learned.