Whistling Away The Dark

That's the Henry Mancini tune sung by Johnny Mathis that speaks to a part of us all. The lyrics mention a child's fears and the defense of whistling them away.

It's long been my belief that at the root of all bad behavior is FEAR. Humans are so fragile and delicate and we all seem to be afraid of something. Whether it's death, taxes, financial ruin, losing the affection of someone we love, or feeling small and unimportant. Fear causes us to act irrationally, sometimes making us seem inconsiderate or even mean.

What's that got to do with dancing? So many people deny themselves the absolute joy of dancing due to self-talk full of fears. Most of the new students I meet tell me they've thought about learning how to dance for some time. These are the folks who have actually taken a step toward their dreams. How many others are out there that wish the same thing but are held back by some of the most common fears:

• the unknown
• I won't be able to do it
• I'll look/feel stupid and embarrass myself/my partner
• I'll regret it as a bad decision
• I'll be ridiculed by someone I care about (friends, family, spouse)

Here's the thing: our studios (and many others) offer a free lesson to try out this dancing stuff. Yes, all of us want to sell you lessons, but the offer of a free lesson is genuine. There is no way to "know" what the experience can be unless you are in it. We dancers truly believe that once you try it, you'll want to keep doing it. So overcome the initial fear of trying it by weighing your initial investment: your time, your travel costs, maybe a babysitter - against the potential benefit: you really could become a dancer...for the rest of your life!

Anytime you set out to learn a new thing, especially a physical skill, there are several "turning point" moments that determine if you quit or go forward. Whether you can harness your fear and re-direct that energy will make the difference between owning your new skill or continuing to wish you could.

If you're thinking about learning how to dance, make the move, call someone and make an appointment for a lesson. If you don't like it there, don't give up - try somewhere else. The dream of becoming a dancer is worth some diligence.

If you are already a dancer, but know of someone who is struggling with the idea of getting started, gently encourage him/her/them to try it out. Refer them to people you know and trust to get them started.

Another one of my firm beliefs: The more dancers there are in the world, the better place it will be.