Don't hold back - don't fear mistakes!

I have the pleasure of working with pre-teen and teen levels of Hip Hop. For myself, it’s always nice to strike up a conversation with any one of them and get updates on their lives, whether it’s dance related or not (gotta love that teen humor… lol). Maybe it’s because I remember what it was like being a student at their age.

But, as you go from the younger to the older dancers, you start to notice more insecurities than with the little ones. There’s more hesitation and restraint in their movement. More fear of failure. Fear of mistakes. I mean, who doesn’t want to be right the first time?

As a teacher, I don’t put myself on any type of pedestal or above them. I perceive myself as a friend/guide of theirs who wants what is best for them, BELIEVES IN THEM, and happens to have the knowledge to get them where they need/want to be. Even if that takes a little yelling and butt kicking. Trust me, no matter what our age, we all need a good butt kicking once in a while.

I don’t ask more than I believe you can give, only that you give me everything that YOU have got. Push beyond what you think your limits are, and then realize you are capable of much more than you ever believed possible!

Give 100% anytime you’re in a dance class or rehearsal. It’s doing nothing but benefiting you. You’ll be able to leave every time and say to yourself “I did my best and I feel great about it.”, and gradually your best will keep getting better and better!

So, I’m speaking to you, whether you’re a student who is young at age or young at heart. Don’t hold back. Give everything you’ve got. Don’t fear mistakes, embrace them. Mistakes are what make you better, because you LEARN from them. You GROW from them.

Greg Baja

Hip Hop Instructor