Thriving with dance!

Your first time stepping into the dance studio, or becoming truly immersed in the community, can feel

wildly overwhelming. Between learning new terminology and unique ways of movement, it can be easy to feel like an outsider. Watching dancers who seem so effortless in their movements while you’re still struggling with the basics can sometimes be hard. However, how flexible you are, how many pirouettes you can do, or how high you kick your leg is not the main point of taking class. There are several aspects of the dance environment that make it unique compared to any other. To truly thrive, I have found that there are three vital things to understand: communication, perseverance, and supporting other dancers.

As I've grown into the dance community, communication has become a sort of lifeline. There is so

much information constantly being given during class - proper technique, choreography- that it can be difficult to absorb it all. This was one of the areas I struggled with when I first started taking dance classes. Trying to move in ways I had never moved before and taking corrections for steps I barely knew the names of, there was definitely a learning curve. This fact was especially true given that I was very shy when I first started taking classes. If I didn’t understand something, I would keep it to myself and hope to figure it out later. As I started growing more and more into the community, this method no longer worked for me; my progress was stifled. I was creating bad habits, and not speaking up about the things I needed help with was only deepening them. As I began taking dance more seriously, I had to step out of my comfort zone and speak up in class. I learned to find clarity from whoever was available, whether it was the class TA, teacher, or even another student. I found that a majority of the time, people had different ways of explaining things that helped me to understand the concepts in my own terms. The most important thing to take away from this piece of advice is recognizing that asking questions doesn’t make it look like you don't know what you are doing; it shows that you want to improve.

Even with consistent practice and constant communication, progress can still feel “slow” but steady. While I’ve heard people say you have to get worse before you can get better, I never truly resonated with it. The phrase felt overused to the point that it was just words. However, as I'm sure you can guess what I’m about to say, the phrase is true. It’s not an immediately rewarding sort of system; very rarely have I found myself trying a new skill at the beginning of class, failing, and then having it ‘perfected’ by the end of the hour and thirty minutes. No, the typical trajectory of learning, as I have found, is trying a new skill, failing at it consistently, for an undisclosed amount of time. Then one day, while it’s still not in the realm of perfection, I do it, or I can visibly see the improvement. The real challenge with dance sometimes is staying consistent, not just in attendance but in effort. Sure, you should have regular attendance, but if you show up and never try to push yourself, then that rewarding moment of seeing yourself succeed and having a “did I just do that?” moment will never come.

While this list can go on endlessly, the last point I find most important is the uplifting of others. Your

moments of success will come, but so will other people's. It's not fair to expect your classmates to lift you up if you never return the favor. Of course, it can be difficult at times when someone else reaches a goal you have had for so long, but part of the beauty of dance is the community, is the ability to step away from yourself and cheer someone else on. The lack of support for one another in class creates tension and the feeling of needing to be perfect so that you can “win.” Dance, however, is about the artistry, and unhealthy competition dampens your ability to explore what makes your dancing unique to you. Other people’s success only proves that everyone in the room has the ability to grow, not that you won’t.

In the end, dance is not just physical; there is an element of mental discipline strongly attached to it.

Finding your own voice with communication, welcoming the steady, consistent effort, and fostering an

environment of encouragement is where the success in dance lies. “Perfect” moments are not abundant, and the learning curve can be steep, but the reward of trying becomes endless when you do it alongside other dancers. This journey is not one to be completed alone, so ask the questions, keep trying and showing up, your “did I just do that?” moment is right around the corner.

-Natalie Litondo

2026

Allegro Precision & Pure Dance Co. & Pre-professional dancer