Let's Reframe How We Look At The Dancer In the Mirror...

thoughts from a dance teacher in the trenches

Dance is hard. Beautiful, expressive, special, but hard.

It's a skill refining takes years to master. Those of us who fall in love with the art can beat ourselves up over the imperfections we wish weren't there.

Growing up as a young dancer, I only had to compare my skills to the best dancer in the room. Now, dancers compare themselves to the best dancers they see on the apps from all over the world. The pressure is everywhere and it's immense.

A few years into my professional career, I grew tired of the ever-constant comparisons that clawed their way in and fed on my self-confidence. I realized the only thing really standing in my way was, me. Overcoming the sometimes harsh voice within was the first step towards success! Abandon your fears, say goodbye to the self-doubt and just plain get. to. work!

It's taken time, but today I dance with joy behind my technique and enjoy teaching others to do the same. Celebrate what makes you a unique performer and go hard every time.

I've learned a lot in my 15+ years in the dance field that prove to be truer the longer I dance:

**There will always be someone who is better than you. Embrace it. Give yourself grace, but don't give up.

**Your fear of looking ridiculous is what makes you look ridiculous, so jump in.

**There IS room to celebrate yourself while ALSO celebrating others in this industry. We have to build each other up. We all have something to give.

**Progress>Perfection. Always.

**Technique over flash. Always.

**Life skills are taught in the classroom & onstage

**When you share your truest self with your audience, you win big in lots of ways

**EVERY dancer has something special to share with an audience. Dance is for everybody and every body.

**Yes I can. Yes you can. All it comes down to is how much are we willing to work for it?

We can do it, so let's celebrate our strengths and get to work!

-Karlyn