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So you decided to join a dance class, congrats you are officially one step closer to becoming the best dancer you want to be! 🤙🏽 Whether it’s to improve your physical, mental, and spiritual health or it’s just to enjoy some time away from other responsibilities; either way joining a dance class is a great way to improve one’s overall health. But there is one slight issue, you have no idea how to prepare for your upcoming class and don’t want to miss anything before coming. Don’t worry friends, I got you! Here are some tips to consider before your next dance class!
1. Register ahead of time
I know this may sound super straight forward, but making sure you are registered for the correct class is very important! The worst feeling is getting all ready with your dance bag packed and right before you head out the door you remembered you haven’t actually registered yet. So, you rush back to your laptop/ phone and quickly try to register before you have to go, making you all nervous about lost time (yikes). To make sure this never happens to you, save yourself the time and register at least 1 or 2 days ahead; that way you don’t have to worry about rushed registration and you save yourself a spot (remember: there are limited spots due to COVID restrictions). Not worrying about registration will get you smooth sailing for the rest of the day.
2. Comfy clothes and shoes are your saving grace
I will say (probably yell) this to you because I love you; please please please do NOT wear jeans, jeggings or anything restrictive in order for you to move freely. I know this sounds like a given, but I have seen some rather interesting clothing choices before a dance class and every time something goes wrong. Whether it’s a massive rip on what used to be your favourite jeans, or feeling like you cannot take off your bulky sweater because you are not wearing anything underneath that is comfortable enough (nightmare 😖). Do yourself a massive favour and wear something comfy like sweat-pants, leggings, shorts and a T-shirt. I highly recommend any gym clothes, they are made for classes like these and will make you feel 100% free and comfortable. The same goes for shoes, you want to be able to dance in something breathable, comfortable and ultimately doesn’t hurt your feet. Not having to worry about your clothes/ shoes will get you focused on what’s going on and most importantly get you having funnnn!
3. Hydration is your best friend
Say it with me: “hydration is key! 😁😁” While it may not feel like you are working out, dancing will definitely get you sweating. You will notice yourself getting more and more tired and staying hydrated is essential to keep you going and having fun. Our bodies are made up of 60% of water (I think, I don’t know I read that somewhere on google one time). But nonetheless, our bodies need water and while working up a sweat, your body will lose some of that water and it will need to be replaced. Safe to say, bring as much water as you need or can! If you feel like you brought enough, bring more you’re going to need it ahah.
4. Arrive 15 min. earlier.
The worst feeling ever is arriving too late or too early. If you are too early you find yourself mindlessly walking around staring at anything and everything, and you don’t really know what to do so it’s just awkward. And arriving too late gets you missing the warm up and now you are trying to look like you are not struggling to control your breathing (been there, done that so don’t worry you’re not alone). 15 minutes earlier is your perfect timing, it allows you to sing in, prep yourself for the class, and say hi to some familiar faces!
5. Stretch/ Get warmed up when you arrive
You have now arrived in that 15 min. grace period, and you don’t want to look awkward staring at the mirror waiting for class to begin. Start off by doing some light stretching or warming up. If you know you have a bad knee or sore arm, add in that extra 5 min. of stretching on your own to make sure you feel good and won’t pull a muscle. You can warm up with friends while catching up and that way you feel even better for your class.
6. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
If this is your very first class or your 100th class, dancing may feel foreign to you and that is okay! Get comfortable with feeling uncomfortable. I know, easier said than done, but this is a time to challenge yourself and inevitably let you grow as a dancer. As you keep practicing with unfamiliar movements your body will adjust and you will gain a new sense of confidence to learn and push yourself even more. Remember you got this, and no matter how uncomfortable it feels at first, you will get there and you will be more confident!
And there you have it folks, STU Arts Dance’s tips and tricks on how to prepare for your dance class. We hope this makes things a little easier for you so you can enjoy your dance class fully. If you are debating on starting your dancing journey, do so with us! We’re cool, got pretty sick dance moves, and wicked playlists! Check out what we have to offer here, and how to get registered here! Sharing is caring, so be sure to share this blog with some of your dance friends so they can feel the love too!
See ya out there!!
The STU Arts Dance Team