When it comes to ballroom dancing, there’s no room for self-consciousness. This doesn’t mean that you get to flail around on the dance floor like Elaine from Seinfeld (although that’s kinda fun sometimes). Rather, learn to be comfortable and confident in your movements. Most importantly, practice and allow yourself to feel the music.

You might ask, “Why is it so important to really feel the music?” 

When you move ‘to’ the music instead of ‘with’ the music, it shows a lack of excitement. Why not show some enthusiasm for the venue, the music, and your partner!

Here’s what’ll happen if you just let it go on the dance floor.

• You’re gonna get more dances.  That’s because you make your partner feel good.  
• Guess what! More dances = more confidence.  You know the more you do something, the better you get at it.  When you feel good about your dancing, you’ll move with greater confidence and less embarrassment.
• Get ready to have lots of friends and a better social life.  The joy you show when you’re on the dance floor has everything to do with the happiness you feel in your life.  Don’t you agree that a joyful, happy person is naturally attractive?  
• Really giving yourself to the music takes you out of your head and into your body.  To be sure, we all experience physical and emotional stress in our everyday life.  On the other hand, isn’t it nice to do something that makes your body sing! 
• You’ll feel better.  With this in mind, make ballroom dancing your therapy.  The great Bob Marley once sang, “One good thing about music, when it hits, you feel no pain.”  You have to agree, it’s hard to get more relaxed than Bob Marley!

This is not to suggest that you show off on the dance floor.

It’s a no-no in a social setting to dance like you’re performing in a Broadway show.  Therefore, you’re not going to use big arm and leg styling that can be seen all the way in the back row.  It’s small and intimate.  The feeling is as if there’s an orchestra playing in your heart.  Like a tic that makes you move involuntarily to the music. 

For more on musicality, please read this Dance Safari post, “Rhythmically Challenged?  It’s All in Your Head!”

The next time you’re relaxed and listening to music, find the rhythm that calls out to you and give in to it. Can’t get much better than that!