Dance – the way to happiness

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‘There are shortcuts to happiness and dancing is one of them.’

Being a dancer means not only hours spent in the dance hall, taking part in various dance contents and doing your best to win it. It’s also a joy, fun, pleasure and pure happiness.

My last observation only made me sure about that. I have experienced something incredible as a dancer, passionate and a teacher.

In the last days, I had a pleasure to do a dance workshop for students. It seemed like it would be a normal dance class, and maybe it was… except for one small (big) experience. When the hip hop class started, all of the people were a bit shy and they weren’t so confident in their moves. However…Combination of dance, physical activity and of course music caused a miracle. From minute to minute, amateur dancers warmed up and started to feel dance in their bodies. I could notice a shy smile on their faces, they became more and more cheerful, happier and they started to have lots of fun. That’s really an amazing feeling when I can see that others enjoy moves the same as me and they aren’t hiding with it. At the end of the class, I saw a pure happiness, sweat and quiet humming of Will Smith songs.  Something wonderful and remarkable!

Of course, there is a little of teacher’s merit in this (not that I would praise myself). A much greater merit in it has this beautiful thing that we call a dance. The way to escape from a whole world for a while and the way to happiness.

Dancing feels good and here is a proof.

Passion is a beautiful thing

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When searching for a word ‘passion’, Uncle Google says

‘passion is a very powerful feeling.’

You’ve never been so right! It’s so powerful! So beautiful! But you will understand it only when you have found YOUR passion.

Some people don’t need much time to find the right one, others are still looking for it. I need to admit that I’m the happy owner of having my one and only passion – DANCE! Of course, it took me some time to find it. I tried many sports and others activities. And suddenly BOOM! One beautiful day, I became enchanted by dance and so it stayed.

Dance has been a big part of my life and I’m so grateful for that. After such long years of discovering the dance, I can say that dancing for me is not only art, sport or hobby, but it’s a passion. Why do I think so? Dance gives me an incredible feeling, confidence and freedom that I can’t get anywhere else. It’s a real happiness of expressing myself. I put all of my spare time and effort into dance. I talk about that, I think about dance, I dream about dance and I get dance inspiration from everything that is around me. Life is simply easier with having a passion! This is the magic of dance, this is the magic of passion. If you are a dancer, you know what I mean.

I’m happy for every dancer and every person that has the real-life passion. I’m glad that their lives are filled with this powerful feeling, that gives them energy for every day. But if you haven’t found your passion yet, don’t give up. It’s one of the greatest and the most beautiful feeling that you can have. So search for that and then you will see the difference between life with passion and without. You will never want to change it again, trust me!

Injures are our best teachers

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I had just one question in my mind. Will I ever dance again?

Most of my blog posts are about the good sides of dance and the satisfaction and joy that it gives. However, if the dancer is long enough in the dance world, he knows that sometimes comes a worse time. The time of sadness and tears. Unfortunately, dance can put a lot of stress on the body, which leads to potential injuries. Mostly in the spine, knees, ankles, and feet. Here the grief comes…

As luck would have it, I was struggling with injuries too. Knees are my weakness, and hip hop requires movements that aren’t natural for the body and knees. When in 2014 a serious injury of my knee occurred, my life stopped. My thinking was different than a normal person. Instead of wondering, what will happen now, if I need to go to the hospital if the surgery will be needed. I had just one question in my mind. Will I ever dance again? This question gave me the creeps. I didn’t think if I would walk ever again. Dancing was more important for me. There was no sense of life for me anymore. If I can’t dance, then what I can do? There were so many emotions inside me. Bad emotions. I felt fear, madness, sadness, frustration, and desperation. I started hating dance because I thought I can’t do it anymore. I have to admit that I gave up, but fortunately just for a while. I’m a fighter and I knew that nothing is impossible for those who believe. My passion and love for dance won and pulled me through the injury. After a long rehabilitation, I came back to dance. Stronger, than I was before, happier and with a greater power.

I believe that every injury makes dancer smarter and stronger. The same was with me. I realized how to treat my body and work on it to not allow the injury win again. I also realized how important is the dance for me, and that I can’t live without it. As a result, I became stronger and more aware of my body and dance. I understood, that having a passion is a blessing.

“ Injury taught me I need to learn how to face challenges.”

Work hard or go home

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Nothing great was ever achieved without hard work.

Dance is definitely one of the most beautiful of the arts. It is a great pleasure not only for the dancer but also for the viewer. From the perspective of the spectators, the dance may look easy and effortless. They are not aware of what kind of work and sacrifices it is to dance like that and be on the top.  I remember the time when in Poland was very popular “So you think you can dance.” When I was watching it with my mum, she often said “It’s easy”, “I would be able to dance like that”. I always told her “Mum, trust me…that’s not easy. Dance is hard work.”  

Dance is not only fun and enjoyment. This is primarily physical activity combined with many hours of training, workshops, sweat and tears. Dancers have to strengthen their body and condition all the time to be able to dance and do difficult movements. They need strength, and this strength comes from the hard work and self-sacrifice. Dance definitely requires intense dedication, focus, and perseverance. Professional dancers have training every day for many hours, during the day but also during the night to prepare for the performance or competition. Their determination and power are just unbelievable. I am always impressed by their hard work, self-development, and willingness to get better.

Next, to the physical activity and bodywork, learning and studying are also one of the parts of the dance. Yes…studying! They – dancers need to and most importantly want to deepen their education all the time. They devote their time not only to physical activity but they also they spend the time to read books, articles about dance and get inspiration and knowledge from others.

I would say, that dancers dedicate their lives to dance. Of course, not every day is a color. Every dancer in his life has a breakdown, doubts about what he does and just no more power.

From my own experience, I can say that sometimes I just said enough to myself. My body couldn’t make it anymore. I was tired mentally and physically. I was closed to just give up. But there is something beautiful about dance. After some time, I just got again this power and determination to dance as best as I can.

Dance is hard work. There is no doubt about it.

But this hard work gives enormous satisfaction and happiness, that is hard to describe.

Does talent actually exist?

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Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard

Very often I ask myself the question, if there is something like a talent? But what exactly means talent? The definition says that it is a natural predisposition to perform the activities. Here appears another question. Does natural predisposition exist? On the one hand, people say that talent is only a small percentage, the rest is hard work. But on the other hand, there are situations that a little bend the truth in my eyes.

In my dance career, I have met a lot of people, beginners and professionals. I divided them into three categories. The first one, are those, who just danced, without any preparation, but with rhythm and body control. Basically, they don’t need any dance classes, they have never joined them, they are just very good…somehow. It happens, that they don’t even know, that they can dance and feel the beat. The second category are people, who are able to catch the movements very quickly and perform effortlessly. Those needs just a minute to learn new steps and don’t have to bother to be a good dancer. It’s a piece of cake to win a competition (honestly, I envy them that!). Next to these two categories – “talented”?, born to dance people, there is another, totally opposite. Those dancers seem to never grasp the movements and techniques. The easiest step, the easiest beat, but they are just not able to repeat it. They need to spend a lot of hours on the trainings to achieve something big.

After dividing dancers into three completely different groups, I strongly wonder if the talent is hard work, or it is just discovering own vocation. I know one thing, talent cannot be taught, skills can be taught, learned and improved, even if someone is born with talent or not. And I know, that having a talent or predispositions will not help to succeed. A dancer has to know how to use, what he/she got from God. Without hard work, practice, classes and motivation, a talent would not be enough and never taken advantage of. No one became successful relying only on natural born talent.

A dancer and not dancer, remember, if you work hard and you have the motivation, you will go far!

Keep doing what you do and never give up! 

TOP 10 reasons to dance!

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Why do people dance?

What is it about dance, that so many people like it?

Dance is probably the oldest and most popular art form. Whether you are a professional or just do it for fun there are just so many reasons to either start or continue to dance. It’s something that everyone should try and experience.

The benefits of dance are countless, but here are the TOP10 reasons to dance!

1. FUN
During the dance, your brain produces hormones of happiness, which gives a feeling of satisfaction, joy and a smile.

2. RELIEVE STRESS
Dancing is a recipe for stress, negative emotions, and fatigue. Nothing more, nothing less!

3. MAKE YOU SOCIAL
Dancing is a good way to meet new people. Participating in dance classes with others make you more open and sociable.

4. CREATIVITY
Dancing gives you a unique chance to be creative and develop your imagination.

5. BOOST SELF ESTEEM
Dance adds confidence and causes break down barriers and complexes.

6. EXPRESS YOURSELF
Dancing provides an ideal opportunity to release the feelings, emotions and express yourself.

7. GET AWAY FROM IT ALL
Dancing allows you to take a break from daily duties, gray reality and just forget about everything.

8. BE A KING OF THE DANCEFLOOR
There is nothing better than to show off your dancing skills at a party and just be the king of the dancefloor.

9. CALORIE BURN
Like any exercise, so also dance keeps your body in good shape and burns between 200 and 400 calories every 30 minutes.

10. HEALTH BENEFITS
Dance strengthens the spine, improves brain function, decreases in blood pressure, lowers cholesterol, improves muscle tones, and a reduces the risk of heart disease.

There you go, top 10 reasons to dance!

Remember, that you don’t have to be a professional dancer to experience the benefits of dance.
Dance is beautiful and available for everyone.

Dance is the power!

So play music, start dancing and find your own reasons!

Music is the answer

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Music is the answer
To your problems
Keep on moving
Then you can solve them

 

For every dancer, music is something more than just a sound. Thanks to the music, dancers are able to release the great fantasy, experience and show much more emotions in their dance. Music just fills the dance and the dancer’s soul. Music and dance together create art, which touches, cause anger, cheers and above all, shows various emotions.  Together, they create a perfect couple, they are inextricably linked and they form a unity.

Most of all, the music is a response to reality. Not only for dancers, but for everyone who loves music (who doesn’t?!).

Depending on the type of music, it causes various feelings. Tears, sadness, peace, or joy, energy and willingness to act. Music has extraordinary strength, able to motivate, improve mood and be the best companion.

I can confidently say that “Musica animae levamen” – music is medicine for the soul.

The music reminds us of the memories, the good one, and the bad one. If you look at the past, the music accompanies you always. We listen to music, when we are sad, we are sick, when we are happy or when we just want to chill for a while. Isn’t it true? To study, to read a book, in the dance club, at school, at work, it’s everywhere with us. The music surrounds us and is part of our lives. It helps us escape from the problems and the reality we live in and just be with your thoughts somewhere far away.

Maybe the music won’t solve our problems, but somehow it calms us and makes us feel better, that we want to listen more and more and lose ourself in this moment….

Thank God, we have music…Without it, life would be uglier…

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We are all one, big family

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This is not only about dance, it’s about being a family.
World dance family.

When someone becomes a dancer, the world is slowly changing.

That person starts to spend more and more time at the dance school, on training or on the dance hall. It also means getting to know new people – other dancers, who become very important in life after some time. Dancers become a dance group. Team. Friends. Later on, SECOND FAMILY. After spending some time together, preparing for the competitions, they start to know each other better and better. They start to speak the same language, dance language. They know exactly the dance style of each person in the group, they are able to predict their moves, and learn from each other. From day to day, they start to spend more time together and it’s not only on the training but also after. Thinking together what to do, where to go, what to eat and finally, they start to support each other when having problems. In good times and bad times, always.
All of it is called family, dance family and it’s priceless.

Taking part in competitions, workshops and dance events in various cities, gave me a chance to be a witness of the dance support in the whole dance community. Even tho, the hip hop dancers have a battle, they “fight” against each other and compete, it is a healthy rivalry. Maybe it doesn’t look like, because everyone has an angry face, but there is no place for violence, verbal abuse and judgment in dance.

We – dancers, have a respect for each other. Of course, it is still a competition, and the dancers are jealous that someone else has better moves, or went further. But the shared passion to dance is something what wins here. Everyone is grateful for the opportunity to be among the other dancers. They smile, have fun, greet and last but not least support each other and cheer on.

No matter where is the dancer from, how old is he/she, what language does he/she speak.
Dancers are one big family, with respect and love to dance.
Dance is the language here, the most beautiful language.

Inhale confidence, exhale doubt

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CONFIDENCE – that’s something what describes every dancer with a big experience.

When you look at a dancer, you see the whole difference. They dress different, they walk different and finally their confidence is different…it’s just better, bigger, stronger.

I can see it very well on dance competitions, battles, parties and other dance events. That look, posture, head raised high and smooth dancing instead of walking. Yes, it’s a dancer. Yes, he/she is very confident. Event tho, hip hop dancers usually wear too large clothes that hide their figure, they are still confident it that outfit. I would say, they are more confident than a person in the most beautiful and the most expensive clothes. I don’t know how it happens, but when a dancer hears the music, he/she becomes someone else, someone better. While dancing, you can feel that power, and all eyes are on you. People are just jealous of the way how you move and how you’re confident it this. This is an amazing feeling, which adds even more wings.

What I have observed in the last time is quite funny but interesting. Basically, in the world of dancers, you can see that some of them are a little bit bigger than others. But that’s not a problem for them at all. A normal person with overweight usually is without any confidence and feels uncomfortable in own skin,  it’s very easy to see. When you look at a dancer with overweight dancing on the dancefloor, it just unbelievable. They don’t have a perfect body, but they don’t care, they are proud of it. All what you can see, is confidence and lightness in dance. I’m pretty sure that not just one well-built person would like to be as much confident as this dancer is.

When I have noticed that the dancers are confident? I saw it from the first time when I’ve started my dance journey. I remember it like it was yesterday. My first dance class. Me – shy teenager vs super confident trainer. Self-confidence and confidence of success, I could see from the distance. He had just written on his face “Yes, I am a dancer, I am very good at what I do and I am proud of it”. I just wanted to be like him and have that high self-esteem. After 8 years I’m still working on it. On a daily basis, I consider myself as a shy woman. BUT…when I hear the music and I feel the dancefloor under my feet, I am a different person. I become very confident and on my face I have written: “Yes, I am a dancer, I am very good at what I do and I am proud of it”.

This is it! I love that feeling…and jealousy! 🙂

They call it dancing, we call it living…

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“Are we human, or are we dancer?” – asks The Killers in their song.

Is there any difference between human being and a dancer?

For most of my life, I was just a human – rational being, able to making decisions and feeling emotions. After several years of dancing, I’ve become a dancer – inspiring being, the artist having a vivid imagination, extremely creative and open to the environment.

What distinguishes a dancer? A big passion for dance and music. Just play the beat, and you will see it in his/her eyes and movement.

A dancer has different priorities than others. While being just a human, I was collecting money for all inclusive holidays and a new dress. While being a dancer, I’m collecting money for workshops, contests around the world, dance camps (and shoes). That’s my all inclusive vacations.

A dancer has different dressing style. We love oldschool clothing, big sweatshirt and of course shoes – the best friend of a dancer. Comfortable, sophisticated sneakers are just the must have for us. I have about fifteen, I adore all of them and always looking for a new pair.

Couple years ago, when I went to a party at the club, all I wanted was to have fun, get drunk and meet new people. It is still correct, but there is something new. Now, when going to the club, I wanna hear good beats and feel the vibe. I wanna have dancers around me, share the passion, skills and knowledge, do training, make a circle and learn from them new moves and exercises. The best thing, is to finish the party in the morning, completely sweaty and tired but at the same time happy with the expectation for the next party.

And at the end, dancer thinks differently. A normal human thinks about casual stuff, what to eat and what to do in the evening. A dancer thinks about music, new steps, new dance video on YouTube, about training, other dancers and always looking for inspiration around. The usual going to the store, or waiting for the bus is not that usual while being a dancer. You can see, that a dancer has always headphones on the ears, and is in another world. Probably just creating new steps or imagining the dance battle of the life. Or some of them are just smoothly bouncing to the beat.

What I can say at the moment is that becoming a dancer was a very good decision…

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