How to not look awkward when dancing
How To Not Look AWKWARD When You Dance
Do you feel awkward when you dance??
It’s pretty normal to feel insecure about your dancing.
I mean, it’s your body. Your literal SELF that's being put out there!If you’re that person at the club swaying awkwardly or hanging out by the wall at a school dance…
We’re here to help make you feel more comfortable in your body.
Ready to stop being a wallflower?? Wanna get movin’ and groovin’??!?!
Let’s go!
1. Own your style
If you feel awkward when you dance, then you will look awkward when you dance. And if you keep telling yourself you're awkward, then you will stay awkward.
The first step to overcoming awkwardness is to stop that self-deprecating narrative.
You don’t have two left feet.
You do have rhythm.
You can be a good dancer.
Re-defining your view of yourself is the only way you allow yourself to grow.
And if you're truly convinced that you can't follow a beat or stop tripping over yourself... just take some time to practice those basic foundations!
STEEZY's online "Intro to Dance" program walks you through all of the fundamentals step-by-step, so it's the perfect place to start.
Click here to start the program for free!
2. Find your body’s natural groove
No two people in the world have the exact same bodies, music tastes, dance training, or life experiences. This means that no two people really dance the same.
Everyone dances like themselves. You, included! So find that groove that feels right to you.
When you take class, modify the choreography to fit your body. And when you freestyle, just start with a basic two-step.
That simple left-right, right-left skeleton leaves SO much room for you to build off of.
Feel the way your body reacts to the music...
Let yourself groove out...
3. And COMMIT to it
A lot of the time, dancers will look awkward because they PLAY THEMSELVES!!
That slight hesitation, that SMIDGEN of under-delivery, that look of “oh sh*t” on their faces…
Awkward.
Knowing and committing to yourself is the only way you won’t look awkward when you dance.
4. Loosen up!
Really, an instant fix. Most people look awkward when they dance because they are stiff. And they’re stiff because they aren’t moving.
Don’t lock your knees.
Free your neck to let your head bob.
Shake out your arms.
Relax your core.
You can even do some stretching or pilates to help your muscles get used to that relaxed, loose state!
This pilates class on STEEZY is perfect as it's literally designed to loosen the muscles you use when you dance.
So get LOOSE. No excuses.
5. LISTEN to the music
Maybe you look awkward when you dance because your body isn’t matching the tempo of the music.
Simply aligning the rhythm of your movements to the beat will make your dancing look a lot more put together.
Or, your vibe isn't matching the vibe of the song, making your dancing look off.
Follow Melvin Timtim's advice on this:
6. Have fun
I’ve never watched someone genuinely love what they’re doing and judged them.
Pure fun never looks or feels awkward.
So stop overthinking! Put on a soundtrack to a musical you love and lip sync it all the way through. Blast some dirty rap music in your car and go awff.
Play some sexy bedroom music and serenade your lover. At the end of the day, dance is something that lets you play.
You can be anyone you want, do anything you want, and escape from whatever stresses are plaguing your mind.
Dance is an escape, not another stressor.
So have fun with it :) and looking dope will happen on its own. Being a good dancer or a bad dancer, a dope one or an awkward one...
It depends on what you practice – both mentally and physically. Use these tips to make dancing look and feel like second nature.
You’ll be tearin’ it up on the dance floor in no time.
What are some things that helped you overcome looking awkward when you dance? Comment below and leave a tip!
Classes on STEEZY Studio help you loosen up to move more comfortably.
Take our beginner program to learn the essential grooves to start with!
10 Tips To Instantly Make Your Dancing Look Less Awkward
When you hit the dance floor do you tense up and get all awkward?
Are you not sure what to do with your hands?
Are you unable to decipher the mood of the music?
Don't fear, STEEZY'S HERE!
We came up with 10 easy tips to help you look cool while you dance:
Video Transcript:
Honestly most of us learn how to dance
because we just want to look cool
and you know what doesn't look cool? Looking
like this.
You don't want to look like that. So here are 10 tips to take your dancing from awkward and stiff to super lit.
Tip #1: Be on beat. Even if
your moves are super hot fire
you know that you're still gonna look really awkward if you're not dancing to the
rhythm. So make sure you just take your
time, listen to the music, find that
consistent rhythm so that you can use
the beat to guide your movements.
Tip #2: Don't lock your limbs. No one
looks cool dancing with over extended knees or elbows
So shake them out, bend
your knees, keep your body comfortable
Tip # 3: Don't cut off your movements. A lot of awkwardness comes from stiffness and a
lot of stiffness comes from interrupting
your movements, so don't interrupt your
movements unless you're purposely
isolating your body parts ok?
Tip #4: Use everyday motions as part of
your dancing. Lyle Beniga is amazing at
taking familiar scenarios and turning
them into effortless dances.
Point is, you don't have to bust out some crazy combo to be a good dancer. Sometimes trying too
hard can look awkward. Stick to things
that are simple and comfortable on your body.
Tip #5: Be intentional with
your hands. Not paying attention to your
hands can make you look really, really
awkward.
Here's some cooler ideas for your hands.
You can point, clap a little bit, hello audience,
greetings, whip, milly rock, and what's up b-boy stance.
Tip #6: Match the mood of
the music. Your dancing can also look
super awkward if it just doesn't fit how
the music feels.
Tip #7: Dance through your mistakes. Like Jessie, she's
been dancing through her whole life. OHHH MY LIFE IS A MISTAKE.
Jessie Ma-stake. Mess ups are only awkward if you make them awkward. Don't make it awkward.
Stop! Stop being awkward ok.
If you end up tripping on stage it's
okay, you trip on stage. The DJ says step
to the right and you step to the left
it's okay it happened man, just keep on
going, no one's gonna worry about it, chiiiiilllll.
Tip #8: Condition your body.
Whatever your body shape or size you can
condition it to dance the way that you
want so stretch out for flexibility
and range of motion, do cardio for more
stamina, and lift weights if you want to dance with more strength.
Tip #9: Face different directions. Facing the front
the whole time is boring and you're not
boring are you? So face different
directions, face the side, face this side
face the back, face the ceiling.
Last but not least Tip #10: It's okay to
look or feel stupid.
You'll get better every time you dance. So to recap all 10 tips. Number 1 be on beat. Number
2 don't lock your limbs. Number 3
don't cut off your movements. Number 4
use everyday motions as part of your
dancing. Number 5 be intentional with
your hands. Number 6 match the mood of
the music. Number 7 dance through
mistakes. Number 8 condition your
body. Number 9 turn to different
directions. Number 10 it's okay to look or feel stupid.
Feel free to add to this list by
sharing your tips in the comment section.
Give this video a huge thumbs up and
subscribe to our channel for more fun
and educational dance videos. Now go out there and I'll see you on the dance floor.
Corridor. The floor is yours.
Mordor. Ahhh dang that was a good one!
Afraid to look ridiculous? 5 ways to forget about embarrassment and enjoy yourself in dancing
When a woman dances, she should concentrate only on herself. Dance is like a form of meditation: when you don’t think about anything in the moment, you completely immerse yourself in your body, thereby freeing your thoughts. However, many girls are prevented from achieving such an effect by excessive obsession with how they look from the outside. Understanding how to overcome complexes and finally start enjoying the process
Grazia
You probably know that feeling when you really want to go to class, but again and again there are reasons to cancel the appointment: “I'm clumsy”, “I will look funny”, “I'm not plastic”, “I will be embarrassed in front of others girls in the hall."
If these experiences sound familiar, then this article is for you. We have compiled a list of 5 simple rules that will help you forget about embarrassment and really enjoy dancing.
Dance in heels
Approaching dance training is definitely on high heels. Heels are a magic wand for every girl. Surely you felt how your gait changes and your sense of self in general, you just have to put on your favorite shoes! To tune in to an effective lesson, try to “warm up” at home: take out “those” boats from the closet, go to the mirror, turn on pleasant music and start moving smoothly. You will see: the movements will become more graceful, and the lines of the body will “tighten up” and look more refined.
Wear the right clothes
Gathered for training in sports leggings and a fixing top? Set this kit aside until you go to the gym. And for dancing, choose such an image so that you yourself like to look at your reflection. Tight-fitting cycling shorts paired with a trendy T-shirt, a top with delicate drawstrings and bell-bottoms, or maybe even a dress? There are no restrictions here: the main thing is that you feel comfortable (clothing should not hinder movement), but at the same time that you feel the most beautiful. If there is no special outfit in your wardrobe, go to a specialty boutique and find a look there that will be associated with dancing and that you will want to wear again and again
Create a classroom environment
The right environment can also help boost your self-confidence and create a special mood. Start the journey from external to internal: if you are dancing at home (for example, according to an online course), then organize the right environment yourself. Dim the lights, light candles, or turn on lights if you have one at home. If you want to study in the studio, then be guided by how the coach approaches this issue. It's great if you are trained by a specialist who is attentive to the atmosphere.
Slow down in music
One of the main mistakes of "beginners" in dancing is the desire to learn everything and quickly. Pull yourself up if you feel like you're trying to keep up with more experienced roommates on the parquet floor. Do not compare yourself with anyone and constantly keep in mind the idea that you are here primarily for pleasure. After all, we are not pursuing the goal of getting into the Dancing show, right? That is why it is not necessary to dance fast and make 100 movements per second: on the contrary, try to slow down, listen to the music playing, take your time, start moving smoothly and slowly dissolve into the flow of movements. Then you will definitely be able to get satisfaction and achieve the best result.
Get inspired
Like everywhere in any art, watching plays a big role in dancing. We advise you to be inspired by old films about dancing: Showgirls, Moulin Rouge, Chicago cabaret... You can also subscribe to professional dancers on social networks and watch videos with different choreographies that they publish on their blogs. Believe me: the images of these sexy and self-confident girls will remain in your memory, you will be able to feel their mood. And then it will be easier to reproduce this state in your own dance practices.
To feel a surge of energy, to feel more feminine and confident, it is not at all necessary to practice dancing professionally. The main advantage of dancing is that it is enough just to start - and you will get an effect that will be impossible not to notice. Just follow the tips above and spend at least one hour dancing several times a week.
How to properly dance to club music in a discotheque
Contents
Dance is body language, and dancing in a club is the only way to draw attention to yourself with this language, because in the crowd and noise it is impossible to speak differently. Steps, turns, tilts, jumps - in the light of strobe lights look spectacular when performed with skill. And it’s not at all difficult to learn them if you follow the advice of professionals and study in a dance studio. New faces are always welcome at Laboca!
A bit about clubs
In order to understand how beautiful it is to move to modern club music, it is worth remembering a little about the history of this trend. The first nightclubs began to open in the 80s of the last century. They constantly gathered young people who demonstrated the latest innovations in dance elements on the dance floor. Therefore, the fashion for movement was constantly changing, and eventually turned into a mix of several styles. So for several decades, a whole club culture has developed, which you need to familiarize yourself with before entering the dance floor. The surge in popularity of club dancing led to the opening of special groups in dance schools and made everyone understand that this direction is worth learning.
The main thing is emotions!
Club dances are distinguished by the fact that they should be comprehended with an emotional component. Only a relaxed, flexible and ready to improvise person will move effectively on the dance floor. The main means of expressiveness of club dance are plasticity, keeping pace, impromptu and stylish appearance. If you were able to discard all the complexes and are ready to relax on the dance floor, consider that you have already received the first lesson in club dancing.
Before deciding how to dance to club music in a disco, choose your key style. Strip plastic, street jazz, hip-hop, go-go, or maybe disco? True, in order to move freely on the dance floor, a beginner dancer will have to master the basic elements of all these directions, and at the same time learn how to combine them with club music, while getting real pleasure from dancing. Pure improvisation, video lessons or classes at a dance school - you choose. But it is worth noting that several master classes in a professional studio will significantly save your time and effort.
Sign up for a trial lesson
Club movements
Club dance implies no restrictions, looseness and freedom. Movements are performed gently, smoothly, with a small amplitude. There are no complex elements, high jumps, flips and splits. Low slopes are also not welcome, they look vulgar. But different types of swing always look good. To master the basic swing, you should start by shaking your head to the beat of the music. Then beat the rhythm with your hand or foot, and then move on to springy movements with the whole body. Swinging the torso is performed by tilting the body forward and backward, and swinging with the help of the knees - by bending and unbending the legs to the music and connecting the foot: at the expense of "and" move the socks, pushing the heels away, on "one" - rest on the heels and spread the socks .
Don't forget your hands. Movements should look stylish, but at the same time remain safe, after all, you have to dance on the dance floor: one awkward movement with your elbow - and your neighbor is knocked out. Therefore, the elbows should be kept close to the body, and the shoulders should be moved mainly. Try to sharply raise and lower your shoulders to the beat of the music, repeating the same movements with your hands. Now add the head, body and legs. Of course, you are not the king of the dance floor yet, but you are already moving in the right direction.
Another move with the hands - the movement of the pharaoh.
Place your right hand on your left shoulder and your left hand on your right. To the beat of the music - for "one-two" hands are crossed. Further, the girl can unhook her hands and smoothly lower them to her hips, and the young man can open his hands and put his thumbs on the shoulders of the corresponding hands. On "four", stretch your arms forward, leaving all fingers bent, except for the thumb and forefinger.
The most versatile movement of the arms is to move them behind the head so that the elbows are parallel to each other. Girls can continue the element by performing a wave with the whole body, and young people can lower their head down, thereby drawing attention to their legs.
On the dance floor, do not perform amplitude movements with arms and legs, push and move ambiguously, if the desire to attract the attention of the opposite sex is not in the first place. The abundance of waves with the hips and the movements of the hands stroking themselves do not look like flirting, but rather give a very clear signal to action to other party participants.