How To Persuade A Choreophobe To Try A Dance Lesson
Dancing is excellent for your health, it keeps you fit and toned, it boosts your memory and happiness, and it is one of the most enjoyable ways to get active. Yet many people still haven’t got the bug and find any excuse not to dance.
At Arthur Murray Crows Nest we want everyone to experience the thrill of the dance floor. If you’re trying to persuade a friend or partner to dance, but don’t know how to handle their objections, below are some tactics you might find useful in getting them on the dance floor.
I can’t dance
No one can dance properly until they’re taught. Without lessons, you’re simply swaying around to some music which, although can be great fun, is not dancing. To truly be free and confident on any dance floor on any occasion – formal or casual – you only need to learn a few basic steps of a style, then you can let your hair down and really enjoy the dance with a partner.
I don’t have a partner
You don’t need a partner to enjoy a dance class at Arthur Murray Crows Nest, just come along and join in the fun. Once you’ve got some moves under your belt, your confidence will soar and you’ll face no shortage of dance partners at social occasions, which you’ll enjoy so much more for venturing onto the dance floor.
I have a bad hip/leg/back
We say: if you can walk, you can dance. Each dance style taught at Arthur Murray Crows Nest focusses on different parts of the body and isolated movements, so whatever your condition or ailment, there’s a set of dance moves that will suit you. Moreover, the regular exercise of dancing alone will help your body gain strength and improve its condition naturally, at an easy pace.
I’m too embarrassed
This objection is the easiest of all to refute. In a dance class you will be surrounded by other students at your level of ability. You will all progress at the same time, so there’s never anything to be embarrassed about. As you make friends with classmates with friendly support while learning the steps, you’ll lose all your fears and inhibitions. When you’re ready to hit the social dance floor, you’ll wonder why you were ever flustered about joining the fun in the first place.
I don’t have a musical bone in my body
A lot of people can easily hear a song’s rhythm once it’s pointed out to them during dance lessons. At our Studio, we not only teach you the steps, but equip you with tricks of the trade to make sure that you can hear the beat and know exactly when to step off correctly.
I have two left feet
Professional technique and practice are the keys to learning to dance, no matter how clumsy or uncoordinated you think you are. Repeating a new skill under the care of an experienced instructor, where you have to memorise the steps as well as move your arms, legs and body at the right times, will significantly improve the neural connections in your brain. As a bonus, you’ll discover with time that dance lessons improve your memory and movement in other areas of life, too.
Dancing is ‘girly’
This is, of course, a fallacy as dancing requires tremendous core body strength, split-second precision and nimble agility, regardless of gender. Celebrity sportsman at the top of their game have shown how much hard work dancing can be on popular television shows such as Dancing With The Stars and Strictly Come Dancing.
I have a fear of dancing
Some people genuinely have choreophobia, which is the official name for the fear of dancing. Reasons for this phobia are varied and usually personal, due to a bad experience or as a result of genetics or a hereditary predisposition. As with most phobias, the best cure is to try relaxation techniques and gradually build up to tackling the problem directly. Breathing exercises and gentle exposure to dancing can help. Sufferers should try watching a dance class or two, to gain control over their fears before participating. If this doesn’t work, you can attend dance or movement therapy classes to help overcome this crippling fear. It is worth trying, to be able to embrace the fun and freedom of dance.
Ready to make a move?
Whatever the reason they haven’t taken the plunge yet, you can always urge your reluctant friend or partner to try a free dance lesson at Arthur Murray Crows Nest to see what all the fuss is about. It might even be a life-changing decision!