The 6 Habits of Confident Dancers

There is nothing more powerful than seeing a dancer command the stage with confidence. Without a doubt these dancers are more likely to get noticed. We checked in with some dancers to find out what they do to keep their confidence high on the stage.

Habit 1: Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. Confident dancers know the choreography, technique, and timing down to every last detail. To boost your poise onstage, you have to put in the work offstage. Try to go over your dances AT LEAST once a day, even if it's while you are laying in bed about to fall asleep.

Habit 2: Watch yourself in the mirror. So often dancers feel uncomfortable analyzing every move in the mirror while they are in the studio, but doing just this will allow you to identify what aspects of your dancing that you need to improve. When going across the floor, don't just rush to finish. Watch yourself and work on fixing the issues you see.

Habit 3: ASK QUESTIONS. No one expects you to have all the answers. If you are unsure of the orientation of a hand, a technical placement, or even an entire chunk of choreography ask a teacher or friend to help you out. The more you know the more tenacity you'll have as a dancer.

Habit 4: Don't look down. So often we see dancers absolutely killing it onstage, but then their eyes hit the floor. NO!!! Keep those eyes up, it's a simple way to ooze confidence. Practicing this in the studio quickly turns it into habit onstage and in life.

Habit 5: Support your fellow dancers. Dance tends to be competitive in nature, and this is in no way a bad thing. But to feel confident in your own skills, don't forget to help someone else feel confident in theirs. By offering help or complimenting a fellow dancer (whether you know them or not) you open yourself to a new world that feels fantastic. 

Habit 6: Self- compliment. While it is important to support other dancers, you need to support yourself as well. Allow yourself to be proud of your strengths, and don't be afraid to show them off. You have worked hard for them, no shame in showing it!