How Has Dancing Changed Your Life?

The coolest thing happened the other day. I was working the Arthur Murray booth at the Plano Bridal Show with 3 of our executives, Nikki, Justin and Ian. We were having a good old time meeting brides to be and dancing to the Violin Guy's music. As the day started to wind down, and there weren't so many people coming by the booth, we all just started chatting about dancing. I commented that it is really hard for me to put into words the way my life is different because I know how to dance. What ensued was probably one of the most awesome and inspiring conversations I have ever had!

I know a lot of our students probably look at us teachers and feel like we were born doing this (or at least that it came easily for us). Wrong!!! And, like you, most of us started social dancing later in life, as adults. Dancing has done everything for us that it can do for you. Some of us have changed the shape of our body, we've gained confidence, we've learned better social skills, we've tried new things, we've let go of stress, we've coped with difficult life changes...all through dancing and the support of the studio. We can easily tell you about all of these things, whether from our own experience or through the stories of the countless other Arthur Murray students who have experience some kind of change by learning how to dance. It's the bigger things that are harder to quantify, harder to explain, and harder for you to imagine since you haven't been there yet.

The opportunities that just arise out of nowhere when you know how to dance are amazing. The boost in confidence just knowing that you can dance..and not even having to actually dance...just knowing you could if you wanted to, is like an elixir for the soul! Being able to hear a song and just feel how your body could move to it. Feeling the freedom to do silly, crazy, fun dances like the "lawnmower", the "running man", the "sprinkler", the "Cabbage Patch" (ok, I'm giving away my age now...) because you don't mind it anymore if people laugh at/with you because you know that you can knock their socks off if need be,  is so freeing! Meeting great people and being able to enjoy yourself anywhere...

All of these things and more. Hearing the raw, true experiences of the other executives and attempting to explain the difference in my own life was a really neat experience. So, the next time you are tempted to doubt that dancing was ever "hard" for us, or that we were never "shy" or that we "just don't know where you are coming from when you say you don't want to...", please remember that we have been there, we have done that, and we have come out on the other side with a wealth of experience and knowledge to share. It's kind of like we've been to outer space and come back. You've seen pictures of it, but you haven't actually been there yet. And even though it is hard for us to describe what it feels like to be weightless, we really, really want you to know how cool it feels, too!

Keep dancing, keep moving forward, keep your mind open, and we will help you get to that place, to!