With phones ever-present in our daily lives, they can become a major distraction. In the dance studio, they prevent us from focusing on movement and connecting with ourselves and others by providing unnecessary outside input from so many sources. While cell phones can allow us to connect with people around the world, they can also be the barrier that prevents connections with the people and experiences happening right in front of us. Putting down the screens or defining phone-free spaces allows you to build the real connections and emotions needed in dance and in life.
Better Focus and Connection
Being in the studio without your phone gives you room to focus on what you are doing. A space without the regular vibrations, pings, and distractions from your phone (Even at our best, it is hard to ignore!) provides better opportunities for learning and retaining new skills. Create a distraction-free environment that is choreography-focused.
Present in Your Community
The global connections that our phones provide can hinder the connections we have face-to-face. Relationships with your classmates, friends, and teachers grow the more you interact and work together. In dance, you can tell when teammates are connected and have the same goals. This doesn’t just come from dedication. It comes from meaningful time spent together, interacting, and having conversations that don’t include the interruptions that come from screen-based downtime.
Reduced Anxiety
The constant checking, searching, and scrolling that social media and phone-based interactions promote are a common source of anxious feelings. Mixing that hypervigilant, fast-moving energy interrupts focus and dilutes the connections you can’t constantly like or favorite or refresh. Putting your phone away during dance class (and more often overall) can help bring your focus back to the conversations, movement, and creative thought that exist in a dance studio. Going phone-free also gives you a chance to create more calming environments both in your mind and in class so you can have fun and dance!
Overall, choosing to step away from the screen during dance class is a decision that can impact your growth as a dancer and your mental state in the studio. As a personal decision, it can be hard to commit if you’re the only one in your class going phone-free. Why not ask your entire class to go phone-free with you? That support can help you enjoy phone-free time, and you can share the benefits with your team!
