Being able to do things such as leaps, turns, and aerials aren’t all that goes into being a good dancer. In fact, technique is far from the only thing that takes choreography and music to a new level of expression. Many other qualities impact the way you learn, take the stage, and of course, dance, and some of them have nothing to do with how talented you are.
Mindset
Your mindset while in dance class is something that can either make your dance career easier or harder. You have to be in a headspace that is willing to allow growth, change, and critiques all while remembering to celebrate your wins alongside all of that hard work. Developing that mindset is as important as stretching or getting the perfect turn.
Love for the Sport
This is something that will truly make you that much more of an exceptional dancer. Some dancers fall out of love with the sport and therefore don’t work as hard, train as much, or most importantly, have as much fun. If you enjoy what you are doing, your chances of succeeding are much higher than if you are doing something you don’t enjoy or feel you need to do.
Confidence
Dance isn’t always about having the best rhythm, flexibility, or tricks. If you are truly confident and it shows through your dancing, then your chance of catching an audience, judge, or casting director’s attention is much higher than someone who is only focused on being “right.” Your unique uses of technique and your confidence in them are what make you shine!
Ability to Accept Criticism
One of the best ways to keep growing in anything in life is to get critiques and apply them to improve. If you have a dancer, teacher, or choreographer give you corrections, try your best to apply them. Some dancers assume that they don’t truly need the corrections. Ignoring feedback like this makes it hard to improve. Apply other perspectives and techniques will help you learn so much.
Dance is so much more than pure talent or luck. Every dancer has so much to offer to the world other than just how good they are at turns.
