| I have many a crazy friend. Some would say that I | | | | be having fun and that's all that matters. I'm sure |
| was the craziest of them all. It does not matter. Some | | | | you've also seen the second type, those really good |
| of them I know through dancing, some of them I don't. | | | | dancers and thought to yourself, "Well duh, if I could |
| You want to know something crazy? Whether they're | | | | dance like that, I wouldn't be scared at all." |
| my friends that dance for a living or my friends who | | | | Well you want to know something? A lot of those |
| can't dance at all, they both have a fear of dancing. It | | | | really good dancers are actually deep down scared as |
| seems that this crazy fear is something a lot of people | | | | well. Time and time again I have seen extremely |
| have in common. | | | | talented dancers, get ultra nervous and worried right |
| They even have a name for it now. Yes there's a | | | | before an audition or performance. They start doubting |
| name for practically every condition out there, even | | | | themselves and become blind to their own capabilities, |
| people who need to switch the lights on and off | | | | convincing themselves they can't remember dance |
| seventy times while humming every note of 'We Will | | | | choreographies and routines. And I'm talking about |
| Rock You' on every off switch before they leave a | | | | dancers most people would die to be as good as! |
| room! If every one of these conditions is accurate, | | | | When I saw this happening, that's when it struck me - |
| every single one of us on this planet is crazy and has | | | | it's just a biology thing. It's your body's fight or flight |
| at least a hundred different conditions. And you | | | | response where you suddenly get that rush of |
| guessed it, there's a frightening name for the fear of | | | | adrenaline shoot up your body, jolting into every one of |
| dancing, it's called...chorophobia. | | | | your nerves and making your knees become weak at |
| Now I don't know about you and your friends, but I'm in | | | | the prospect of what's to come. It could be damn |
| no rush to send mine to the doctor's yet...at least not | | | | good...or it could be damn nothing. And at those last |
| for this reason! I typed in 'fear of dancing' into Google | | | | moments what's more real to you is how you could |
| the other day and lo and behold, there were 2, 240, | | | | turn into nothing, the lowest of the low, the bottom of |
| 000 websites that mention this. That's a lot of | | | | the pit and everything that could go wrong. |
| chorophobiacs! There are hypnotherapists offering | | | | It could take a huge paradigm shift, a whole new shift |
| services to cure this, it is actually something that | | | | in the way you look at life in general to erase your |
| affects people's lives. | | | | fear by the first method I mentioned above. In fact for |
| Well let me tell you, I've been through this journey from | | | | some people they never achieve this shift. Carly Simon |
| start to finish. From sitting in the most comfortable chair | | | | is an extremely talented musician who is known to |
| in the world in every single room I graced where | | | | suffer from stage fright (she used to have her bottom |
| people were dancing...to being totally comfortable just | | | | spanked because the physical pain helped rid her of |
| dancing out of the blue on any London street. I have a | | | | the stage fright). If she did not have the competence |
| dancer friend who also does gymnastics, who has no | | | | or desire, she would probably have never got on |
| problem doing a back flip in the middle of his walking | | | | stage. |
| and then start dancing as if it's as easy as 1-2-3, all | | | | But if you choose the second route (i.e. to build |
| while people are walking towards him from the | | | | competence instead) it is a much more gradual |
| opposite direction (credit to Scotty P Maurice). | | | | experience where you desensitize yourself to the |
| So what's the story? How do you get rid of the fear? | | | | whole notion of dancing. When you have a problem, it's |
| Well there are basically two ways: | | | | usually a good idea to actually put yourself in a |
| 1. Just dance as best as you can and have fun, | | | | situation where you'll be forced to deal with that |
| irrespective of what other people think and whether | | | | situation and become used to it (rather than becoming |
| you look good or not. | | | | used to thinking about it and talking yourself out of it). |
| 2. Learn to dance well, and then as you build | | | | Once you actually go to a couple of dance classes, it |
| competence, your confidence will grow. | | | | won't be a big deal any more. Sure, you might still get a |
| Two paths to the same destination. Of course if you | | | | little nervous if you are a beginner or not familiar with |
| choose number 2, number 1 will start to follow and you | | | | the style, but you'll put yourself in there, the fear won't |
| won't care what other people think if you know you're | | | | do nothing to stop you. So go ahead and dance, |
| good! | | | | because there's always a new chorophobiac just |
| You've all seen the first type, they're dancing, you're | | | | waiting to take your place around the corner (probably |
| wondering what the hell they're doing but they seem to | | | | sitting in a chair). |