A love letter to anyone who was ever afraid to dance

I have been teaching dance since I was 15 years old. I will never forget saving up my allowance, renting out my middle school’s dark basement dance studio, and designing my own flyers to promote my class. A decade later, I am enjoying the fruits of my labor. At 25 years old, I taught a three-day master class series at New York City’s legendary Broadway Dance Center. I had the pleasure of teaching over 100 adult students representing 44 countries. It was one of my biggest dreams come true!

My other big dream came true this past week: I self-published Overcoming Dance Fear, my first e-book, on Amazon. This e-book is a culmination of my dance teaching career so far. It is also my love letter to everyone who has ever suffered from a fear of dancing in public. In each chapter, I outline my three-step process for overcoming dance fear.

Step 1: Admitting your dance fear

I believe that the first step is always the hardest. Admitting your dance fear is a lot easier said than done. It requires you to be honest and vulnerable. Admitting your dance fear also gives you the freedom to seek help from qualified dance instructors. I explain how powerful and freeing admitting your dance fear can be.

Step 2: Sourcing your dance fear

The second step to overcoming your dance fear is finding the source of it. This step can be emotionally taxing because it requires you to search for the moment or moments in your life that birthed your dance fear. Most likely there was a painful event or series of events that made you fearful of dance. I encourage readers to find and share the source of their dance fear. I even share my past fear of ballet and the embarrassing moment that created that fear. I also share the story of my dance students. They each have gone through personal things that made them afraid of dance. I believe that sharing and reading each other’s stories is a therapeutic activity. This helps us figure out just what part of our past we need to revisit in order to truly overcome our dance fear.

Step 3: Facing your dance fear

The third and final step of the overcoming process is facing your dance fear. It is a lot easier to face a fear that you have fessed up to and found the source of. All that is left to do now is meet your fear at the door, face it head on, and take no prisoners! I suggest some creative and fun ways to face your dance fear. My students also share stories about how they chose to face their dance fear. This chapter offers practical advice and inspiration for readers who want to overcome their dance fear.

I am convinced that anyone can overcome his or her dance fear with focus, determination, and passion. I also think that my three-step process will give you the tools, courage, and inspiration you need to embark on your own overcoming journey. I hope that you consider reading my e-book and sharing your personal story with me. I would love to hear from you!

Roger Lee's Overcoming Dance Fear is available on Amazon or at http://www.rogerleedance.com/.