How Do I Improve And Progress?
The 10 year plan (on repeat!): Our culture often values instant results, but learning to dance requires a long-term mindset – one that embraces gradual progress and ongoing development. Learning to dance is shaped by dedication, personal growth and self-reflection, and developing your skills can help you cultivate resilience, discipline, patience and perseverance. While competition dancers often strive for progress, new students, hobby dancers, and social dancers also have significant opportunities to improve as they explore learning to dance. Regardless of their motivation, each dancer can cultivate a passion for movement and music, enjoy developing new skills, refine technique, and build confidence on the dance floor. The desire to improve is admirable, and by embracing regular practice and seeking constructive feedback, all dancers can develop their skills and experience growth. Movement technique underpins everything (“It’s not what you do, but the way that you do it!”) and moving with clarity, musicality and artistry is a fantastic skill set. It takes years to begin to develop and explore these skills - we’re never the ‘finished article’, but a permanent work-in-progress - and that is what helps to make dance endlessly fascinating!
- Dance is Intangible -
Ted Shawn, an American dancer and choreographer, observed: “Dance is the only art of which we ourselves are the stuff of which it is made." This profound observation speaks to the intangible essence of dance. Unlike painting or sculpture, dancers embody their art. They are left with memories and sensations instead of a physical object to mark their achievements. This lack of something concrete to ‘hold up’ can make it difficult to measure how far we’ve come, making self-assessment and recognition of personal progress challenging. It can affect our self-belief, and without self-belief, motivation and perseverance may wane. I’ve seen dancers quit, not through a lack of training, but because they didn’t believe in themselves and struggled with negative self-talk.
This is why some dancers value medal tests, performances and competitions as they provide tangible markers (medals, trophies, certificates) of their achievements and growing skills. However, if you have no interest in exams, performances or competitions (you may have come to dancing later in life or are looking to dance as a lovely hobby), building self-belief becomes about learning to trust your training, the guidance you receive, and learning to notice the gradual changes you feel in yourself. With this, you can begin to develop the mindset to value the progress felt within.
If you’re finding it hard to recognise your progress or cultivate/maintain self-belief, here are some practical strategies to help:
Keep a Progress Journal: Write down your experiences after each class or social dance. Jotting down what you found challenging and what felt easier can serve as a personal reminder of your dedication, effort and achievement.
Document with photos and videos: Record short clips or take photos. Watching these back—even if it feels awkward at first—can reveal improvements you might not have noticed.
Set achievable goals: Break things down into small, manageable goals. Whether it’s mastering a new step or feeling a little more comfortable dancing with a partner, having something concrete to work towards can keep you motivated.
Seek constructive feedback: An outside perspective can provide vital encouragement and help you see progress you’ve overlooked.
Celebrate small milestones: Acknowledge every milestone, no matter how small it may seem—whether it’s making it through your first song without stopping or feeling more at ease in a group setting.
All these things can provide meaningful insights into personal development and can be a powerful reminder of your growth as a dancer. I remember my first social dance evening... there was no medal or certificate at stake, just the simple joy—and nerves—of dancing with new people. These personal moments are valuable markers of growth in dance. Reflecting on them not only boosts motivation but also reminds us why we started dancing in the first place.
- Important points to note -
Learning to dance as an adult: Be patient. You require just as much patience and time to learn as a child! You are learning to move your body in new ways, and it takes time to unravel the movement restrictions and habits you have picked up over a lifetime. Think of how much time it takes to learn to play a musical instrument, or to learn a new language - it’s the same kind of thing!
Physical limitations: Dancing isn’t only for the perfectly fit and able! We make do with the bodies and health we have and try our best. It takes time to learn to dance safely with injuries acquired through illness or accident. Respect your body and keep in mind that you may need to approach learning to dance with help from a Physiotherapist or GP.
Mental health: Just as the physical body needs training, so does the mind. Engaging in activities that challenge you can promote good mental health, but recognise that learning something new can be daunting. Give yourself time to learn how to strengthen your resilience, self-awareness, and self-acceptance. This applies to both complete beginners and experienced dancers.
Experienced dancers: Adopting a beginner's mindset doesn't mean disregarding your knowledge or skills. It means using them while being open to new learning opportunities.
- Mindset -
Allow yourself to be a beginner (even if you’ve danced for years!): It's OK for things to be new to you; it's OK to need time; it's OK to make mistakes; it's OK to need repetition… that's what learning is. We all learn at different rates, in various ways, and have different goals.
Don't limit your potential: You don't need inherent talent to learn to dance – just patience and time. You will develop your dance abilities through continuous effort and learning. Always believe that you can improve.
Give yourself time: Becoming a skilled dancer doesn't happen overnight – it is something to work towards. Enthusiasm and determination are necessary, but patience with yourself (and your dance partner!) is vital.
Approach each challenge with humour and optimism: Learning to dance can be hilarious at times – have a giggle and have a go! Accepting yourself as you are, finding humour in who you are and what you do, and learning to laugh at yourself without putting yourself (or others) down, are qualities that learning to dance can help you with.
Embrace a learning-and-growth mindset: Understand that learning takes time and effort. Prioritise learning well over learning fast. Acknowledging and celebrating your progress along the way - not just perfection or what you think of as the end result - will help you value continuous learning, effort, and persistence, while keeping things fun.
Motivation vs Discipline: Recognise that progress from practice may not be immediately apparent and understand that you may not always feel motivated. Can you develop the discipline to continue learning and attend classes/practice when motivation is lacking?
Believe in the basics: Always practice the basics, no matter how experienced you are. Keep refining your core skills to deepen your understanding of the foundations of dance.
Do you compare yourself to others? Our bodies, minds, skills and backgrounds are unique. Individual differences are expected, and recognising this will help to nurture self-belief. Healthy competition can motivate you, but it's OK to progress at your own pace. A well-known Mikhail Baryshnikov quote is: "I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to dance better than myself."
Don't give up! An area in need of improvement does not equal failure. Don't let perceived failures discourage you – maintain resilience and persist in your efforts – you can do it! Understand that all movement is a learning opportunity. Growth is ongoing, and challenges are part of the process.
Be healthily realistic: Do you accept yourself as you are? And what are your expectations of yourself as a dancer? Are they too high at the moment, or too low? Can you strike a healthy balance between enjoying the present, recognising your progress, and identifying areas that could use more practice? Embrace every step with openness, patience, and a commitment to growth.
Self-reflection: What habits or beliefs have you noticed influencing your approach to learning to dance? Can you identify and challenge the beliefs that limit you? It is good to recognise areas for improvement in your dancing, but do you judge yourself too harshly? A lack of self-compassion can feed a harsh inner critic, diminish motivation, negatively affect your well-being, and hinder your progress. On the other hand, overestimating your abilities may create resistance to feedback and limit your ability to learn from mistakes. If you catch yourself thinking "I don't need to practice the basics", or if you rarely reflect on opportunities for improvement, or blame external factors for mistakes, consider what you might learn from another perspective.
Accept the need to practice: Consistent practice builds proficiency. Digest what you have learnt in classes and practice your skills regularly - either at home, with a partner, or at a Tea Dance! Regular and skilful practice will help you to understand the moves you currently dance before progressing to harder figures.
- Solo Practice strategies -
Make it fun: You may enjoy the process of practising and recognise its value, or you might need a little encouragement or a reward system to get you into the habit of practising. How can you make your practice session enjoyable? Find out what inspires you. It could be listening to a favourite piece of music, watching your favourite dancer on YouTube, working on a foot position or step for the next Tea Dance, or just looking forward to a cup of tea at the end of the practice session (ha-ha!).
Structure: If you have the space to practice your dancing safely at home, have you decided how and when you would like to practice? Are you planning on bite-sized sessions whenever you can fit them in, or are you planning on longer practice sessions? Have you allowed enough time to include a gentle warm-up and cool down? Have you scheduled regular breaks to keep your mind and body fresh and receptive? Are you used to practising solo, and are your methods enjoyable, practical and effective? Or is this new to you? Do you need a helping hand to get started? Private tuition can help you set and achieve personalised goals, overcome problems unique to your dance ability, and experiment with different practice methods to find out which methods are effective and enjoyable for you.
How do you feel? Check in with your body (and mind!) to see how you feel before/during/after a practice session. For instance, are you thirsty/hungry/tired, stressed/distracted/emotional, or feeling poorly or in pain? All of these things can affect your ability to learn, how you use your time, and how you plan. If you’re able to work with or through these things, then great! But postpone the practice session if you really need to - rest might be best!
Variety: Vary your practice. Practising things you already know can give you a confidence boost; practising something new can be an exciting challenge; practising skills and movement qualities can help develop your vocabulary as a dancer; and practising to different songs/speeds will test your listening skills, reaction speed, and musicality. Make sure to test your memory at some point, too, by recalling a small section of choreography!
Goal setting: Set small, achievable goals. Setting goals for yourself and celebrating small wins can help you track your progress and nurture self-belief. Have you decided how to celebrate when you achieve something? Don’t let opportunities to celebrate your progress pass you by. Your celebration doesn’t have to be big, but it should be meaningful. Keep a record of your accomplishments, no matter how small, as this will provide a visual record of your progress and help you build a sense of achievement.
Review each practice session: Note one thing you did well and one area you'd like to improve. Approaching both with curiosity rather than judgment is a gentle habit that will allow you to celebrate your efforts and identify growth opportunities.
Seek honest, encouraging feedback: Be receptive to thoughtful, constructive feedback - it is a valuable tool for improvement. However, a word of warning: If you have put a lot of work into your dancing, you will move with clarity. Your movement will look clean and elegant, and those skills will be instantly recognisable to fellow dancers. But, to the untrained eye, what you have achieved could look ‘easy’ as they view your movement as effortless. They may not realise the number of hours (years!) required to achieve the effortless look, so try not to take it to heart if you ask family or friends their opinion, and they say “That looks easy…”
Talk to others: Share your experiences and help create a supportive environment - chat to each other and encourage each other; it might mean the world to someone.
- A few simple things you can do at home -
Music: Listen to music and try clapping along to the beats. You could also practice moving your body to the rhythm, or sing/count aloud. Can you identify which beats are emphasised? Can you identify the different musical instruments and guess when the vocalist will start to sing? Listening to music is a skill which takes time to learn. Also, our ability to hear and interpret music is unique—we all hear different things in the music—so don't be disheartened if you think you’re picking out the wrong things—give it a go and see what happens! I can sit with you to listen to music if you’re having trouble figuring things out—I would love to hear your interpretation of the music.
Visualisation: Athletes use visualisation as a mental rehearsal for physical actions. They practice and refine their movements in their minds, which improves focus, concentration, and self-belief. If you are lacking the space, health, or energy to practice your dancing at home, give visualisation a try! I recommend pacing through steps in your head as slowly as possible. If it is hard to stay focused, or if some areas appear unclear in your mind, or perhaps they pass by too quickly, you have found your problem areas!
Posture and awareness: Developing good posture is essential for dancing and everyday life, as good spinal alignment places the least stress on spinal nerves. This allows our muscles to work more effectively to support us in movement and enables us to move to the best of our ability. The first step towards improving posture is being able to assess posture. A Physiotherapist can offer sound medical advice and a thorough assessment, and you can monitor your posture at home with a simple self-assessment. It can be hard to know where different parts of your body are in space/posture, so you can use touch to help you. For instance, stand with your feet together and your back against a wall, with your feet, shoulders and head near to, or touching, the wall. Make a mental note of which areas of your body touch the wall and which do not. This is an observation exercise only; do not force your body to touch the wall, do not hold this position, and do not lift your chin/tilt your head back to reach the wall. If this is comfortable for you, repeat this self-assessment daily and notice any changes. Does your awareness of your posture improve over time? Does this awareness of your posture improve your dancing abilities?
Observation: Can you observe your own movement? For example, by taking notice of how you walk, how you sit, how you reach for something out of a cupboard, or by taking notice of how you hold your body at rest. For one day, make a note every time you notice your posture or movement habits. Reflect on the patterns you observe at the end of the day. Additionally, do you make a habit of watching others move and dance? Some refer to this as ‘people watching’. Watching others move and dance can provoke visual imagery, deepening your experience and understanding of dance. Perhaps you have a favourite dance film. When you watch it, can you see and truly understand the movements? Or do they move too quickly for you to understand their movements? Watching, seeing and understanding movement at speed is a skill which can improve over time.
Mobility exercises: Gentle exercises to mobilise different body areas can improve your dance ability. For example, if you have to sit down a lot during the day, in-flight exercises (such as those recommended by aeroplane staff for passengers) can help keep feet and ankles flexible. A Physiotherapist or GP can offer sound medical advice if you are experiencing physical difficulties.
Breathwork: The more you learn about dance, the more you will realise that movement is connected to the breath and inner being. Breathwork and sound can help us with connection, movement qualities, speed and footwork. Purposefully taking time for a few deep breaths a day, while monitoring how you feel and how your body moves with each breath, is a great start.
- Guidance for Partner Practice -
Teamwork: When practising with a partner, it is essential to recognise that you are working as a team.
Know your role: Both individuals share equal responsibility to create an enjoyable practice time. Each must give their best, actively participate, treat each other with dignity and respect, and support and encourage one another. If you’re not prepared to do that, then don’t expect someone to practice with you - simple!
How do you feel? Check in with each other. If you have any physical aches, pains, or emotional discomfort, let your partner know so that they are aware. If there is a reason you may be distracted, let your dance partner know. If necessary, modify your plans for the practice session accordingly to ensure both dancers are comfortable and able to participate to the best of their ability. This can help to build trust and ensure both partners feel supported during practice.
Clear communication: Before you start to dance, discuss and agree on which elements you would like to work on and the reasons behind your choices. Ensure that both dancers have an opportunity to share their preferences and are listened to. Be honest about your strengths and weaknesses. Make decisions together, taking both perspectives into account.
Warm-up: A gentle warm-up (solo and then partnered) will help you to get in tune with each other, laying a good foundation for the practice session ahead.
Basics: Always practice the basics, no matter how experienced you are. Keep refining your core skills to deepen your understanding of the foundations of dance.
Goal setting: Set small, achievable goals together to help you stay committed and motivated as a team.
Accountability: If challenges arise or mistakes occur, accept responsibility for your own actions/errors and approach the situation with a problem-solving mindset. Humour helps!
Collaboration: Be kind. Take the time to gently work together to address difficulties and support each other’s efforts. Remember that you are dancing with someone who may not be accustomed to training or training as a team – they might feel embarrassed or upset to have made a mistake in front of you, even if they don’t show it.
Celebrate: Celebrate each other’s progress, no matter how small, by acknowledging improvements and expressing appreciation for your partner’s commitment.
Constructive feedback: Feedback is an essential part of effective teamwork. Approach these conversations with kindness, respect and optimism - even on challenging days! Take time to reflect together on the session and be open to receiving feedback. Discuss what went well and identify areas for improvement, ensuring both of you have commented. If you do not feel comfortable giving each other feedback, you may prefer to have private tuition as a dance couple.
Private tuition: Private tuition is a valuable tool. Along with being excellent for improving technique and addressing areas of imbalance, it can offer an objective perspective on the health and progress of your dance partnership.
- Words of encouragement -
Take a deep breath and think about how much you have achieved so far. Remember that you will develop your dance abilities through continuous effort and learning – you don’t need talent, just patience and time. Keep practising your basics and attending classes and Tea Dances. You will make progress and gradually see improvements. Always believe that you can develop, grow, and improve. Keep going – it’s worth it!
Here are a few brief articles which you may find helpful:
Treating perceived failures and disappointments as learning opportunities: Bouncing back from failure: Some lessons from sport psychology (The British Psychological Society)
The benefits of bite-sized bouts of activity: Make your new year’s resolution a snack… (The British Psychological Society)
Managing anxiety/trusting in your training (revision): Why does exam anxiety matter? (The British Psychological Society)
Creating a workable environment: Step into kindness (The British Psychological Society)
Revision tips that are helpful for dance practice sessions: Six revision tips for exam success (The British Psychological Society)
Questions around mental health for athletes: Action for athletes (The British Psychological Society)
With best wishes and Happy Dancing!
Emma
