Around February or March 2023, I decided to get back into dancing. Initially, dancing was meant to be a hobby and a way to improve my mental health. According to studies, doing some physical activity with others — in sync — improves ones mental health. At the same time, I was always interested in dancing, especially at a young age. About 10 or 11, I have video clips of me learning how to breakdance via VHS and DVDs (that dates me, doesn’t it?).
Goals
- Jump into a circle / cypher and be able to dance freely – I don’t think for this goal there’s a definite point. There will be times in which I’ll have a bit more nerves, and other times I won’t
- Battle at VSDF 2024 – This event will be in August 2024, so I have about 8 months to go. Last year I competed and threw myself into, when I basically had zero house skills and wanted to just “go for it.” In retrospect, I feel a bit embarrassed looking at that footage, I cringe a bit, and will be good footage for future retrospectives!
Habits (current and future)
- Attend session once a week
F.A.Q
Why dance?
Dancing in general satisfies many of my needs. In particular, it satisfies the following:
- Curiosity – how to do certain moves, how to combine moves, continual growth. Dancing is non-linear, and you’re constantly learning and relearning, evolving.
- Physical activity – I love getting my body moving; endorphins in full effect
- Social Contact – Dancing satisfies by (lower than average) need for social contact, to build relationships and friendships along the way
- Independence – Dancing is an activity that I can practice on my own, and take with me wherever I go. Keeps me company, really, when I’m all alone.
- Acceptance – want to be accepted by others in that space and community; high acceptance (and not desire for beauty, I think) drives me to have aesthetically pleasing moves. But maybe it’s both: both acceptance and beauty?