For the past few weeks, I have been learning how to flamenco dance. As a child, I had dreams of becoming a ballerina; their elegant movements and graceful composure inspired me to dance. Sadly, I never got the chance to take any dance classes as a child. Dancing is something that I believe I am not capable of doing. At parties I am usually the one eating all the chips and drinking all the soda, that’s what makes the parties great in my opinion. My program allows its students to learn flamenco from an experienced dancer. Our teachers name is Judy and she is very talented and very patient with her students.
I emphasize the word patience. When it comes to dance, I know nothing. Simple commands like “turn right” become difficult for me. My insecurities in dancing begin to overwhelm me, and I start to mess up. I would mess up the students next to me and, well I wanted to give up. But even though I was very uncomfortable with dancing in public, I didn’t care. I wanted to learn. I was determined to give it a try, and even if it was awful, I would at least learn the basics and I would be able to say that I learned some flamenco in Sevilla.
One lesson I learned is to have fun with it. I tend to have a problem with enjoying things that I am not good at. I am a perfectionist and when things don’t turn out the way I want them to, I get upset. I know there is no reason for me to be upset over a class that is supposed to be fun. I don’t hate flamenco; in fact, I love coming to class every week and learn something new. I had to realize that just because you’re not good at something, doesn’t mean you have to hate it. It’s ok to mess up, and it’s ok to try and try again. Letting loose was something that I needed to learn, and I feel like I learned that. Of course, I still make many mistakes in class, but I’m ok with it! I have great friends in this class who try to help me and encourage me to try again. Judy is also a wonderful teacher who understands students who are very shy. I think empathy is a great trait for any teacher to have. She makes class fun by telling us stories about her life and she explains the dance thoroughly so the students can understand it.
I am not sure when I will ever dance flamenco outside of Spain, but I am determined to find a moment when I’m back in the states to show off. I am glad that I decided not to quit the class, this is a cultural experience and a fun one! So if you every feel insecure about anything, just try it for a bit, you will probably end up liking it.
Ali's Adventures Abroad 