Salsa Dancing How To Be More Confident

We all want to feel more confident when we start Salsa dancing.  Confidence in our personal lives, at work and on the dance floor. So if you are a Salsa dancer and you wish you had more confidence I’m here to help. Keep reading for tips on how to boost your confidence on the dance floor.

Know Your Basic Steps and Count 

As a leader, I thought that if I knew more tricks, I’d have more confidence on the dance floor. But the most confident dancers are the ones that can keep a steady pace even when they get confused. Keeping your feet moving in spite of confusion is the best way to gain confidence. The easiest way to get better at that is by counting out loud as you do your basics.

I know it sounds childish and silly. And yet when I tell my students to count, suddenly their dancing improves. They start to smile more. You have to count out loud though. Don’t be embarrassed. Everyone learns faster when you say things out loud.

Everything is More Fun with Friends

Confidence always comes from feeling like you have friends that have your back. Going into a nightclub or a social or even a class can be intimidating. No one wants to look foolish in front of strangers. Making mistakes when your friends are there to laugh with you and joke with you,  isn’t quite so bad.

That’s why I encourage my students to exchange numbers or create WhatsApp or Facebook groups. Students get to know each other and hang out. So when you do go to a nightclub, social or class you are there with friends and your new dance family.  It is not nearly as intimidating.

Once a Week Isn’t Enough

The more hours you dance, the more confident you’ll be. At Toronto Dance Salsa, I encourage my students to start going out social dancing by the end of level one. One hour, once a week just isn’t enough to build the muscle memory you need to feel confident on the dance floor. Not only should you be attending classes but going to the school’s socials and out to nightclubs as well.

Bonus Tip

When I started dancing, when I became a volunteer at the school that I now run, I sucked as a dancer. I can say that about myself because I know how bad I was. So my last tip is to persist. Confidence comes from competence and with enough practice we will all get more competent.

Some of us might take longer to learn but that’s okay. You will improve and you’ll start to feel more confident. Remember to be gentle on yourself. It doesn’t matter how quickly other people are learning. Don’t compare yourself to others. Compare yourself to where you were yesterday or a week ago.  I guarantee you will have improved. Even if it’s by 1%, it is still an improvement. Confidence will come.

So step one – know your basics and count.  (Click here to learn more about the basics of Salsa.) Step two is making connections. Step three is dancing more with your new dance friends and family.  Finally, just keep dancing. Your confidence will improve because you will be thinking less and flowing more.

I can’t wait to welcome you to our big family, see you coming in week to week, having fun, socializing, and letting loose to amazing Latin songs. Click here to check our current schedule.

If you have any questions you would like me to answer, here are some ways you can contact me: message me on Instagram (torontodanceSalsa), on Twitter (#torontodanceSalsa), on Facebook (Toronto Dance Salsa) or email me at [email protected].