F-E-A-R

I’m afraid I’m not going to be any good.

I’m afraid I’m not as good as [insert other dancer’s name here].

I’m afraid I’ll hurt myself.

I’m afraid I’m not strong enough.

I’m afraid I’ll fall.

I’m afraid I won’t be pretty/sexy/fluid.

We all have things we fear. But don’t let it stop you from finding out something new about yourself. Try something. Will you look like Alethea Austin? Probably not. Only Alethea Austin looks like that, and guess what? It’s her job to look and be that good.

My best dances–both psychologically and aesthetically–are those where I manage to get out of my own way. My own fears as a dancer are based in “it won’t be perfect, and I want (no…I need) for it to be perfect,” and those fears can freeze me in my tracks if I let them. Nothing’s perfect at first; I have to constantly remind myself of that. It ain’t easy, let me tell you. But when I get out of my head, I find that I’m a stronger, more beautiful, and sexier dancer than I ever gave myself credit for.