You're in high school or college, and everyone is freaking out because of all the fun dances coming up. Some people hear about these events and overflow with excitement; others hear about them and want to hide for forever. A lot of different reasons for hating dances and dancing in general can be given and they're probably all valid... but dancing is also amazing, it just takes a little push to figure that out.

I went to a dance about two weeks ago at my college that has a live jazz band and is entirely swing dancing. It was homecoming weekend, so not only was I a freshman among many upperclassmen, there were also much older alumni there who had been to this dance before and knew what they were doing. I recently went to one ballroom dancing class, but just one. I only vaguely remembered the most basic swing dancing step, and not even well enough to teach it to my boyfriend, who hadn't gone to that class. Thankfully we had friends there who knew what they were doing and taught us the steps I couldn't remember on my own. My boyfriend and I danced for one or two songs following those specific steps, but it was hard because we were still unsure of what we were doing.

So maybe this is your problem, maybe you just don't know enough to go out and dance, or do whatever it is that you're wanting to do.

Being the perfectionist that I am, I wanted to stick to the hard and boring steps we were trying to follow and get better at them. He did what he does nearly every day, and taught me a new way to look at our situation. Everyone else was having a blast, and we weren't having a bad time at all, but we weren't having the best time we could. So he ditched the stiff feeling steps we were following and just started dancing. I thought at first that maybe it would seem weird if we weren't doing "real" swing dancing, but then I realized no one could tell the difference between pretending and the real thing- it was too crowded.

Maybe you want to get to this step where you just dance.

Once that realization hit me, I had so much fun. We danced like crazy, not sticking out in the crowd too badly but still letting go enough that there was head banging and lots and lots of twirling and laughter. We stayed until after the band left cause we just couldn't quit dancing. My feet hurt and I was tired, but I had sang and danced and watched my white dress twirl under me again and again.

Next week there's a completely different dance, where the girls ask the guys and we have themes that call for us to dress up in crazy outfits. For this dance I'm going to feel unsure about how my costume looks and it's going to feel different because instead of sophisticated swing dancing, it's more like a dance party. This is a new kind of uncomfortable, because we have to get out onto the dance floor and be okay with making complete fools of ourselves. I know I can't dance, and that could keep me from having fun next week. Or, I could go and have as much fun as I possibly can, I can laugh and twirl again, and go a little crazier than I did swing dancing. That's the thing about dancing- it makes you feel alive. You breathe deeper, move faster and sing louder. It makes you feel confident, elegant, and carefree all at once. Don't miss those opportunities.

The point of this is that the result of getting out there and making a fool of yourself is so worth it. You don't want to find yourself at someplace like a concert, and they're playing your favorite song but no one else is dancing- so you don't dance either. Would that not be the worst thing ever? Yeah, it would be. So instead of making that choice, just dance. Feel the energy and freedom of just having fun. Don't try to make it perfect and you'll surprise yourself by how happy it makes you. If you start dancing, chances are the other people who've been wanting to do the same thing will join in with you.