For the love of dance…

What’s your long-lost hobby? The thing you loved doing when you were younger? About 18 months ago, the subject of dancing came up with my coach Nicholas Kettles MA CPCC MCC. We explored it and loads of emotion surfaced almost immediately.

This was a part of my life that I’d shut away for years. When I was a teenager, I wanted to be a professional dancer, but body issues and mainstream education got in the way of that dream.

I danced on and off at gym classes in my mid-twenties, then spent most of my 30s plagued by injuries due to hypermobility. Despite my inability to sit still when I hear music, dancing became an activity reserved for hen parties, festivals and weddings.

Over the past year, I’ve steadily rekindled my relationship with dance. On retreat in Montenegro last year, I danced in the studio whenever I could. I’ve also been to a handful ecstatic dance workshops… my kinda Friday night nowadays.

Then last night, thanks to some words of encouragement from Vicky Critoph, I got out of my comfort zone. I went to a choreographed contemporary dance class, for the first time in around 15 years.

I wore my 25-year-old dance shoes. The moment I put them on, I felt a little magic buzz through my body.

The class was HARD. Physically and mentally. It took a lot of processing power to remember the routine and my body is definitely not as strong or quick as it used to be! It was essentially a masterclass in non-judgement and self-acceptance.

I absolutely loved the challenge and felt so alive to be in the studio again. I’m optimistic that this session has opened the door to new adventures in dance… if my ankles allow it!

So, what did you love to do when you were young? I encourage you to explore a long-lost hobby again, just for fun. See how it makes you feel. What energy does it give to you?