Shame of dancing

[jacknine119]

I feel shame of dancing even when I’m alone. 
Do I start dancing lesson or work more on that shame? 

[Olaf]

@jacknine119 whatt? Dancing so fun, why you feel shame around it? I dance everyday at home.

[something_else]

I’ve become pretty confident, starting from a place of huge social anxiety, but dancing is the one thing I still struggle with a ton. It seems to bring out the worst of whatever is left of the social anxiety I used to have.

[Olaf]

@something_else Go to a club and dance in the middle of the club, it will help you release allot of anxiety, after that approach, go wild

[iamlite]

Dance in the club, dance at your home, dance on the street. Dance everywhere. If you feel shame around some activity, you need to do it daily. You will rewire your brain with action. Start with little moves. 

Dancing is amazing

 

[jacknine119]

@iamlite thanks I’ll do that

[Basman]

If its like an art to you then I can relate. If your bad at dancing, and your ashamed of that, then just get good at it. 

[something_else]

3 hours ago, Olaf said:

@something_else Go to a club and dance in the middle of the club, it will help you release allot of anxiety, after that approach, go wild

I used to do this a lot, and I know it works well. Counterintuitively I can dance just fine on my own in the middle of the the busiest dance floors, like at a rave. But most of the places I'm going out to now are bars or bar / club hybrids which typically have very well lit small dance floors, which I find it very hard to relax and dance on because literally everybody can see you, and most people are barely dancing anyway.

It's a minor issue in my life at this point, I go out to have fun with friends rather than to really push myself. Some nights when I'm out with my closest friends and the vibes are there dancing becomes super fun. But if it's a regular night out I tend to prefer chatting to cool new people rather than dancing.

[Olaf]

@something_else same it is more to get the anxiety out, I love to dance sometimes if I am a really down cycle and just need to let off some steam, my new favorite thing is actually karaoke singing  Nothing makes me feel more like a rockstar then to jump on the podium in the karaoke bar and sing my lungs out, also I can sing pretty well, as I had singing lessons, so people love it. But most nights I just chat and don't do any of this. Yet it is not something I am afraid to do, it is fun. 

[Natasha Tori Maru]

4 hours ago, jacknine119 said:

I feel shame of dancing even when I’m alone. 
Do I start dancing lesson or work more on that shame? 

Dance more

How do you feel when someone else dances with you? When I dance with others, I can be so wild and out there. They are often more comfortable and easy expressing themselves when I am going apeshit in front of them. I suppose I am invoking the cringiest possible white girl dancing as an overt display *I* have no shame. I can actually dance quite well, I just sometimes choose to be based and do whatever my limbs feel like. Which can look bizarre.

Uninhibited self-expression gives other people permission to express themselves more freely!! This is why a partner can help so much. But not everyone reacts the same. Some people feel overwhelmed, uncomfortable or pressured to match the energy. 

I took dance lessons when younger - jazz, contemporary, breakdancing, popping and locking - this really helped me. It grounded me, gave me confidence in my body, enhanced my own connection to emotion, feeling. Broke through anxiety, shame, embarrassment, fear of judgement. Sometimes I think it worked too well as I lack shame and embarrassment to a large degree which can act as a good check for behaviour. It also worked to train me in public performance. I have no issue with public perception, speaking or performing for an audience. 

[integration journey]

Dancing can be so beautiful. 

[PolyPeter]

2 hours ago, Natasha Tori Maru said:

going apeshit in front of them

HAHAHAHAH this made me laugh, but yes!! 
as in, dancing with other people helps a lot with the shame side of dancing.

Dancing alone is also very healing. 
 

2 hours ago, Natasha Tori Maru said:

It also worked to train me in public performance. I have no issue with public perception, speaking or performing for an audience. 

this is nice! when you say you trained yourself in public perf, what training was it specifically?

[LoneWonderer]

I dance very well. I am ashamed of dancing in public so no one has seen it!  I will volunteer at tantric festival in Sweden next year so people will then see it!  I am going out of my comfort zone to grow! Yay, hero's journey!

Edited 42 minutes ago by LoneWonderer

[Natasha Tori Maru]

2 hours ago, PolyPeter said:

this is nice! when you say you trained yourself in public perf, what training was it specifically?

While the training was in "performance art" more specifically, it anesthetized me to public performance through exposure therapy - I guess?  The training was in movement and dance, but also illustrating a narrative without spoken word. Methods of connecting with audiences through non-verbal communication. 

I did a lot of opening shows for local avante guard artists - for galleries and exhibitions. I worked with a troop of girls for various shows. Sometimes fashion, sometimes jewellery, photography, painting etc. We would perform for a live audience wearing designers originals. I loved it! It was an artists commune officially - lead by a photographer. Disbanded when the man who headed it committed suicide. We came up with choreography and worked with him (Terry was his name) and we were also his muses. I did a lot of photography and performance art with the commune.

14 minutes ago, LoneWonderer said:

I dance very well. I am ashamed of dancing in public so no one has seen it!  I will volunteer at tantric festival in Sweden next year so people will then see it!  I am going out of my comfort zone to grow! Yay, hero's journey!

Is it a nudist festival?!! The last time I went to a nudist festival I recall a man who had busted open a glow stick, smeared it all over himself - paying particular attention to his unspeakables - and literally gyrating. Helicopter wang style  

Being naked around strangers will erase shame quick...