Is It Too Late? Starting a Dance and Mobility Practice in your Late 20s or 30s
The question is always there at the back of our minds.
“Is it too late to start?”
Maybe it’s not even a question at this point. Maybe it’s something you’ve been subconsciously telling yourself for years. That nagging voice in the back of your mind saying “girl, don’t even try it. You are not built like that anymore.”
I know the feeling. You see, I am late to the dance game. As a kid, we didn’t really have money for extracurricular activities. I didn’t start my dance “training” until I was about 19 and started going to zumba classes at the rec center on campus.
Before that my only other formal dance training came from YouTube video tutorials in high school.
I never really focused heavily on my dance abilities, however. I would only practice from time to time, not really focused on giving it my all.
That has changed for me recently as I’ve entered my late 20’s.
After taking a year long break from my main form of dance (due to personal reasons), I realized just how much I needed dance in my life. I realized just how much I had come to depend on the art to fulfill my mental health needs.
I started practicing again and I was absolutely astonished as to how much of a beginner I felt like all over again; it didn’t matter if it was belly dance, pole, or aerial sling, I had completely fell off my game.
So I decided to start again. I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t matter what age you are, it is never too late to start. It doesn’t matter how many kids you’ve had, or how much weight you’ve gained, or lost. It is never too late to start this dance life journey.
Here are some tips for you to get started on your dance, contortion, or aerial journey.
Start Slow
Starting a movement journey of any kind can be daunting for many. If you’re starting at an age that is older than childhood, you may feel like the task of starting is even more so out of reach.
I’m here to tell you that’s not the case! You can create a healthy dance and movement lifestyle now, at or past 30 years old, even if you are just starting. But, you must start slow.
This isn’t because of age; it’s because of the fact that overwhelming yourself at any point can be counterproductive and lead to giving up, rather than starting by slowly immersing yourself into your desired activity.
Start slow because if you’re in your late 20s or 30s you probably have a full time job!
You don’t have to give your all to everything at once. You can just give all that you have in an hour and that will be enough.
Find Teachers You Trust
As someone who is a dancer/aerialist/contortion hobbyist who came later to the game, I was adamant that whoever I paid my money to would be knowledgable and a great listener to my needs.
This was critical. I like paying people for what they do. However, over the past 10 years of me being a movement enthusiast, I have noticed that many times people will charge a specific amount of money for almost no information or no help at all.
Finding instructors, teachers, and coaches that have my safety in mind became top priority. Just because someone looks good doing cool things on social media doesn’t mean they care about your safety and life.
I like finding instructors that can explain things to me in depth. When I talk to the instructor about my body I hope they can listen and adjust their lesson accordingly.
Finding teachers that you trust is the most important part of this journey. Do your research, stay diligent, and if something doesn’t feel right, listen to yourself.
Practice!!!
This is the best part of it all, in my personal opinion. The practice itself is everything. Go to class! Get up and move! I’m also talking to myself because I know for a fact that I still have a hard time staying consistent with my schedule and life events.
What’s important here is just doing your best with what you have, honestly. If you know you didn’t have a good practice week, make a schedule for next week to follow so your not slacking off.
If you know you have things coming up, schedule your dance and movement time around them. If you know you want to watch tv, condition while you watch your favorite program.
The point is to practice. If you need accountability, then get in touch with a friend, sign up for in person classes, or join an online dance community like Datura Online.
The point is, practice. You can’t get a true measure of your success until you’ve put in the work necessary to see progress.
Build it into your Life
The last tip I have for you is to build this practice into your life. If you’re an adult, you have responsibilities. That’s a no-brainer. As adults we have dishes to wash, kids to feed, bills to pay, and work to do in order to pay them.
The thing that has worked best for me is to incorporate movement into those responsibilities as much as possible. When I wash the dishes, I work on foot positions. If you have kids let them practice too. If you have to go to work, practice on your 15 minute break, or your lunch break.
The key to doing this and doing this well, is to incorporate as much as possible.
I urge you to incorporate movement in your life, but please understand that this shouldn’t feel like a chore. Remember why you began in the first place. Remember why you started.
Was it for your physical health, or maybe your mental health? Either way, I’m imagining that this was your choice and your choice alone. Focus on why you made this choice in the first place. Focus on what you want from your dance and mobility journey more than anything else.
