Gene Kelly & Fred Astaire dance for the 1958 Life Magazine Christmas Special
One outstanding Christmas for me was when my family lived in Altoona, PA. I was about 5-6 years old and presents included a highly cherished Pittsburgh Steelers helmet, shoulder pads and football. My memory from that day is of playing alone in the deep snow with my new gear, repeatedly tossing the ball and running under it, the imaginary crowd cheering wildly.
Our family moved often and playing by myself seemed natural to me, perhaps suiting my innate introversion. To some, this claim to be an introvert, given activities I now do such as teaching and event production, must seem suspect. I’m intrigued, however, at how many dancers and instructors say they, too, consider themselves introverts.
In 4 Reasons Why Introverts Make Great Dancers, Catie Robinson asserts: “It shouldn’t be surprising that many introverts are drawn to dancing. Dance allows people to tell stories and share their emotions without words.” Personally, finding partner dancing in my late 30s was a godsend. Socially shy all my life, dance gave me a way — where words typically failed — to succeed at finding connection.
On a forum regarding introverts, Zhena posted: “I see other people like me who start dancing and stick around for a short time before they give up. I wonder if they get discouraged because it can take so long and require so much effort to build connection.” Many of us partner dancers have a patron dance saint, someone who noticed and made the effort to welcome and dance with us when we were new. Often, these kind people are all that stand between someone giving up or going on to become a valued member of the community.
Endeavor to be a shy person’s saint next time you go out dancing or, if you’re new to dance, know that your courage and persistence can definitely pay off. Find numerous delightful events where you can feel or extend welcome online at the Dance Calendar.
See you on the dance floor —Sean Donovan