A Growth Mindset is Your Bestie

By: Erin Standish

Often among dancers (and let’s be honest, most adults), there’s a resistance to trying new things out of fear of “being bad” or “embarrassing myself.” And like most others, I also subscribed to this mindset. Trying new things is scary and often comes with doubting thoughts, like, “What if I mess up?” “What if everyone sees me mess up?” and my favorite, “What if I’m not a ‘real’ dancer because I’m not good at every style?”

Does this sound like you? I wouldn’t blame you. Performance sports, like dance, often reward perfection. The final performance, a culmination of hard work, hours of practice, and, yes, mistakes, gets applause, cheer, and admiration. Often, the dedication leading up to the show warrants little recognition. Our brains are smart– they notice patterns. Perfect performances = cheer and admiration; messing up = bad. This pattern can appear even stronger in environments where dancers are ridiculed for the mistakes made in rehearsal and told they’re not good enough. It makes sense that we might be averse to messing up…

… And yet, failures and mess-ups lead to growth. This lesson took me almost 25 years to fully internalize and embody. I wish I could say that I’ve always been okay with failure– I haven’t. This growth mindset is a recent achievement. When I first came to RUD in June 2023, I stuck with my “comfy classes” (contemporary and contemporary only). Around October 2023, I decided to try my first adult beginner hip-hop class, and boy, was it difficult. Slightly embarrassed and overwhelmed, I did not attend another adult beginner hip-hop class until May 2024. So what changed?

Well, around September 2023, I started to try running. And I was AWFUL. I was slow and had no idea what I was doing, but I could run alone without being perceived. As time went on, I saw myself get better. I’m still slow and new to running, but watching myself improve (and spending more time outside) worked wonders. I no longer felt embarrassed about being a beginner. I have even proudly stated that I’m slow AF. I’m still practicing AND getting better every day. This newfound appreciation for the growth that comes from challenges, failures, and setbacks, combined with the inspiration and fun I saw all the adult beginner hip hoppers having during our I Am Hip Hop performance, led me to have the confidence to, once again, take the adult beginner hip hop classes again. With this new mindset, I left my second class (s/o Ria for the fun Cardi B combo) excited, energized, and wanting to take more!

Let this blog post be your sign! Do the scary thing you’ve put on the back burner, take a class you’ve never taken before, and let yourself make mistakes. You might be surprised at what you learn about yourself and the growth you experience. Even if you feel awkward and out of place, it’s a learning opportunity that can help you grow!