I almost chickened out of my first dance battle.
One of the bravest things I ever did was joining a dance battle after only 2 months of learning hip hop. I had so much anxiety before the battle that I learned multiple methods to boost my self-confidence and get me out of a frozen state.
First of all, some context. I watched a few dance battles before, and they always blew my mind. The crowd, the MC, the dancers, the fierce energy… everything. I saw some crazy creativity and improvised freestyling on the spot. Coming from the social dance world, battles are unfamiliar territory. Bachata has Jack & Jill competitions, but it’s not exactly the same. When you compete in social dance, you always have a partner with you. In 1v1 dance battles, you’re on your own.
I loved being in the audience. The groove, the bass, the overall vibe always kept me on my feet. Even standing on the sidelines, I found it hard to keep my body still. I often wondered what it would feel like to be inside the circle one day. Not to win, but simply to experience it.
My curiosity led me to start taking hip hop classes. Two months later, my teacher announced an event he co-organised with a major nightclub: the biggest all-style dance battle in Da Nang. Originally, I wanted to spend at least 1 year learning before joining any battle. Then my teacher encouraged me to sign up, so I did.
I often encourage my new students to join Bachata socials. They are terrified to attend their first social party. I need to lead by example too! By putting myself in a newbie’s shoes, I could practise what I’d been preaching about: stepping out of your comfort zone.
To be perfectly honest, I almost chickened out at the last minute. The fear was so strong. What if I embarrassed myself in front of all the judges and hundreds of people? What if I danced so cringily that I got ‘’booed’’ and thrown off stage? Even though these fears were irrational, I was overwhelmed by them. I then tried a few things to help me stay grounded and replace fear with excitement.
Be myself by wearing my style
After dancing femme styles for years (pole, heels, Bachata…), I didn't have many baggy clothes. Before the battle, I pulled out an old oversized T-shirt and cargo pants. I tried to dress the part, to be more ‘’hip-hoppy’’, but I neither felt swaggy nor authentic. I didn’t want to look like someone else!
So I decided to wear a green sparkly bra and a see-through mesh top, with matching green pants. It was an ‘’all-style’’ battle anyway, and no dress code was mentioned! Wearing my familiar clothes definitely helped me feel more comfortable and self-assured.
Do somatic exercises
My heart was racing, my head was drowning in fear, and I could tell my whole body was tense and closed off. How could I express myself and dance when I was in defence mode?
So I tried breathing exercises, gave myself some butterfly hugs, opened my shoulders, and stood in confident poses. By soothing and connecting to my body, I was able to calm my nervous system and prepare myself for an unfamiliar experience.
Stay curious and have fun
Once I got out of ‘’fight-or-flight’’ mode, I shifted my mindset and reminded myself why I signed up in the first place. My main motivation was not to prove anything, but to have fun. I simply wanted to be inside a dance battle instead of standing on the side like I always did.
I wanted to expose myself to a new community, a new stage, and new dance styles. There was so much to explore! And even when I didn't pass the prelim, I would still have something fun to add to my achievement list.
Bonus tip: Set 1 achievable goal. Anything else is a bonus.
I set a small, simple goal: to get myself up there on stage. No pressure to finish the dance. No pressure to perform perfectly. Just show up.
The moment I got called up to the stage, I had about 40 seconds to dance. My mind went crazy, and I was thrilled with adrenaline. I tried to connect to the music, utilising the basic moves ‘’bounce’’, ‘’rock’’, ‘’shamrock’’, and ‘’happy feet’’ that I had learned recently.
After about 20 seconds, I ran out of hip hop moves and couldn't recall anything else. My body automatically turned to a familiar zone - contemporary and sexy dance. Without realising it, I went down to the floor and did some floorwork moves. It was interesting to see what had been integrated into my muscle memory and how I performed under pressure.
As expected, I didn’t make it to the next round. But I achieved my goal. I jumped into deep water, and I got out fine (with so much fun). After that, I enjoyed the rest of the evening, watching super cool battles and performances with my classmates, knowing that I had been up there on stage too. It was an unforgettable event!
Looking back, I’m glad that I was brave enough to be terrified and do the thing anyway. From teaching to actually applying the tools that I’ve been giving my students, I felt proud of myself for constantly pushing beyond my comfort zone. I jumped into deep water, didn’t swim very well but I survived!
