6 Steps to make your dance dreams come true

As a full time belly dancer for over 4 decades, I’ve been asked many times how I climbed the ladder to international success. How did I make my dance dreams come true? Did I know from the start where I wanted to end up? Did I draw an outline of my goals? Was I just one of the lucky ones, in the right time at the right place? The first thing I would tell you is there is no magical ‘secret’ to getting what you want. But there are some things that I would advise.
For most of us, dance is a sanctuary from the stress of everyday life.  It’s not usually someone’s full time career. Yet, every time you choose to shimmy you take another step forward on some sort of dance journey that’s unique to you, and inevitably it will lead you somewhere. You want to keep your experiences positive and add value to your life. When you go from student to performer to instructor, you are always growing and evolving as an ever-improving dancer.
Here's some things you can do to be the best you can be and make your dance dreams come true:

1. Dream:  No matter who you are, what you weigh, where you live, whatever amount of dance background and experience you have, you can always take something you love to do and extrapolate. In other words, dream! Dream big! If you can dream it, you can achieve it. It is healthy to envision what you will do with the dance that you love. There are few things in life that we truly resonate with. When you dream, you open up your creative side. You will find yourself considering possibilities that never before came to mind. You will believe in yourself a little more than you did yesterday. You will detox from whatever or whoever stresses you out. Give your soul permission to do exactly what is right for you. As a visionary, you will find that you can better…
2. Believe in yourself: Our beliefs control everything about us. If you believe you can do something, chances are you can. Maybe not at this very moment, but you will soon be able to accomplish it. If you believe you can’t do something, everything in your power, both consciously and subconsciously, will prove to you that you are right. You will only see the reasons why you would fail. The key is to keep searching for the things that are part of your dream. Keep asking yourself if whoever and whatever comes your way is serving your vision. If so, embrace it. If not, let it go. This is the work you need to do. You should not be afraid to…
3. Work hard:  Practice makes perfect. Practice your dance moves, keep taking classes, go to rehearsals, and dance, dance, dance.  When your work hard, you will improve your physical ability, you will train your mental discipline so that you can accomplish more, and you will increase your focus on your dream. To keep the momentum going is sometimes tough.  Motivation doesn’t always last, even if this is something that you love to do. When that happens, lean on your commitment to continue. People of accomplishment rarely sit back and let things happen. They go out and happen to things! So take it one day at a time and…
4. Enjoy the process:  This part is easy! Look online to see what else is out there. Go out and meet other dancers. Make friends. Make mistakes. Be ethical. Never stop learning. Surround yourself with positivity. Review your dream and sometimes update it so that you are freshly inspired. Reward yourself when you attain a goal. Acknowledge your attributes and recognize your progress. Be kind to yourself. Don’t compare yourself to others. The moment you feel like you have to prove your worth to someone else is the moment to absolutely walk away from them. Dance for yourself, not for anyone else. You dance because you…
5. Love the Art: ‘Falling’ in love and ‘being’ in love are two very different things. You can ‘fall’ in love with belly dance, but if it never develops into a state of ‘being’ in love, you will find that the excitement fades and you abandon it. Once you are in love with the dance, it becomes a part of you that you can’t deny and shouldn’t ignore. It will set roots deep inside you. Only then can it grow with any hope of lasting long enough to make an impact on your life.  We lose ourselves in the things we love. We find ourselves there, too. Dancing is not something you do logically and rationally. It works best if you…
6. Dance with your heart:  While you could dance by simply mimicking someone and performing a mechanical motion, anyone who is a ‘real’ dancer (amateur or professional) will attest that if they dance from the heart, that’s where the dream resides. That is the place where inner peace is found and from which you exude creativity. Dancing with the feet is one thing, but dancing with the heart is unparalleled. Always trust your heart. Then, all you have to do is…
7. Repeat: Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.”

Now you know what to do to get what you want from the beautiful art of belly dance. These 6 simple steps repeated over and over again will drive you forward on an upward spiral so you can achieve heights you might otherwise never experience. Go ahead. Make your dance dreams come true. Get some good vibes cranking and just be happy with yourself. Love what belly dance brings to you. Become the image of your own imagination. Go forth and shimmy!
If you want to learn how to share your dance passion with others, consider taking the Sakkara Dance Teachers’ course at www.SakkaraDance.com