the dance effect
Even as someone who danced my whole life, I’ve experienced the same awkward and nervous feelings most beginners do.
After high school, I took a long break from dance and honestly felt really lost. When I got the opportunity to train in ballroom & Latin, it felt like starting all over again. I was SO uncomfortable at first – dancing with another person, physical touch, eye contact, starting from the bottom again… it was completely outside my comfort zone and nothing like the dance world I came from.
I get why it feels nerve-racking. I really do.
But on the other side of that discomfort was so much joy, confidence, connection, and purpose.
Taking that chance and doing the uncomfortable thing genuinely changed my life. Coming back to dance and starting PTBO Ballroom has brought me more fulfillment and happiness than I ever expected.
That’s why I care so much about creating a welcoming space for beginners – because I know how scary it can feel walking into this.
“The Dance Effect” is a new little series where I’ll share personal reflections, dance myths/facts, benefits of dance, and stories from this community that’s growing into something really special.
I’d love to hear your experiences too! ❤️
social dance changed
this for me…
I finally found a hobby that stuck.
I don’t know about you, but I personally find it really hard to maintain a hobby as an adult. Life gets busy, energy runs low, and it can feel impossible to carve out personal time each week – so if I’m going to commit to something, it needs to feel REALLY worth it.
What made social dance different for me was that it checked so many boxes at once. It’s active, physically challenging, mentally engaging, and deeply social all at the same time. Every class gives you the chance to connect with other people who are learning right alongside you. There’s always another smiling face across from you, working toward the same goal, figuring things out together.
Somewhere along the way, it stops feeling like “exercise” or “practice” and becomes something you genuinely look forward to every week. The music, the movement, the shared learning experience, the little moments of progress – it all becomes addictive in the best way possible.
I started looking forward to my weeks again.
Instead of constantly waiting for the weekend, I started looking forward to my next chance to dance.
And honestly… once dance became part of my life again, I started looking for even more opportunities to do it. Catching myself dancing in the kitchen while making dinner, practicing a salsa suzie-q through the living room, working on bachata footwork during a mid-day walk… it slowly stopped being “something I attended” and became something woven into my everyday life.
That excitement and joy started spilling into the rest of my week, too.
And maybe the biggest thing of all: my life became less stressful, and a lot more joyful.
Everyday stressors just don’t hit me the same way anymore. Once I start dancing, everything else washes away for a while. There’s something incredibly powerful about the combination of movement, music, connection, and learning – the serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin cocktail that leaves you walking out of class feeling lighter than when you walked in.
Social dance has a powerful effect on both your body and your brain, and I genuinely feel happier because it’s part of my life.
I stopped being afraid to look awkward.
There are so many stages to the learning process, and without a doubt, all of us have to go through the “feeling awkward” phase. Honestly, I still experience it whenever I learn something new. That’s just part of the game.
You learn a new step, feel a little silly doing it, practice it over and over, build the muscle memory, and eventually it starts to feel natural. Then once you get comfortable… there’s always another layer to discover.
I think that’s one of the reasons dance is so engaging and addictive – you’re never really “done.” There’s always a new pattern to learn, another technique to refine, a movement to make smoother, more expressive, more connected.
And somewhere along the way, you stop worrying so much about how you look.
Once you get over that initial hump, you realize everyone else is there for the exact same reason – to learn, grow, and probably feel a little awkward together. That shared vulnerability is actually what makes social dance such a welcoming and supportive environment.
The learning process became part of the fun.
The process of being introduced to a new concept or pattern each week and slowly starting to understand it – feeling your body and brain connect in real time – is so satisfying. And honestly, there’s something SO cool about the physics behind partner dancing: the way movement, timing, connection, and communication all overlap between two people.
You’re literally learning a new way to communicate without words.
Then eventually, you get to take those new skills out into the real world – dancing with different people at events, testing out new patterns you learned the week before, realizing “wait… I actually know how to do this now.”
That’s the whole point, right?
At the end of the day, we learn so we can enjoy dancing socially. To go out with friends, connect with new people, hear a great song come on, and feel excited instead of nervous to step onto the dance floor.
I found a community I can access almost anywhere.
One of the most beautiful things about social dance is that once you learn this new language – without words – you can tap into a community almost anywhere you travel.
Especially within salsa and bachata, there’s such a strong global social dance culture. No matter where you go, there’s a good chance you’ll find a local dance night filled with people who share the same love and appreciation for music and movement.
And suddenly, meeting people and making friends feels effortless.
You already have something in common. You can walk into a room full of strangers, share a dance, laugh through mistakes, connect through music, and leave feeling like you belong there too.
Why I started PTBO Ballroom
I started PTBO Ballroom with a dream of building a strong dance community for all of us to enjoy for years to come. I truly believe this hobby has the power to transform our lives – the way we connect with other people, the way we experience music and movement, and even the way we enjoy a night out.
Social dance gave me confidence, connection, joy, purpose, and a sense of belonging when I needed it most. Creating a space where other people can experience that too has become incredibly meaningful to me.
If you’ve been thinking about starting, maybe this is your sign.
And if you’re feeling nervous, just know: I’ve got you – and so do so many friends you haven’t met yet ❤️