It’s a lovely day for a story time, dontcha think?! In today’s blog post we’ll be talking about that one time I took an acro class and I was, well, pretty dang bad! That’s right, on one particular day I found out that I was not an acrobatic natural, who can seamlessly twist and turn my body around in record timing. However, despite my lack of acro talent, I didn’t leave the class feeling discouraged. As a matter of fact, I actually learned a thing or two, even beyond the back walkovers and today I’m going to be telling you allll about it! We’ll also be discussing some reasons why it is actually beneficial to take the plunge and try an acro class yourself! So, without further ado, let’s get into it!
My (rather interesting) First Acro Experience
Back in the day, ahla 2012, I attended a summer dance convention. From ballet to musical theater, there were so many genres to choose from at this convention and I had a whole list of classes that I wanted to take, including a few new ones that I wanted to try. However, acro was not at the top of that list As a matter of fact, it wasn’t on the list at all. But after a few days under my belt at the convention, a friend that I had attended the convention with talked me into it. She had never taken acro before either and looked at it as a new and exciting experience. So, of course, me and my “Hey sure, why not” attitude went ahead and took the plunge. The class started with stretching and conditioning like any other dance class. “So far, so good”, I thought to myself. I looked over at one of my other friends, who also decided to take the plunge to try acro, and it was clear that we were on the same mental wavelength. Well, that all changed a bit when the class kicked into gear and a few flips came into play. “Oh shoot. Here we go.” is immediately what popped into my head the minute I hear the words “back walkover”. The moves we learned became more intense as the class went on. Some I did surprisingly well to the point that I even shocked myself a bit. But all in all, I must admit that I was waaayy out of my element and I was thrilled to get back to a ballet barre or on to my 3 p.m. hip hop class. All in all, while my acro experience came with it’s share of “yikes”moments, I also walked away with some valuable lessons that helped shape me into a better dancer!
What I Took Away From The Class
Though out of my element, I walked out of my first acro class feeling very accomplished! The fact that I pushed past my hesitations, and tried something that I never would have thought I would actually try really proved to me that I have the confidence to go outside of my own minut limits and indulge in new experiences along my dance journey, whenever the opportunity presents itself! Taking this acro class also further showed me my own athletic grit and was actually one of the driving forces that helped me get into a legitimate fitness routine. It made me more aware of what parts of my body held the most strength, as well as the places where I could get stronger and I fully took advantage of that and worked toward self betterment! I even left out of that class wanting to take it again!
Why You Should Take The Plunge And Sign Up For Your First Acro Class
And finally, let’s go over just a few of the reasons why it is a wonderful idea to take the plunge and sign up for your first acro class!
- It Provides A Healthy Challenge – On the top of the list of many benefits, acro provides a healthy challenge that I truly believe is beneficial to all dancers, no matter where your genre comfort zone lies. Taking my first acro class awakened the beginner in me again, which is something I found oddly exhilarating. Going into something you’ve never done before, yet you’re eager to try is a healthy practice to maintain as a dancer, as it will ultimately result in you adding more notches of knowledge onto your belt, broaden your horizons mentally and keep your dance journey fresh and exciting!
- Opens Up A New Realm Of Athleticism – Acro also opens up a new level of athleticism and allows you to discover bodily strength and flexibility that you may not even know you had, all while teaching you how to push yourself towards a stronger you. It certainly did me and I was absolutely shocked to find how much my body carried me as it expanded to new heights!
- It’s Fun! – Simply put, acro is down right fun! I had a wonderful time learning the fundamentals of moves that I had seen for years, but never knew how to execute. Even though I knew I had a long way to go, I had so much fun learning and have been eager to learn more ever since. Once you take your first class, you will definitely catch the acro bug, for sure!
That will do it for today’s blog post! We hope this entry inspired you to step outside of your comfort zone and experience something new and exciting, such as your very first acro class! As always, we wish you all a wonderful weekend and remember…
Keep dancing!
Lexi
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