Dare to step out of your comfort zone... to learn and grow!

Why don't we dare?

How many times have you refused to do something new and/or uncomfortable in the past year? And why didn't you dare try it those times? 

Often (and I totally include myself in this), we are afraid of ridicule, of being looked down upon or judged by others, of not measuring up... but measuring up to whom and to what, by the way? 

Our fears: a source of learning

In my experience, where we dare not is ironically often where we have the most to learn and discover. 

And the example that illustrates this very well for me is my history with Brazilian zouk. 

What is Brazilian zouk?

For those unfamiliar with Brazilian zouk, it's a partner dance that originated in Brazil's lambada (a dance that's still too little known)! 

You'll soon discover that I've been passionate about dance ever since I was a little girl! 

Having said that, until I discovered Brazilian zouk, I mainly practiced dances that are danced individually (like ballet, jazz ballet, lyrical, hip hop, etc.).

When the universe gets involved! 

I still remember the first time a friend (with whom I danced in a dance troupe) showed me a Brazilian zouk video: I didn't want to know anything about a dance that was, in my eyes at the time, too sensual. 

But as the universe has a way of putting what we need in our path, this same friend managed to invite her Brazilian zouk teachers to our troupe's dance classes. 

And that's when I fell under the spell of this dance... which has literally changed my life in so many ways! 

From dance to introspection

Not only did I get to know my own body better, but I also learned to communicate better through my body and that of my partner.

A pleasure to share!

That's what I enjoy teaching and sharing with the man who saw me evolve from my very first steps in this dance! 

A pleasure that even extends to organizing an annual Brazilian zouk festival (the only one in Montreal at the moment) where we invite international and national artists to come and share their passion for Brazilian zouk with the local community. 

An artist, a mentor

This year's international line-up included Alex de Carvalho, one of the masters of Brazilian zouk who has led the way for many of the world's greatest Brazilian zouk dancers.

It was also with him that my partner and I trained and certified a little over a year ago, through his MAC (Alex de Carvalho Methodology) program, a methodology that deconstructs Brazilian zouk movements into their key elements in order to better understand them.

How does my fear of the new relate to Brazilian zouk?

I'm not telling you this to extol the virtues of Brazilian zouk (although I do believe in its benefits). 

My idea here is rather that you understand a little more about my history with this dance, so that you can understand a little better why, for me, this 100% improvised dance (commonly called demo in dance jargon) with Alex de Carvalho (from whom the image in the heading is taken) represents giant steps forward in terms of stress management and my fear of the gaze and judgment of others. 

Tracking progress, one step at a time

Like any fear, we learn to tame and reassure it, but it inevitably resurfaces here and there! 

While I'm not as stressed as I used to be about doing demos with my dance partner, my fear clearly resurfaced during this demo with Alex de Carvalho. It was stronger than my reason, it was visceral: I felt a fever through my whole body before, during and after the demo.

To view the demo in question: 2024 ZEM Festival - Brazilian zouk demo - Alex & Josiane (1).

Far from wanting to get rid of it, however, as I would have done in my early days, I rather tried to accept it. After all, I was dancing with a great master, and I knew that everything was being filmed! 

I tried to accept the humanity of both of us and savor this shared moment. 

Mission accomplished? Tell me in the comments below!😉

To each our own fears, to each our own path

Often shaped by our life experiences and perceptions, our fears are unique to us. So it's up to each of us to learn how to tame them and learn from them.

But it's great if my path inspires and encourages you to follow yours! 

Need a helping hand?

Coaching can be invaluable in helping us to become aware of and accept our fears, enabling us to narrow the gap between our perceptions and reality. 

Curious to find out more? Don't hesitate to book a free introductory appointment with me! 

We look forward to accompanying you on your own path to greater freedom!