what to expect... your first class

If you're not used to dancing around other people you might feel a bit uncomfortable or self conscious at first, but everybody's focus is usually on themselves to begin with, so most people feel at ease quite quickly.

At the very beginning of a class there may be some time with music playing and little or no instruction. Here are some suggestions for you to make the most of this

warm up your body with gentle stretches or by dancinglet yourself 'arrive' mentally and emotionally - notice your thoughts and emotions and set them in motion with your breath and your bodylie on the floor and let yourself melt into it, take your focus deeply into to your physical body & allow your breath to bring you slowy into your dance

Teaching usually begins by bringing awareness to the different parts of the body in a warm up. You will be encouraged to listen to your body and energy levels at all times, without pushing or holding back.

The teacher will support you to follow your dance, usually through a wave, using carefully chosen music, words and exercises to guide you. Teaching is sometimes subtle and unobtrusive, gently nudging the group energy in a particular direction, other times it might be more explicit and involve clearly directed exercises. At different times during a class you may be expected to dance with a partner, in a group and on your own. Everyone finds one of these dynamics more difficult than the others, so if you are having difficulty with this or any other exercise, try to stay curious about and accepting of how you feel and see it as a chance to understand more about yourself.

Teaching should always be respectful - you are encouraged to make the most of the opportunities presented but not pressured into doing anything you do not want to.

Wear loose, comforfable clothing in layers as you will get quite hot sometimes and may need to wrap up warm at others. If you wear a skirt to dance in, be aware that there may be floorwork in the class so you may want trousers or shorts underneath.

Bare feet or soft soled dance shoes are best as your connection to the floor is important and trainers can be dangerous to other dancers.

The clothes you wear can influence your movement in interesting ways. Experiment and have fun!

5 Rhythms attracts people of all ages and from all walks of life. Generally people who come are fairly open minded, enjoy dancing and music and recognise in themselves a desire for creative self-expression. Group sizes and gender mixes vary enormously from group to group. If you want to find out more about the group you will be dancing with, contact the workshop organiser.

Stay curious about your fellow dancers. Every individual in the group has something to teach and something to learn from every other person there. Meeting on the dancefloor helps us to side-step the preconceptions and prejudices that might get in the way in more conventional social situations.