Sumrell Strength

I often refer to myself as a man of many interests. I know that’s quite the interesting title to claim, but its true. I am. Whats even more interesting though is the journey that led me there and taught me many things along the way. With this piece I’ll highlight my adventure into salsa dancing and reveal some of the cool gems I’ve picked up throughout the whole process.

How it All Started

Shortly after graduating from college, reality hit me that I was a full-blown adult and completely immersed in the workforce. There was no going back to the student life. This WAS my new life.

Work began to occupy a larger chunk of my life, and although I enjoyed training people, I felt the need to explore other pastimes besides just working, training, and weekend festivities.

And thus my quest began. After attending a Latin night and not being able to dance as well as I wanted to, I set my sights on salsa dancing as a new skill to master. Now I’m currently not a master by any means. Maybe an intermediate at best. But the journey towards mastery has been incredibly educational. And in addition to helping a woman look great on the dance floor, I also drew a few broader insights that I’ll share with you.

Here are 3 things I’ve learned from salsa dancing

1. Its easier to master something when you understand it

They actually go hand in hand (no pun intended). In the case of my salsa dancing, I made leaps of improvement once I gained a better understanding of the music. Early on however, that connection was shaky. The basic salsa rhythm was different for me and took some getting used to. Couple that with a partner following my lead, and you can imagine how unimpressive my first few dances were. But as I practiced and listened to the music more, the rhythm started to become more natural. I went from having to count my steps, to being able to improvise. Eventually I unlocked the ability to really groove to the music which made it come alive for me. 

Here’s why this matters. Gaining a deeper connection to the music helped sling-shot my skills forward. As I began to understand it more, I was better able to layer the dancing on top. This isn’t the only arena where we see ones level of comprehension show up as a performance enhancer. We see a similar link play out in some of the following scenarios:

• Memorizing definitions vs being able to explain something
• Multiple choice vs open response questions on tests
• Being good at sports drills vs performing well in competition
• Following recipes vs being able to improvise and create delicious meals

In each of these scenarios, the superior level of mastery is tied to a deeper understanding of the subject/ task at hand. The learnee is able to find a context and better apply what they’ve learned.

As this epiphany unfolded in real time, it motivated me to dig deeper and expand my abilities in ways that even impressed some teachers.

People often overlook the value of understanding what you’re trying to get better at. And just like overthinking, this can be detrimental. However, the right amount of extra thinking may help the learning process. Building on top of that, salsa helped reveal some things about my own personal learning process. Which brings me to my next point…

2. How you learn can affect what you learn.

Learning styles play a major role in skill acquisition whenever there is a student – instructor relationship. I think that’s a case that can build itself. People have unique ways that they process and learn things. I’ve witnessed this not just in dance, but in sport and classroom settings as well. And when two people are not on the same page, information can easily get lost in translation. Through my experience, I’ve found that I’m more of a visual and kinesthetic learner when it comes to picking up new skills. In other words, I like to see it done properly, walk through it, then do it until my body understands it. I’ve always done this intuitively but what made me more aware was how my experience in classes would differ depending on the instructor. It made a huge difference when I had instructors who would demonstrate movements while explaining, instead of solely relying on verbal cues.

Its funny how having even a slight awareness of learning style can improve outcomes. This goes for both the teacher and the student. I know this especially because I often find myself on the instructor side when training clients. I say with confidence that it’s helpful.

My way of learning may differ from the next person, but we can still aim to create enjoyable experiences by making accommodations.

And speaking of enjoyable experiences…

3. Exercise is easier when you can enjoy it

Finding hobbies that include physical activity can be hugely beneficial towards maintaining an active lifestyle without always relying on the gym. Sure the gym is great. But who wants to live a life of sets and reps. You’re just way more likely to do things you think are fun. I think many have become so fixated on the concept of exercise and training and fail to see the big picture. Now don’t get me wrong, I love training and mapping out strategies to achieve physical goals. I’m just weird like that. But whether or not you get a thrill from difficult physical tasks or not, making movement a regular thing is still one of the most important habits for staying healthy. For many, the key is to include things that don’t feel like exercise while doing it.

For me, Salsa dancing is a way to express myself, enjoy music, and connect to other happy humans in a fun way. Not to mention it burns calories. And I’m pretty sure it wins in the enjoyment category. The activity that fuels your fire might be different for you but the concept remains the same.

That concludes my 3 things I’ve learned from Salsa Dancing. But stay tuned if you want to see what else I’ve learned from my hobbies. Cheers to learning, applying, and getting better at things.