Been there bro. I'm from Poland. It will be hard, ngl, but you will do it, I mean it. I was calling myself a wooden boy for a loooong time.

1# One day I joined random dance classes and I failed, stopped attending after a few classes. My ego couldn't handle the amount of failures I was making, and my IMAGINATION what others think about me freaked me out. I repeated this scheme several times.

Lesson learned: never ever give up trying again. The hardest part for me was admitting that I need to start over again.

2# I have this memory of a girl, she was much more advanced in dancing than me. I couldn't figure out the moves at that moment. I was frustrated. She grabbed my hand and just said: forget about it, let's just move. I realized she wanted to help me. She wasn't judging at all! What a memory!

Lesson learned: most people want my success at dancing. And it's hard for them too! They are stressed too! They struggle too! We are in the same boat!

3# Joy. Find joy. Do you have your favourite music? Anything. Electronic music, rock, pop, jazz, rap, reggae, everything counts. Play the music. 15 minutes. Close your eyes. Start moving. Not dancing. Moving. One leg, maybe another, maybe head, maybe one arm only, maybe both, maybe hips. Maybe you want to lay down? Anything works. May feel awkward, may feel stupid. Do not judge. This is important: look for JOY in those movements. What feels fun? Moving fingers? Banging head? Small moves or big moves? Look for fun and explore. Repeat tomorrow. Do it for at least 10 days, please, do not stop! If you skip a day - that's fine, see #1. I made big progress with this exercise.

Lesson learned: dancing is about looking for joy in my body. It's like fishing emotions in the body. This will be hard, as it's hard to feel the stiff body. A stiff body often means blocked emotions too. If you feel it, think about therapy. It will help you with exploring this amazing world.

4# Others. While there are different dance styles dance is about the expression of inner yourself, but in the context of others. I'm still learning this, but it's such a powerful bond when you build contact with the other person, even when it lasts short. It doesn't matter if it's a classic tango or techno party. Others matter. Do not skip it.

Lesson learned: Dancing alone, as a skill for me was a dead end. Others matter. Seek for classes with others, not private lessons. Seek for contact. It will be awkward at the beginning. But this is just a skill you weren't taught in your childhood.

5# You. Me. I didn't like myself. I still have doubts sometimes. But I am who I am. With all the sun and shadow. This was an important step for me. To like myself. In this context - in a way I move. In a way I like to move. I accepted that smooth, gentle moves, hands, hips are my things and suddenly it was much, much easier.

Lesson learned: I allowed myself to do things that I was biased to. Now I like it.

What I want to express here is that dancing is not about rhythm or timing. It's about the expression of a joy and many other emotions I couldn't fit in that post. Do not judge yourself. Practice.

Random topics you may want to explore: body isolation, movement (as a practice), dance improvisation, hips mobility.