I am a terrible dancer. I usually try to avoid situations where I would be expected to dance. However, I recently had to overcome my fear when a teacher invited me to a traditional dance. I am working in Brittany in France where the people have a strong regional identity. They even have their own language which is called Breton. Every couple of months, each town hosts their own traditional Breton dance called a Fest Deiz which is Breton for 'day festival' because it takes place during the day. They also host Fest Noz which means 'night festival' as it takes place in the evening.
I really wanted to go to a Fest Deiz because I was curious to listen to songs in the Breton language. The music was excellent and everyone (except me) was doing a special dance for each song. I realised that I should stop being nervous and join in with the dancing. The teacher who invited me taught me how to do a particular dance where everybody joined little fingers and danced in a circle. I found the steps quite difficult but it was really fun.
My favourite part of the dance was seeing everyone, young and old, joining hands and bonding over their culture. I felt privileged to be included in this unique tradition. Perhaps more importantly, I learnt that it is a good idea to try something new, even if you are scared. By saying yes, you could experience something really special.
Have you ever been to a traditional dance event? Have you ever tried something new even if you were scared?
