As an up-and-coming professional (or even as a student getting ready to enter high school or college), you may think that the only way to boost your business skills is to earn a degree. While it’s true that college, university, and even trade schools can help your career, these are not the only places you can learn valuable skills. This is especially true when it comes to soft skills, which go beyond number crunching and leadership.
So, where else can you learn job skills? This will come as no surprise to Dancing Wheels Company students, but the dance floor is perhaps one of your best teachers.
Skills you learn in dance:
- Problem-solving. Problem-solving is one of the top skills leaders need to be successful. Having the ability to sort through information and make informed decisions can boost your efficiency and help you take control when new opportunities as they arise. In dance, and especially wheelchair dance, you learn to get creative when barriers are presented.
- Teamwork. According to the Rockettes, teamwork is crucial in a dance environment. After all, if everyone is not in sync, the entire routine is thrown off. It’s the same in the workplace, and dancing (along with theater and other types of performing art) can teach you how to work alongside others.
- Creativity. A creative workplace is one where your employees are engaged and motivated. Learning an art can trigger the creative parts of your brain, and this can translate into workplace success as well.
- Stress management. One of the most powerful quotes we’ve read comes from the National Library of Medicine. “Stress is the most widespread disease of the modern age.” Stress can be felt in every office, warehouse floor, and retail space in the nation. Dance and other forms of creative art help teach stress management by giving you a positive source of stress, such as waiting for curtain calls or hoping you time your moves just right.
- Work ethic. Work ethic has been declining in the US for the last decade or more. This, unfortunately, can lead to everything from unhappy customers to poor morale in the workplace. Dance can teach a strong work ethic by helping you realize the fruits of your labor. Work ethic is crucial not just as a leader, but as an employee as well. When you can demonstrate that you’re willing to dive in, get your hands dirty, and get the job done, you are a more valuable asset to your company.
- Adaptability. If you need a demonstration of how dance can teach adaptability, find a performance by Dancing Wheels. You can easily see how our talented dancers have adapted to what others might perceive as a disadvantage. Adaptability in the workplace is another critical leadership skill that helps you focus on improving instead of proving other people wrong or yourself right.
- Perseverance. Perseverance is one of the most underrated skills that all business owners, professionals, and even entry-level employees need. In short, perseverance means that you push forward in the face of challenges, delays, and difficulties. There are many types of challenges when it comes to the arts, but you know that the end result will be something beautiful. You can take this way of thinking into the workplace by knowing that pushing through difficulties will help you be a stronger employee and ultimately a better leader.
Don’t overlook the benefits of creative endeavors in the workforce. While education and practical experience are beneficial, so too are the lessons that you’ll learn when you’re in your element. Work ethic, problem-solving skills, and stress management are just a few of these lessons, and they should never be overlooked.
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