If I Could Go Back In Time! This Is What I Would Tell My Younger Self!

If I could sit down with my younger self for just one conversation, what would I say?

In this episode, I reflect on the lessons life has taught me. This isn't about changing the past—it's about recognising how every challenge has shaped the person I am today.

Whether you're at the beginning of your journey or simply need a reminder to be kinder to yourself, I hope this conversation gives you comfort, perspective, and the confidence to keep moving forward.

Sometimes the advice we wish we'd heard years ago is exactly what we need to hear today.

Transcript

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Hello and welcome back to the podcast. If you're new here, my name is Amy. I've been running my dance school for 20 years. I'm also an iPath examiner. This podcast is all about dance, from dance training and education to breaking down barriers and making dance more accessible and inclusive for everyone. Today's episode is a little bit more reflective, and I think it's one that dancers of any age will relate to. I was thinking recently about my younger self, the dancer who was standing at the bar worrying about exams, comparing herself to others, and trying to get everything absolutely perfect. And if I could go back in time and have a little chat with myself, there would definitely be a few things I would say. So today I'm sharing five things I wished I told my younger dance self. And if you're a dancer listening or a dance parent or a teacher, these might be things you need to hear too. So let's get into it. Number one, your exam result number does not define you. The first thing I would like to say is this your exam result number does not define you as a dancer. When you're younger, it can feel like everything. You're waiting for that envelope, you're wondering if you got a distinction, a merit, a pass. But the truth is, years later, nobody asks what mark you got in grade three ballet. What really matters is what a dance gives you: the discipline, the creativity, the friendships, the confidence. Exams are one moment in time, and yes, they are useful and helpful to get you to the next level, but please don't measure your success based on a number on a scorecard. Number two, stretching actually matters. The second thing I wished I'd taken more seriously is stretching and improving flexibility. When you're young, you think I'm flexible enough or I'll stretch later. And to be honest, when I was training, we were just drilled on technique. Stretching came as a bit of an afterthought, but good flexibility, strength, and mobility are what allow dancers to dance safely for years, and it also offers you a bigger range of movement, which improves your dancing. If I could tell my younger self one thing, it would be take care of your body early. Your body is your instrument, and the better you look after it, the longer you'll be able to dance for. Number three, stop comparing yourself to others, and this is a big one. You're not always going to be the best in the class, and that is absolutely fine. In fact, I think it's a really good thing. In every class, there will be someone with higher extensions, better turns, someone who picks things up faster, but comparison can take the joy out of dancing. What I wished I'd realised earlier is that every dancer's journey is different. Some dancers are naturally flexible, some are musical, some are performers. And the magic of dance is that there isn't one way to be brilliant. Focus on being better than you were yesterday, not better than the person next to you. Number four, performance matters more than perfection. When you're younger, it's easy to become obsessed with doing everything perfect. Perfect feet, perfect arms, perfect technique. But audiences don't fall in love with perfection, they fall in love with emotion, storytelling, and presence. A dancer who connects with the audience will always be more memorable than one who is technically perfect but emotionally disconnected. So I will tell my younger self, don't just do the steps, feel them, believe them, live them. And number five, make sure you're dancing for the love of it. And this is an important one. Dance because you absolutely want to, not because of medals or exam marks or pressure. Dance because of that feeling when the music starts and something inside you lights up. Because at the end of the day, that's what dance is really about joy, expression, and being part of something special. So those are five things I wished I told my younger dance self. And actually, they're things I still remind myself of today. If you're a young dancer listening, remember this your journey in dance doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to be yours. Thank you so much for listening, and I'll see you in the next episode.