This week I tried out Monash Dance Fusion Club. Well to be more specific, since I couldn’t exactly go for all the classes they offer (of which there are loads), I tried out their beginner Jazz class. Having no solid dance experience and terrible coordination, I was feeling anxious and somewhat terrified. Dance was something I’ve always wanted to be good (or at least decent) at, but wasn’t or just lacked the self confidence to try. Having several friends who like me are intrigued by the prospects of dancing but never had the courage to try it, I decided to give it a shot and share my experience.

When I entered the room, all my worries sort of dissipated. I saw 2-3 people looking as nervous as I was and I calmed down knowing that I wasn’t the only one. In total there were 5 of us in the class, one of which was our forman, Karen, who took attendance and acted as a liaison between us and the instructor. Karen was nice enough to reassure us as we waited for the instructor. 

The instructor was very nice and accommodating. We started out the class with  stretching. After which we began learning some jazz techniques, which to my knowledge prior to the class was just jazz hands. She taught, us step by step and corrected us as we went along. The steps were then put in a routine for us to practice repeatedly till the end of the class. It was quite a workout but a lot of fun and not as hard as I expected it to be.

It should be noted the classes aren’t free, it is RM60 per month for 4 classes and if you’d like to try it out, you can pay RM15 for one class which is relatively cheaper than most dance places outside. Also, if you do join, you’ll be encouraged to perform in their dance night so you can see your progress throughout the semester.

Initially, I was so preoccupied with the anxiety of joining, that I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did. It was a nice challenge, the people were cool and the overall experience was good. So if you’d like to give Jazz a shot, the beginner class is on Fridays from 2pm-3pm or if you’d like to try any other dance styles the information is on their facebook page. I fully intend on joining for the rest of the semester. If there’s anything I would like you to take from my experience is if you are looking to join something whether a club or learn a skill, go for it. You never truly know until you try and you might even like it too.

Article by Azlinah 

Featured photo by Samuel Goh