3 TED Talks to Inspire Every Ballroom Dancer

The TED Talk, as we know it, started as a small conference about Technology, Entertainment, and Design (TED) in 1984, and now it’s a viral, motivational, goose-bump generating, throat-tightening, not-really-crying machine that enriches the lives of everyone who tunes in.

In that spirit, we selected some of our favorite talks to inspire you.

Your dance journey won’t always be easy. Everyone – including your teachers – needs to drink from the well of inspiration. We hope that these talks serve their purpose, that they allow you to see challenges as opportunities, and gain a new appreciation for the transformation you’re a part of.

1. The Transformative Power of Classical Music – Benjamin Zander

This TED Talk is perfect for:

• A day when you want to feel inspired
• An incredible viewpoint on the power of music and teaching
• New students who are feeling lost in the process of learning

Why We Think This Is Cool

There are plenty of passionate people in the world, but there’s something so fulfilling about listening to a passionate teacher. Why? Because they are passionate about inspiring others – making them better than they thought they could become, and doing it in a way that puts a smile on everyone’s face.

Benjamin Zander embodies this completely.

You don’t need to be a trained musician to see how he conveys his passion for music and teaching.

In fact, Zander has a way of making you feel like classical music was written specifically for you – even if you’ve never listened to a symphony in your life. That’s the mark of a true teacher.

What does this have to do with dance? Everything. The best dance teachers don’t just teach steps. They teach transformation. They help you see possibilities in yourself that you didn’t know existed.

2. The Difference Between Winning and Succeeding – John Wooden

This TED Talk is perfect for:

• Any dancer who is a bit of a perfectionist
• The moment that you feel down about your dance results
• Anyone preparing for a competitive dance event

Why We Think This Is Cool

Despite his unprecedented level of success as a college basketball coach, John Wooden has a teaching motor that runs on sustainable, unyielding energy. From the TED Conference in Monterey in 2001, John shares his talk on the difference between winning and succeeding.

There will come a point when you miss a step, an opportunity, or a callback, but we hope that the words of Coach Wooden ring in your ear.

“Never try to be better than someone else, always learn from others, and never cease trying to be the best you can be…” – John Wooden

Here’s the thing – in dancing, you will lose competitions. You will forget your steps at showcases. You will have lessons where nothing seems to work.

But success? Success is different from winning. Success is knowing that you gave your best effort. Success is growing, even when the scorecard doesn’t reflect it. Success is showing up to the next practice party when the last one didn’t go well.

Coach Wooden understood this. And if you understand it too, your entire relationship with dance changes.

3. Bobby McFerrin Plays the Audience

This TED Talk is perfect for:

• Anyone with a pulse and oxygen in their lungs
• Understanding the power of music as a universal expression
• People who have ever scoffed at the song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”

Why We Think This Is Cool

First off – Bobby McFerrin is conducting this experiment at a conference where he is sitting on a panel with neuroscientists! Yep, neuroscientists!

As a dancer, you understand the powerful physical and mental benefits of this activity. You understand how this has improved your life, and McFerrin demonstrates how powerful music is – not only to the neuropathways throughout the brain, but as a universal form of communication.

Not taking away from anyone on that panel, but McFerrin was a living, breathing, and singing PowerPoint presentation. His facts, research, and anecdotes were all done by creating an experience that the audience was not observing but, instead, was living.

This is exactly what happens when you dance. You’re not observing music. You’re living it. Your body becomes an instrument that interprets and expresses what you hear. And that’s a skill that connects you to every human being on the planet – because music is universal.

What These Talks Have in Common

Did you notice the thread running through all three of these talks? It’s not technique. It’s not strategy. It’s not even skill.

It’s passion.

Benjamin Zander is passionate about classical music. John Wooden was passionate about excellence. Bobby McFerrin is passionate about the joy of music.

And that passion is contagious. It spreads from the speaker to the audience. It transforms passive listeners into active participants.

The same thing happens in dance. The most memorable dancers aren’t always the most technically perfect. They’re the ones who dance with passion – who make you feel something when you watch them.

Your Assignment

Watch one of these talks before your next lesson or practice party. Just one. It takes about 20 minutes.

Then pay attention to how you feel when you dance. Notice if anything shifts. Notice if the inspiration carries over into your movement.

We’re betting it will.

Final Thought

Results are interesting. We can win a contest, the Powerball, or an award for perfect attendance, but that can be empty without personal growth. Sure, we are ballroom dancers, obsessed with an activity that few people will ever have the pleasure of knowing, and yet it still boils down to that basic need for all living creatures:

Growth.

Did these talks help you grow today?

Related Reading: 3 Business Books Every Ballroom Dancer Must Read