Why I Chose to Train with Kevin and Nataliya Kane — And How It Helped Me Find My Joy in Dance Again

There comes a point in almost every dancer’s journey where you hit a crossroads.

Not because you no longer love dance… but because somewhere along the way, the pressure starts getting louder than the joy.

I think this happens more than people realize in West Coast Swing.

Especially for those of us who are deeply invested in our growth.

We care.

We want to improve.

We want to challenge ourselves.

We want to become better dancers, better partners, better communicators, better artists.

But sometimes, without even realizing it, we slowly drift away from the very thing that made us fall in love with dance in the first place.

And recently… I realized that was happening to me.

When Dance Stops Feeling Like Joy

Our dance journey is so personal to each of us.

Over the years, I’ve gone in and out of absolutely loving dance, and at other times, I wanted to quit altogether.

Through Dance to Uplift, I spend so much time talking about connection, joy, grounding, nervous system regulation, healing through movement, and the beauty of partnership through dance.

But the reality is… dancers are still human.

Even experienced dancers go through seasons of frustration, insecurity, stagnation, burnout, and self-doubt.

And every time I reach one of those crossroads, I have to stop and ask myself:

What is my WHY? Where have I drifted?

Every single time, the answer comes back to the same thing.

Personal growth.

Connection.

And the love of the dance itself.

That’s what keeps pulling me back.

Not titles.

Not placements.

Not outside validation.

The dance itself.

Because when I’m truly connected to dance in a healthy way, it brings me so much joy.

It helps me reconnect to myself.

This is a huge reason why I believe so deeply in the power of movement for adults, especially women over 40, empty nesters, caregivers, and people carrying the weight of everyday life.

So many people today feel disconnected from themselves.

Disconnected from joy.

Disconnected from play.

Disconnected from their body.

Dance has this beautiful way of helping us come back home to ourselves again.

But in order for that to happen… we have to stay connected to our WHY.

And recently, I realized I had started drifting away from mine.

When Competition Started Taking Over My Mindset

Even though I was still working hard on my dance, I noticed something shifting internally.

I was getting frustrated more easily.

I was starting to blame outside circumstances.

I was becoming overly focused on competition and external results rather than on the love of learning and growth.

And the more that happened, the more disconnected I felt from the joy dance normally brings me.

That awareness was hard.

Because sometimes just working on your dancing won't fix it.

Sometimes it’s your mindset.

Sometimes it’s the pressure you’ve allowed yourself to carry.

I realized I had started letting outside pressure become louder than the real reason I dance.

So I paused.

And instead of continuing to push harder from a place of frustration, I asked myself a different question:

What would bring my joy back?

That question changed everything.

Because the answer wasn’t:

• More pressure

• More comparison

• More forcing

• More obsessing over results

• More practice

  
  

The answer was growth.

Intentional growth.

The kind of growth that reconnects you to your body, your foundations, your awareness, your creativity, and your love for the dance.

And that’s what led me to make the decision to train with Kevin and Nataliya Kane with Kane Swing.

Why I Chose Kevin and Nataliya Kane

I specifically wanted to train with coaches who shared similar values about dance.

Not just incredible technical knowledge, although they absolutely have that.

But coaches who also care deeply about growth, process, awareness, connection, and development.

Coaches who understand that dance is not just about looking good.

It’s about understanding your body.

Understanding connection.

Understanding partnership.

Understanding yourself.

And wow… I am beyond grateful that I made this decision.

Over four days, I trained for eleven hours with Kevin and Nataliya.

During that time, we focused deeply on concepts, awareness, foundational movement, body mechanics, connection, and integration.

And what I appreciated so much about their approach was that every lesson had an intention behind it.

Each session introduced a new concept and brought a lot of awareness about why I dance the way that I do. Then, instead of simply moving on, I spent the next hour practicing and integrating that concept into my body.

Then, each evening, I would go to a social dance and continue to apply what I had learned in real time. AND because the Kanes cared, they lined up practice partners and made sure I had people to take me to the socials. They really made sure I got the full experience.

That combination was incredibly powerful.

Because awareness without integration doesn’t create change. And learning without practice has less impact.

Growth Always Comes Back to the Foundations

One of the biggest things this training reiterated is:

Growth almost always comes back to your foundations.

Sometimes we want huge breakthroughs.

Big flashy movements.

Big advanced concepts.

Big dramatic improvements.

But often the biggest transformations happen through refining the basics.

Awareness.

Weight transfer.

Connection.

Micro Timing.

Body movement.

Grounding.

Breath.

Patience.

The first day of training, I was completely in my head.

I could feel myself overthinking.

Trying too hard.

Wanting to “get it right.”

However, that awareness alone was valuable.

Because you cannot change something you are unwilling to first become aware of.

That’s one of the greatest gifts a coach can give you.

A great coach helps you see what you were previously unaware of or unable to see.

And once you become aware of it, you can begin exploring it inside your own body.

You test it.

You feel it.

You have "Ahas."

You repeat it.

You integrate it.

Over and over and over again.

That’s how growth actually happens.

Not overnight.

Not magically.

But through awareness and intentional repetition.

The Power of Having Coaches Who Believe in You

More than the technical knowledge they shared, what impacted me most was the heart Kevin and Nataliya brought into the training.

They genuinely cared about my growth.

And I don’t think we talk enough about how important that is.

Because when someone believes in you, it helps quiet the fears that often hold you back.

It gives you permission to trust yourself again.

To stop dancing from fear.

To stop dancing under pressure.

To stop dancing from the need to prove something.

And instead… return to dancing from curiosity, growth, connection, and joy.

That’s the kind of coaching I deeply believe in, and by the end of the weekend, I found my JOY coming back, not wanting to stop dancing at the last social.

It’s also the kind of environment I strive to create through Dance to Uplift here in Utah County.

Whether someone is stepping into their very first beginner West Coast Swing class in Mapleton, Utah… or whether they’ve been dancing for years…

Every single person deserves to feel supported in their process.

Not judged.

Not rushed.

Not made to feel “less than.”

Supported.

You Can Always Continue Growing in West Coast Swing

One of the questions I get asked often is:

“How do you continue to grow and love dance when you’re regularly dancing with newer dancers?”

We can always work on our own skills, no matter who we are dancing with.

Always.

That’s one of the beautiful things about West Coast Swing.

No matter your level, there is always another layer to explore.

You can work on:

• Timing

• Connection

• Musicality

• Presence

• Breath

• Patience

• Grounding

• Communication

• Body awareness

• Stretch and compression

• Simplicity

• Playfulness

• Partnership

  
  

The dance never ends.

And that’s what makes it so beautiful.

If there’s an area where I feel I need additional help, I assess what that support should look like and how I can make it happen.

Because I never want to create excuses for why I cannot improve.

There is always room to grow.

Always.

Final Thoughts: Returning to Your WHY

This past week reminded me of something I think we all need sometimes.

Growth is not always about pushing harder.

Sometimes growth is slowing down enough to reconnect with why you started in the first place.

For me, training with Kevin Kane and Nataliya Kane helped me return to that place again.

Back to curiosity.

Back to awareness.

Back to foundations.

Back to joy.

It reminded me that dance is never really just about the dance.

It’s about learning how to stay present when frustration shows up.

How to keep growing without losing yourself in comparison.

How to trust the process even when progress feels slow.

How to reconnect to your body, your creativity, and your own voice.

And maybe most importantly… it reminded me that we all need people in our lives who help us see what we cannot yet see in ourselves.

People who challenge us.

Support us.

Believe in us.

And remind us what we are capable of becoming.

I am deeply grateful for the care, knowledge, and heart the Kanes poured into this experience.

Thanks for helping guide me back to what truly matters.

The joy of learning.

The beauty of connection.

And the love of the dance itself.

Because at the end of the day, I think that’s what keeps us coming back.

Not perfection.

Not titles.

Not validation.

But those moments on the dance floor where we feel fully alive again.

Live in Love. Move with Meaning. Play Passionately.

Shalay