As someone who's run a dance school, taught dance classes and attended countless workshops and socials in various styles it might be surprising to hear that it's possible to still suffer from anxiety on the social dance floor.

Don't get me wrong I get excited by congresses and all that entails. Hours of workshops, catching up with the dance family from across the country/world, dancing until the early hours to awesome music. But once at the party it's hard to shed that feeling of insecurity and fear I initially feel.

I can only imagine it comes from a lack of confidence in self and dance ability. I often feel anxious at the start of the night - what if I can't dance well enough or worse what if I don't get asked to dance at all. I feel insecure about asking someone to dance especially the more advanced dancers and I won't even consider lining up for the professionals.

Once on the dance floor it can be like a self fulfilling prophecy - so afraid of stuffing up the move and looking bad in the process that sometimes you can't relax enough to even enjoy the dance. It's at this point that i'm most likely to make a mistake.

So how to overcome the anxiety? Here's a few things that I try to do to relax into social dancing:

Find a good hangout spot - sometimes this means arriving earlier at a venue so you can secure the best seats in the house to be able to see any performances, suss out the dance floor and spy on where the best dancers are hanging out.

Dance with a friend to warm up  -  nervousness at dancing with unfamiliar partners can take away the pleasure of a dance. The perceived prestige/status of the partner ups the stakes considerably so if that really stresses you out just dance with people you know until you're ready.

Don't sweat the technical stuff - a great dance usually isn't the most technically perfect. Adjust your perceptions and allow yourself to make mistakes. Nobody is watching anyway.

Focus your attention on the dance - try to connect with your partner and the music. Don't worry so much about how you dance and who's watching you - it will only distract you and make your dance worse.

Tell your teachers - if it's a real issue speak to your teachers and get objective feedback. They'll help you with any moves you're struggling with and build your confidence. If they don't then it's time to find a new teacher.

And most importantly try to relax - easier said than done but dancing is supposed to be fun after all. Smile and enjoy yourself. It'll make more people want to dance with you too.