There exists in this world an incredible category of games called role-playing games, commonly shortened to RPGs. Most, if not all RPGs follow the same outline: create your character, go on quests, level up, and at the end, defeat the ultimate bad guy. What you may not know is how many similarities there are to ballroom dancing. It may seem like a stretch, but hear me out. Here are six ways an RPG is similar to dancing.
- Main Quest
- Before you even walk through the door, you no doubt have a main quest or an end destination in mind. If this was the original Super Mario Bros. game, it would be rescuing Princess Peach. Your “Princess Peach” might be to feel comfortable on the dance floor, or to look good at your wedding (or your daughter’s), or even to make a special someone happy. No matter the case, your main quest will help put you on the road to success!
- Start at Level 0.
- In this dancing RPG you start at level 0 with an Introductory Program where you get your starting equipment and level up quickly in a no-fail zone. In dance terms, this is what’s known as initial steps to get you moving to music and start feeling comfortable with the lay of the land.
- 1st Quest
- After you’ve gotten a lay of the land, you’re given your first quest. Usually this means getting a certain object or reaching a certain destination. In dancing, this might mean attending a group class or party. Something that seems daunting at the onset and gets your heart pounding, but gives you your first major sense of accomplishment.
- Meet Your First Boss
- After you’ve accomplished a few quests, you have to face your first big boss. This could be a party demonstration, attending an in-studio event, or a variety of other “bosses”, but after you’ve defeated your first big boss, you start to think, “Yeah, I’ve got this!”, and are ready for the next big challenge.
- Challenges Are Increasingly Difficult
- The more you play this dancing RPG, the more complex and difficult your challenges become. An outside event? Maybe a competition? No matter what you next big quest is, you’re given the tools you need as you go along.
- Fulfill Your Main Quest
- You rescue Princess Peach! You feel comfortable on the dance floor or looked good at your wedding. Congratulations! Now, your RPG may come to a close, or you may discover a whole new dance RPG world has opened up in front of you for you to explore!
Experience is inevitable. If you continue with the objective or the game, you will without a doubt improve. The process is filled with successes and failures and that’s all part of the game. There’s success even in failure because we learn how to play the game better. So let me give you your first quest: schedule a lesson, and feel the sense of accomplishment that comes with doing something most people only dream of doing.
