Sometimes it’s not what’s on our CVs or our academic qualifications that give us that certain X Factor which propels us to success. Often, it’s simply the ability to adapt, grow and have the confidence to challenge ourselves to step outside our comfort zones.
Tyndall’s goal is to attract and nurture people with diverse talents and excellent skills, enabling all to reach their full potential.
In celebration of the many talents that make up Tyndall, we are showcasing Rebekah Osborne, Centre Administrator in MicroNano Systems (MNS), and her hidden talent – dancing!
What is your hidden talent?
I am both a social dancer, I dance for enjoyment and socializing rather than competitively, and a dance teacher, I teach Salsa, Bachata and Kizomba classes. I first learned to dance in the UK before moving back to Cork where I joined the vibrant community of dancers here in the city. I’ve already met so many wonderful people in such a short space of time. Being a dancer and a teacher is such an incredible and joyful experience and a real gift that’s easy to share with others.
What sparked your interest?
As a child, I was captivated by dancers in films and television. I loved the thrill of watching the simultaneous synchronisation of the movements coupled with the expression through music to create rich, engaging choreography. I always thought there was something magical about dancing but never believed I would be able to do it. I didn’t feel very graceful, coordinated or elegant when dancing. I just felt completely ridiculous and self-conscious trying to dance, so I shied away from it completely.
However, the desire to dance never really left me. So, one night back in 2014 I wandered into a Salsa class in the hotel ballroom across the road from my house in Canterbury. I turned up in all the wrong things, effectively gym gear and trainers - the least helpful type of shoe for social dancing! But I did the class anyway... and I was awful! I was just as terrible and uncoordinated at the end of the hour as I was at the beginning. But it didn’t matter because I had fallen head over heels in love with dancing immediately.
That was the first dance class I had ever taken in my life and, looking back, although I didn’t know it at the time, those 60 minutes completely changed the trajectory of my life in the most incredible ways possible!
As my skills and confidence increased, I began to learn new dances. I learned to dance Bachata, a wonderful dance from the Dominican Republic. Then, I found my true love – Kizomba, a social dance from Angola. I instantly fell in love with the music, the moves, everything about it!
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What is your current role?
I am one of the Centre Administrators in MicroNano Systems (MNS)
How has your hidden talent complemented your role?
As a dance teacher, you must be able to effectively communicate with all different types of people - many of whom are non-native speakers. You need to find different ways to break steps down into manageable chunks of information and transform a series of body movements into very simple instructions.
You also need to be creative in the way you present these movements so that they allow people to connect one idea/movement to the next easily. My teaching is often full of imagery and stories while also being engaging, humorous and informative.
You also need to be able to manage a group of people of both varying abilities and learning styles and move them all towards a shared goal at the same pace. These are all excellent skills that complement my current role.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to try your hidden talent?
Firstly, if you can walk and count from 1 to 8, you are already 100% qualified to go to a social dance class! So, what is stopping you?
People often worry that they won’t be any good and they won’t know what to do. Thankfully, everyone else in the class is in the same boat as you, so you’ll be amongst excellent company.
Social dancing is also wonderful because you don’t need a partner, you can just show up by yourself - you’ll get to dance with everybody in the class and that way it’s incredibly easy to meet new people. Dancing also has so many incredible physical and mental health benefits and it’s cheaper and more fun than going to the gym by yourself! The hardest step of the whole night is walking through the door of the class in the first place. If you make it past that, the rest is easy.
The Tribe Dance Academy is based in the Middle Parish Community Centre, at 7 Grattan Street, Cork, T12 P2KC, just a few minutes walk from Tyndall. We hold regular Open Nights, where you can try out all of the dances for free. The next two Open Nights will be on the 17th and 24th of May. For anyone wanting to join the tribe sooner, contact us on Facebook, WhatsApp, or Instagram - we would be more than happy to have you. We’ll also be dancing at the Marina Market this Saturday 8th of April from 2pm – 3pm so come along and join in or just see what it’s all about!
