Hey! I'm Sara and I'm 23. I am seriously thinking about starting to dance, but I can't really motivate myself to actually walk into a studio. I guess I'm afraid of what people will say when I say I want to dance.
Another thing is I have never been to a single dance class and I'm not very flexible. Am I a hopeless cause? Thanks in advance.

Any good teacher will will react in a very positive manner, when you start going for lessons. Bigger studios frequently have certain teachers who specialize in new dancers, because they are very good with them. Good teachers also know everyone is different and bring you along at an effective pace for you. They realize confidence is extremely important in dancing. They work to build confidence in new dancers.

We started 5 years ago, with no experience. teachers were extremely encouraging and positive.

Most physical skills are devoloped and if you take up dancing you may develop more flexibility and other abilities, that may surprise you.

Sara, people walk into dance studios because they want to dance;you don't have to explain that. It is not an audition where you must watch your form and stand a risk of being turned down. It is a place for a beginner to actually begin(like myself a short time ago. Now I love it!) What do you mean by "I'm not very flexible."

The owner of the studio where I take lessons often says that the hardest part of learning to dance is walking through the door the first time!

Check out a few studios in your area. Most will have websites so you can get a sense for what kind of classes and lessons they give. Call a couple that seem like what you want. Ask them about beginner groups and/or intro specials on private lessons (whichever you're interested in). If they are not friendly and helpful over the phone, move on to the next one. By the time you've called them all, you'll have made a connection at the one you like best and it will be easier to go in there.

Also, there will absolutely be other people in your same boat in any beginning class.

I assume you mean you're not physically flexible, as in touching your toes, etc. Don't worry. You don't need great flexibility to start dancing. I'm about the world's least naturally flexible person, and my teacher has made a dancer out of me! Plus, dancing is very motivating (addicting, even). Now I work on stretching and have gotten somewhat more flexible.

Welcome to dancing! You'll love it!

I can only tell you what I did:
Take a deep breath and swing the door open... and then probably stand there looking completly lost because I at least didnt really know who to say what to :)
But in dance studios people know eachother so they will have a very good idea why you are there.
There are two or three situations in dancing when you should relax and just remember one thing: "Everyone else has been through it too." Everyone else had to take a 'first ever' dance lesson at some point. Everyone else was out on the dancefloor for the first time and had no idea what they were doing. Everyone else stepped on their partners toes... repeatedly. And everyone else stumbled at some point, mesing up the beautiful figure they were dancing and thinking they made a complete fool out of themselves (of course they didn't - I have yet to see a dancer who laughs at other people's mistakes/accidents)

You'll do great!

Sara. First realize that there is no such thing as can't dance. There is I haven't learnt how to yet. If you are a bit on the shy side, dancing will cure that, also you will become more flexable in your body. If the people in the studio are dancers, they had to take those first steps. They won't laugh unless they are an idiot. That Richard Gere film. Shall we Dance covers a bit of the doubt of going into the studio, and some of the beginner problems. Last of all. If you have a friend why not both go.