Feeling Comfortable in Yourself, Inspired by Usher
Designed by Bearmore
Inspired by UsherFeeling tense and self-conscious before an important night out.
Shake it off and feel comfortable in yourself, instead of tightening up in anticipation. Set an intention, stretch, give your whole attention to one track you love, then dance, it’s just for fun and it’s not a performance. About 86 minutes, alone or with friends.
The runsheet
One intention
State what you want from the. night in one line, the way Usher decided he wanted dance to represent who he really was. This is not about setting a goal to hit, it’s about setting a desired and positive way to direct yourself through the moments to come.
5 min activityBearmore’s thoughts on doing intention setting before stretching
This can pair well because intention setting may help you slow down mentally, and stretching gives you a gentle physical activity to move into.
Find some mobility
Move through hips, shoulders and spine until the tightness lifts. This is a Bearmore warm-up, and not Usher's routine, but it sets up his point that the way you feel matters more than perfect choreography.
10 min activityBearmore’s thoughts on doing stretching before listening to music (mindful)
This can be a good pairing because the relaxed, open state can help you listen more receptively and feel music more physically.
One track you love
Pick one favourite track and listen for how it has you feeling. Usher says "the feel, the texture is what was most important." Find that first.
10 min activityBearmore’s thoughts on doing listening to music (mindful) before dancing
This is one of the stronger pairings because being tuned into rhythm may make it easier to step straight into movement without extra cueing.
Dancing your way
Dance the way you want. Usher formed his style overtime by working with what he already knew "until I perfected it.” By yourself or with friends, whatever works for you.
30 min activityBearmore’s thoughts on doing dancing before gratitude
This is one of the stronger pairings because expressive movement opens the heart, so naming things you feel grateful for can feel natural and sincere.
Relaxing through gratitude
Before you head out, pause for a second and notice one thing that felt good. Maybe you loosened up, moved more freely, or stopped thinking so much about how you looked. This final session is a Bearmore simple gratitude practice, and not exactly part of Usher’s class. It helps you recognise what felt good, so you’re more likely to take that feeling with you.
5 min activityTime well spent.
1h 26m that belonged to you — not the inbox, not anyone else.
The breakdown
Burst evaluation
Wellbeing focus
About this Burst
Usher Raymond IV is an American singer, songwriter and performer who has sold tens of millions of records and won eight Grammy Awards. He came up as a teenage R&B artist in the 1990s and became known as much for his dancing and stage presence as his voice, drawing on '80s and '90s street styles reworked with choreographers. He headlined the Super Bowl halftime show in 2024 and teaches his approach through MasterClass, framing dance as personal and interpretive rather than imitative.