if you have bad knees, and interested in dance, not worth taking group classes?

Question

I do'nt think in a group class the instructor or the other peers would like to slow down just for you. So is it even worth it to take regular group class? part of the reason i want to get back to dance is i like to have some kind of social life, which i don't know. but i took dance before for 1 month and it was great. so what do you say?

Answer 1

I say go for it. My knees are pretty awful too, but not to the point where I can't move. I also doubt the class will slow down for you. I say take dance class, love it, move, have fun and even if you stand in the back just being there should be fine.

Your teacher will correct you but will leave you alone after a while.

It's never too late to start, and if you don't start you'll never get better.

Good Luck.

Answer 2

You would most likely start in a beginner class, so you wouldn't be holding anyone back. Go for it; have fun! I took dance for 14 years and did competition, but sometimes I got irritated by all of the competition and just loved doing it for the leisure! If your knees keep you from really succeeding in the actual dance, then you probably just won't be admitted to more intermediate and advanced classes. This can actually be good if you're into it mainly to get a social life because you would meet more people year after year!!

Answer 3

I agree with what the others said.

I can't address what to do about ballet. But if you're talking about taking introductory group classes for ballroom (which is a more social form of dance anyway), then you're probably going to be dancing at the social ballroom dance level. And social ballroom dance is geared for old-timers like me--people with twinges and joint pains and aches. Instructors should be accustomed to older people with reduced flexibility. Sometimes they can show you a shortcut through a given step.

If they teach a step with a lot of twisting or up-and-down, just take it easy the first time or two. If a step feels like trouble, just don't do it. You don't have to learn or dance every step that's taught. There's nothing wrong with passing on a troublesome step in a group class. Not everyone gets every step the first time out. You can always return to it at a later date once you've been dancing a bit and have strengthened up and gotten some additional flexibility.

Also, if a common dance position bothers one of your joints, you can try a little strength training on that one joint. Due to an old injury my right shoulder used to bother me in regular closed position for waltz and foxtrot after a few dances. So I went down to the gym and did some deltoid work and tightened it up a bit over time. Problem solved.

Sometimes the more advanced steps are initially too much for me for one reason or another. So I note them down and just try a repetition or two each day. I work into them over time by strengthening up through long-term repetition. Some steps don't fall right into place on the first run-through and require some time or strengthening.

If your knees are too gamey to dance at all, then that's that. But at least give it a try. Dancing is good for strengthening and increasing mobility, so you may well see improvement in your knees as you practice the steps over time. I have a tricky knee from running too much in my youth, and dancing has strengthened it a lot. But don't overdo it. If a step is clearly giving you problems, take it in small doses or skip it and move on to the next one. There are still a couple steps that bother my knee, so I'm real delicate with them or I take a shortcut to get past them.

In open dancing, if you're a woman and you're being led into a troublesome step, you can just stop the lead and explain that you have to stick to the basics. Nothing wrong with that at all. If you're a man and doing the lead, then once you get past the beginner stage you can take apart the steps and routines yourself and redesign them to eliminate trouble spots. (I do that all the time.)

Good luck!

Answer 4

I cannot stress this enough - only take dance on a sprung wooden floor. These community centers and churches that teach on white tile floor? Oh man, that will kill your joints faster than anything.

Do not by any means worry about 'holding back' a group class. Chances are, YOU will be annoyed at others holding you back in a group class. Invariably, people wander in during the second or third week of classes, not have a clue what they are doing, and expect the instructor to review just for them... and unfortunately, most ballroom instructors will do that, as they are more often than not trying to ferret out a student who is willing to pay loads and loads on private lessons, and must put on a good face for every new client that walks through that door.

Your knees really shouldn't hold you back. Something like Argentine tango would work well for you... something like jive swing would NOT. You just need to listen to your body and be careful about what you do.

One more note - beware chain schools that try to rope you into expensive packages. I love ballroom, but have become incredibly burned out due to instructors viewing me as a meal ticket, not as a human being.

Answer 5

if u dance u should dance. I had been dancing for years and when i left middle school things got complicated and money was tough so i stopped dancing but i think about it all the time. I love to dance and occasionally i move all the furniture and dance around my living room. I take a six week class at a local middle school just for fun. so what how the class goes as long as u have fun. i have plenty of problems weak ankles sometimes back problems my knees get weak quickly but i dance for me and thats why i love it so u should dance for u and have fun with it.

Answer 6

What kind of dance? Actually, dancing can help *improve* your knees if you are careful about it.

If you like it, go for it! You won't hold a class back - the teacher will make adjustments as necessary. If others think they are being held back, then they aren't doing it right. Others can focus on technique instead of speed - it's why advanced students go back occasionally to 'refresh' in beginning classes.

Have fun!

Answer 7

I say, if your knees are bad start taking "Move Free" or some other medication for your joints. You can take a group class, but if you are afraid of slowing the group down, then by all means take private instruction. You will retain more of what you learn too.

Answer 8

Go for it! I would start with private classes and explain to your teacher that you have bad knees. See how you do in a month or two and ask your teacher if she/he thinks your fast/good enough to dance with a group. Who knows, you probably didn't need to start with private classes!

Answer 9

Discuss it with the instructor first and they will help you decide. You may want to start with a beginners level first to strengthen your legs, then move on to a more advanced class. Also, check with a physical therapist about exercises to help you with improving the muscles. Break a leg.

Answer 10

I personally dance and I love it. I have a weak ankle and minor back problems. Never stopped me. If you like to dance you should dance whenever you can. I think you shoudl take the class.