Ballroom Dance lessons?

Question

Because I'm a huge fan of the show Dancing With The Stars and whenever I watch the show I practically find myself off the couch trying to imitate the choroegraphed moves I decided that it's time I get myself some ballroom dance lessons. I found out that my school is giving ballroom dance lessons for a really cheap price. how much effort is needed? I want to learn as many dances as possible. A friend of mine who's already in the class said that I already have the basic moves down and that I need a teacher to help me with stuff like posture and doing the moves correctly. My friend also said that I'm already ahead because I already know the differences between all the dances. How much will that actually help me? Any other tips would be greatly appreciated.

I'm just going to go with the flow. Right now I'm going to take group lessons so i can be with my friends. If the teacher thinks I'm good that I can get to competition level I'll consider private lessons or competing.

Answer 1

It's a piece of cake. I took ballroom dancing at Adelphi University.

There's the promenade, which just means a basic movement when you're not doing anything else that's fancy, and then they add moves to that. It's fun. You just need to know the names and where to execute them, unless you're following, then you'll need to know how to tell what's coming - pressure on your waiste from your partner's hand, etc.

And TAKE NOTES, over time, if you don't practice you may forget like me, but I look at my notes and it comes back fast enough.

Answer 2

You can put as much effort and time in it as you can spare, but the minimum requirement is 1 hour 2 times per week. I observed that people who put in less than that tend to forget everything they learned on the previous lessong, get all frustrated and leave. Those who get completely hooked and strart dancing 3-4 evenings per week become competitive ballroom dancers before they know it, like in a matter of a year or so.
Knowing the difference beteween the dances is helpful, but I think the fact that you learned the difference just by watching TV is a very good sign. Believe it or not, many people can't tell a foxtrot from a waltz for the first few weeks of training; they wait for the teacher or MC to announce the dance, and then they dance totally off time.
It is good that you want to learn as many dances as possible. They all have the same foundation. However, for starters, I'd suggest not scatterign yourself over all of the, concentrate on 5-6 dances for the first few months, then you will pick up the rest of them very easily.
Yes, go to the class and start learning - this is the most efficient way. Pay attention to the posture. If the teacher never mentions it - ask; if you get no answer - you will need more advanced teacher very soon :-)

Invest in a good pair of dance shoes. A good pair will last you a long time and it will help your dancing tremendously. get a good brand - it will last longer and it is less likely to hurt your feet. It always pains me to see beginners struggling with their shoes, thinking that they are struggling with the dance and not knowing any better.

Check out my favorite websites: http://www.ballroomdacers.com
http://www.usabda.org
http://dancevision.com
http://www.danceshopper.com

Answer 3

Having an idea of the character of the dances does help. In American-style ballroom, you can do a simple box step (and probably will in your beginner lessons) in foxtrot, waltz, or rumba, but they should all look decidedly different from each other. Having a mental picture will make learning the technique easier. The amount of effort you put into it will depend on what you want out of it, and it's a safe bet your goals will change after you've taken lessons for a few weeks or months. One of my coaches once told me he'd probably spent $60,000 learning how to use his right shoulder alone, so the sky's the limit. Most of us just want to be reasonably competent. Also, keep in mind that what you'll be learning is how to dance, which is completely different from learning a choreographed routine for a TV show. The celebrities may look pretty good doing a waltz routine, but that doesn't mean they would have a clue how to waltz with a stranger and without choreography. They also dance alone, and floorcraft (learning how to maneuver without crashing into other couples) is an important aspect of ballroom.

Answer 4

Let me first say that I am happy that you are involved with ballroom dancing. One thing that is really important, you have to realize that although ballroom is alot of fun, you have to make a plan for yourself as far as your goals. Are you doing this just for fun? Are you willing to commit yourself to ballroom dancing? To learn ballroom dancing takes time just like any new thing you decide to pick up, but you have to remain realistic about it. I have been dancing since I was 3 and am 26 now. I love ballroom dancing and I compete, teach, perform, coach. Alot of dancers get frustrated when taking lessons. Sometimes they feel they are not learning enough, it is to costly, group classes are fun but not benefiting you. You need to decide if you want to take group classes only or go that extra step and take private lessons. Private lessons are a better alternative if you find yourself serious about dancing and you are ready to step away from the basics. I hope I helped a little. Kim

Answer 5

No, but I drive by a studio every day and keep thinking that I ought to stop one day and see if they have any kind of "dancing to lose weight" plans. I think that that would be a fun exercise. On the dancing shows someone is always telling how much weight they lost. Of course, I know that they are dancing for hours every day, but, I still think it would work even if you only went 2 or 3 times a week. Isn't that about how often some people hit the gym?

Answer 6

all you really need is the desire to learn! taking group classes (such as the one at your school) will help you learn the steps, but if you take private lessons, you will actually learn how to DANCE the steps, make it look good (like on DWTS!), and learn about your posture (actually called a 'frame' in dancing). If you live close to me, I am a ballroom instructor and i could help you out with that. contact me if you'd like!

Answer 7

It depends on how much work your going to put into it, once you get the hang of it, it's actually fairly simple. It's good that u have a friend who is helping u

Answer 8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iIKIB8egpY