Where can I go to get Ballroom dance lessons?

Question

I'm an experienced dancer (ballet, jazz, pom, and lyrical) but I've never taken Ballroom dance. Does anyone know of any places I can get some lessons in Latin Ballroom dance in the Washington D.C. area?

Answer 1

You can look for ballroom studios here:
http://www.ballroomdancers.com/Directory/Studios/Default.asp
http://www.accessdance.com/dance_lessons/

I'm not in DC, so I can't tell you which ones are better. Go to several studios and see for yourslef which one do you like better. Being an experienced dancer, you will be able to make an educated choise.
Don't sign any contracts with a studio or buy expensive packages of lessons, but rather work directly with a teacher you like. You will get better quality of lessons.

Answer 2

There's a Fred Astaire studio in Fairfax, and Arthur Murray studios in Alexandria, Tyson's Corner, Silver Spring, Bethesda and Gaithersburg, all advertised on-line. For every franchise studio there are usually several independent studios, and I bet you could find several simply by looking in the Yellow Pages. You'll find your jazz and lyrical background will give you a head start on Latin, but please don't leave out the Standards. You'll have to learn to point your feet straight ahead, but that's not the biggest challenge in the world, and the Standard dances are a lot more enjoyable than you might think. Please be aware that there's a substantial difference between International and American style ballroom, and you may want to narrow your choices to one or the other to start. I'd suggest you begin with the International style, get a basic grasp of that, and then try American style, and you can make a final choice between the two in a year or two (or not--I started with American first, and try to keep up some of both as I can, but that's not common).

Answer 3

You should try Dance Forums--just google them and ask your question there.

As for Latin Ballroom in general. Go to a studio where you work with a private teacher directly, not one where they ask you to commit to big, expensive "programs." You should be able to choose your own teacher and pay as you go.

Take group classes, supplemented by private lessons--the private lessons are really important because lead and follow dancing is really heavily oriented toward partner connection, and it's quite different even from ballet.

Turn-out will help you in the Latin dances, but much of the frame is different from ballet. You also will find the steps a little weird at first, particularly the use of ankles and knees in producing the typical Latin motion. You may have to overcome a little of the stiffness that ballet requires, but you also have done jazz and lyrical, so that will help. With your lyrica, jazz, and ballet background, you may want to look into Theatre Arts. But Latin is definitely hot.

If you were closer to where I live (Nashville TN), I'd invite you to come out and be my partner--because I'm looking for a good am partner who is really focused and interested. Alas, D.C. and Nashville may be a little too far apart for either of us to make the drive. Pity....

Good luck!

Answer 4

No, yet I stress through a studio on a daily basis and keep questioning that I might want to favor to provide up in some unspecified time sooner or later and observe in the experience that they have any type of "dancing to reduce weight" plans. i imagine that that is a interesting workout. on the dancing shows someone is continuously telling how a lot weight they lost. for sure, i comprehend that they are dancing for hours on a daily basis, yet, I nonetheless imagine it would want to artwork regardless of in case you only went 2 or 3 circumstances per week. isn't that about how frequently some human beings hit the health middle?