I Don't Know if I Can Learn to Dance!
May. 23rd, 2017 02:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mikeweaverDon't be intimidated or embarrassed because you are just starting and you've seen all those people out there who are such good dancers. Every last one of them, including the ones you see winning competitions on television, started right where you are now. They had to start out learning the basics just like you do. No one is born knowing how to dance. The only difference between the champions on TV and you is that they've had more training and practice (granted, lots more!). There's an old dance instructor's saying: "If you can walk, we can teach you to dance!"
Finally, as seen in the example above, all of the dances are "Interrelated", in that there are elements common to more than one dance. So, in actuality, while you practice one dance (say, your Waltz Box), you're also practicing other dances (as in your Rumba Box), as long as you know what the differences are. In other words, rather than spending three months getting comfortable with just the Waltz Box, why not also study the Rumba and be comfortable with two dances after those same three months? You save both time and money that way. Considering that there are over 25 different dances, imagine how long it would take you if you only learned them one at a time!
Now, don't panic. Even though there are over 25 dances that you could learn, you don't have to learn them all (most dancers don't). In fact, based on what your dancing goals are at the beginning, your instructor will select 3 - 6 dances which will be the most useful to you, and just work on those for a while. If you wish, you may add more dances later on.
Return to the Ballroom Dance Instruction Page
What Will My First Lessons Be Like?
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For your first several lessons, your instructor will be introducing you to as many different dances as he/she feels is appropriate for your dancing goals. Your instructor will also be asking you lots of questions in order to determine what your goals are and how best to meet them. Don't worry if at first you confuse one dance with another, or have trouble hearing the beat or knowing which dance goes with which song, etc. This is all normal for a beginner, and, with instruction and practice, you'll catch on. There are three very good reasons why we introduce you to several dances, rather than just working on one dance until you get it. First, most people don't really know what the different dances are like. How can we know that you want to learn the Cha Cha or the Fox Trot until you try it and see if you like it? Second, if you just worked on one dance until you were comfortable with that one, it would be many times harder to then start a new dance. For example, both Waltz and Rumba start with what we call a "Box Step", but the Box is done differently in each dance. Imagine how hard it would be if you'd been doing the Box the "Waltz way" for months, then you tried to change it to do it the "Rumba way". You'd be so used to doing it the "Waltz way" that it you'd never feel comfortable doing it the "Rumba way"! |
Finally, as seen in the example above, all of the dances are "Interrelated", in that there are elements common to more than one dance. So, in actuality, while you practice one dance (say, your Waltz Box), you're also practicing other dances (as in your Rumba Box), as long as you know what the differences are. In other words, rather than spending three months getting comfortable with just the Waltz Box, why not also study the Rumba and be comfortable with two dances after those same three months? You save both time and money that way. Considering that there are over 25 different dances, imagine how long it would take you if you only learned them one at a time!
Now, don't panic. Even though there are over 25 dances that you could learn, you don't have to learn them all (most dancers don't). In fact, based on what your dancing goals are at the beginning, your instructor will select 3 - 6 dances which will be the most useful to you, and just work on those for a while. If you wish, you may add more dances later on.
Return to the Ballroom Dance Instruction Page