May 20, 2012
I have Absolutely no experience in dancing. I love the way it looks and i really think that i would enjoy learning. Does anyone have any tips on ways to prepare myself for starting(both dance wise and clothing wise). Is there any cheaper ways to do this?? I found a class that is 2 hours a week, 4weeks and cost $55. we would be learning 2 dances and performing them. Is this a good price? Or is there a better way to do this?
That's a really good price, at least for the places near me. I think trying it for 4 weeks is a great way to start so you aren't stuck if you don't like it. I would say go in with an open mind and listen to what they tell you. Also, if you get confused by a pattern or technique, don't be afraid to ask questions. Learning proper technique can be frustrating but its worth it, also try not to be too self-conscious. You may feel like something looks stupid but I promise it looks better than it feels, especially arm movements. As far as clothes go, I personally dance in jeans (I'm a hick at heart and don't own much of anything else) but I get complained at a lot. Leggings/sweat pants or really anything you can stretch in is good for starting- the main problem with jeans is that I can't do splits and things like that in them but they shouldn't be too picky if you're just starting. Also bring a hair tie. Back to dancing- try your best to follow instead of anticipating what your partner is doing and trust the person you are dancing with. Most importantly, just have fun and enjoy it- it isn't even worth doing if you don't find it enjoyable. You'll like it, it really is fun and can be good excise.
Have you tried YouTube? They have instructional Ballroom Dancing Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hD60Do42FY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OqmZCJeVbk
Lots of luck to you. Have fun!
References :
YouTube
That's a really good price, at least for the places near me. I think trying it for 4 weeks is a great way to start so you aren't stuck if you don't like it. I would say go in with an open mind and listen to what they tell you. Also, if you get confused by a pattern or technique, don't be afraid to ask questions. Learning proper technique can be frustrating but its worth it, also try not to be too self-conscious. You may feel like something looks stupid but I promise it looks better than it feels, especially arm movements. As far as clothes go, I personally dance in jeans (I'm a hick at heart and don't own much of anything else) but I get complained at a lot. Leggings/sweat pants or really anything you can stretch in is good for starting- the main problem with jeans is that I can't do splits and things like that in them but they shouldn't be too picky if you're just starting. Also bring a hair tie. Back to dancing- try your best to follow instead of anticipating what your partner is doing and trust the person you are dancing with. Most importantly, just have fun and enjoy it- it isn't even worth doing if you don't find it enjoyable. You'll like it, it really is fun and can be good excise.
References :
That's an exceptionally good price for group lessons but you'll want to supplement it with private one-on-one instruction, which tends to be that much or more per hour.
You should avoid trying to anticipate things by looking at videos too much, though a quick glimpse at sites like http://www.ballroomdancers.com/ won't do too much damage. Keep in mind that the patterns and things you can learn from videos are actually the least important part of learning ballroom.
Local dress codes vary, but most classes are casual. Jeans are not a good idea for the kind of motion you'll be doing. Shoes should be fully supportive and have leather soles and heels for beginners (later you'll want specialized ballroom shoes).
References :