when did it happen?

[cupojoe2]

I am curious…

I have been “dancing” for 6 weeks and taken several private lessons, a few group classes and attended 3 social dances, I feel like I know a bunch of steps and I am having a lot of fun, but if you asked me if I can dance, I’d honestly have to tell you “no.”

I am wondering, when did you move from someone that knows some steps to someone that can dance?

[cl5814]

You should focus on learning to dance, not just steps. Yes, the first couple of lessons (group or private) will just be learning steps, later you will learn to dance, you can sort of build upon the steps you know and move forward from there. It is as if you suddenly get it, dance is just a sequence of steps but it has a certain expression/feeling that is unique to every dance. You can only get this feeling once you are comfortable with the basic steps and can listen more to the song that is playing rather than trying to think where to place your feet next. I think it is the point at which you are comfortable dancing with most people at the social parties, might take 6 months or so, at least it was for me.

[HothouseSalsero]

I imagine this isn't the sort of answer you are looking for, but I would just keep at it and not worry about what exact point you know how to dance. One of the great things for me about learning to dance (and I definitely have more to learn--I can hardly improvise as a lead, so in that sense I still don't know how to dance) is that I enjoyed the entire process. (The only time I can remember not having fun was during my first few prviate lessons and occasionally at other times when I just was in a bad mood.)

It took me about, uhm, maybe half a year of private lessons before I felt pretty comfortable in a club. That was on top of group classes and so forth. But that's me. Some people wouldn't take nearly as long, some people might take longer.

[cupojoe2]

Thanks for the great input!

HothouseSalsero said: but I would just keep at it and not worry about what exact point you know how to dance.


I am having a blast learning... so I am not worried, just curious... …and maybe a little impatient… I’d love to be able to flawlessly move around the floor like the big kids…

That said, I actually think my newbe status has a some advantages since there never seems to be any shortage of women that want to teach me a new step or two.

Plus, many of those I’ve danced with are also beginners and more than one has asked me to dance because in her words, "I am not too intimidating.” (I am just going to take this as a good thing)

[Vince A]

It doesn't matter, as HS said . . . keep at it! What time it took us, could take you half as long, or worse, even ten times longer than it took us. We are all individuals, we each learn differently. Just do it! You will look back someday and reflect on what you just asked. Honest, you will! You'll remember the days "when you were a beginner . . ."

[dancin_feet]

I wouldn't say there is a set time. One day you will just wake up and realise "Hey, I can dance!" That's the way it happened with me. One day I was learning steps, the next I realised that I was actually dancing. Talk about an epiphany!! :shock: :D

[Spitfire]

For me anyway, when the steps became 2nd nature so that I did not have to really think about them and I could concentrate on the music; best way I can describe it.

[BayAreaBallroomLady]

If you are feeling alone, go rent the movie "Shall We Dance?" It's subtitled and is a Japanese import but it's quite a fun movie. Myself, I caught on within a few lessons, while my poor hubby -to this day- has to count. We don't dance as often as I'd like, which makes it worse for him. Once I've done something a couple of times, my body just reacts to whoever is leading. I seldom know whats happening....I just get so swept up in the emotions and feelings of dancing.

Anyway, you can always take time to watch someone else who's taking their first lessons and remember how LITTLE you know then. We had only taken 5 lessons and we watched another couple in their first lesson one day and realized how far we had come in such a short time! That just jazzed us up even more!

Good luck!

[Sagitta]

That said, I actually think my newbe status has a some advantages since there never seems to be any shortage of women that want to teach me a new step or two.

Plus, many of those I’ve danced with are also beginners and more than one has asked me to dance because in her words, "I am not too intimidating.” (I am just going to take this as a good thing)

I never had many women teaching me a step or two!! :( What's your secret? What dance are you learning?

Anyway, you can always take time to watch someone else who's taking their first lessons and remember how LITTLE you know then. We had only taken 5 lessons and we watched another couple in their first lesson one day and realized how far we had come in such a short time! That just jazzed us up even more!

I do watch beginners now and then to keep things in perspective. :) But then I also help out as a spare leader, as it isn't a way I would spend my time otherwise.

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As to when I started dancing rather then doing steps?....For me it depended on the dance. Dances like merengue and bachata pretty quickly, while salsa months...

[cupojoe2]

I never had many women teaching me a step or two!! :( What's your secret? What dance are you learning?


I think it is mostly out of pity… :wink:

I am learning Waltz, Fox Trot, Salsa, Cha Cha, Rumba and some Swing…

[twodance]

It takes five weeks to produce a muscle memory. From the inception of a move till you don't have to think about it any more is between 3-5 weeks of work. This means practice of 2-3 times a week. I was dancing for over a year before I could call myself a dancer and be confident about it.

[salsachinita]

It takes five weeks to produce a muscle memory. From the inception of a move till you don't have to think about it any more is between 3-5 weeks of work. This means practice of 2-3 times a week. I was dancing for over a year before I could call myself a dancer and be confident about it.

:!: Kinda like learning a second language, isn't it...? :!:

[twodance]

I don't know. I'm still trying to work on my English !! :lol:

[Pacion]

I had been dancing for a while and one day I was practicing and tried to clap my hands on the 1 and 5 counts. My brain would not allow it. Following my own lead was somehow more difficult than following someone else's :lol: The day that I could do both, without losing the momentum of my feet, was one of the happiest days of my life. I felt that when I could do that, I was then really confident that I could do the steps in my sleep/it was now in my subconcious :D

[MadamSamba]

There's no set answer, cupojoe2. For me it was the first time I walked into a social and had the courage to ask somone for a dance.

I felt like I had learned enough to make it through the next three minutes...in other words, I had enough confidence in my own capabilities...I've learned incredible amounts since then and have so much more to dance, but for me "it" was when I was no longer terrified.