Best places in the world to learn dancing?

[LovingIt28]

REALLY tough question but what are the best places (opinions of course) to learn dancing keeping in mind:

1) quality of instruction/availability of quality options
2) Affordability (both of classes and place)
3) Lifestyle of the place (eg. no point going to great dance place if stuck in traffic all day)

thanks, all suggestions welcome (thinking of living somewhere for 6 months or so)

[samina]

NJ.

Highest concentration of elite ballroomers in the world. Cheaper than NY. More practice space.

Nuff said. :)

[sambanada]

In the world.....Id say Germany, Italy, Denmark, England and Russia.

[LucyDiamond]

I'll second NJ.

[Stagekat]

IMHO... I say the best place to learn dancing is where you are most comfortable... you have to be comfortable in your environment, to then become comfortable on the floor...

[emeralddancer]

Atlantic Ballroom! Great Pros, right off major highway exits, big dance floor, great parking. Great people, Great atmosphere!


But I must agree 100% with what Stagekat stated above!

[Standarddancer]

If possible, I would like to learn ballroom dancing in Italy - great instructions, I've heard the rigorious training these top dancers got and I've witnessed someone danced at so so level but tranformed into great dancers within short period of time after living and danced in Italy.

However, language is the barrier and not easy to find work there.

[samina]

If possible, I would like to learn ballroom dancing in Italy - great instructions, I've heard the rigorious training these top dancers got and I've witnessed someone danced at so so level but tranformed into great dancers within short period of time after living and danced in Italy.

However, language is the barrier and not easy to find work there.

SD, can you say more about what you've heard of the rigorous training they go thru?

italy is the other place i'd like to go to train. have been even learning italian toward that end...

[_malakawa_]

If possible, I would like to learn ballroom dancing in Italy - great instructions, I've heard the rigorious training these top dancers got and I've witnessed someone danced at so so level but tranformed into great dancers within short period of time after living and danced in Italy.

However, language is the barrier and not easy to find work there.

yes, italy is great.

you have training weekends. which, IMO, are not that rigorous. maybe i am just use to that type of training.

i would also say London. Great teachers. ;)

[jwlinson]

While being extremely partial to the studio I attend, there isn't much else in this area favorable to ballroom types.

I'd have to recommend Nashville. They have a fine, large studio just south of downtown where traffic isn't bad at all, with a party every Friday and Saturday, and I believe Sunday as well. They have several well-known pros (David Hamilton, Ben & Shalene Ermis). Lots of options for dancing. We make a habit of traveling there when we can.

[Joe]

Define dancing. Ballroom dancing? Ballet dancing? Belly dancing?

[Standarddancer]

SD, can you say more about what you've heard of the rigorous training they go thru?



Heard crazy things like they have competitive couples do a 7 minute run-thru for V waltz to train/improve stamina, etc. putting heavy things on dancers while they do training so at actual competitions, when they take off the heavy things, they dance twice as light, etc. Never witness such crazy training though.

Also they train a lot of basics, a lot of rounds, emphasing on 3 dimensional dancing, lights & shades, etc.

[Standarddancer]

italy is the other place i'd like to go to train. have been even learning italian toward that end...

so you are learning Italian? I've heard it's not hard, is it? Most people learned this language says it's not hard.

[Standarddancer]

i would also say London. Great teachers. ;)

London is great too, of course, however, living a way too expensive, for the same thing cost $1 in US, cost 1 pound or more in UK:(

Lesson cost ok, a former World champion cost maybe 50 pounds.

Also hard to find work. Amateurs not allowed to teach. Some world masters strongly oppose amateurs teaching in England.

In Italy, they allow ams teach, but extremely hard to find business since a way too many great coaches there, no serious dancers want to take lessons from amateurs, even very good ones.

[etp777]

London is great too, of course, however, living a way too expensive, for the same thing cost $1 in US, cost 1 pound or more in UK:(


Man, kuwait was like that too, standarddancer. And it's insane, as kuwaiti dinar and omani whatever tend to be most valuable currency in world. At time, was 3.78 dollars to 1 kuwaiti dinar. And country doesn't even have alcohol or dancing? how can they expect to charge more? ;)

[Standarddancer]

and in London food is quite bad and very expensive. In Italy at least food is good.

[_malakawa_]

Heard crazy things like they have competitive couples do a 7 minute run-thru for V waltz to train/improve stamina, etc. putting heavy things on dancers while they do training so at actual competitions, when they take off the heavy things, they dance twice as light, etc. Never witness such crazy training though.

Also they train a lot of basics, a lot of rounds, emphasing on 3 dimensional dancing, lights & shades, etc.


From the experience I can say it is different. We had a lot of basics and stamina, and we practiced at least 6 hours a day.

Originally posted by Standarddancer and in London food is quite bad and very expensive. In Italy at least food is good.

Who told you this lie?? ;) You know that in Italy pizza is the worst. :cool: But I admit, food is definitely better than in London.

[etp777]

Best pizza is in Chicago or Brookllyn, of course. :)

[Standarddancer]

Who told you this lie?? ;) You know that in Italy pizza is the worst. :cool: But I admit, food is definitely better than in London.

I had pizza in Rome, quite good actually but I went with local people; maybe if you go with tour it's different, they take you to places expensive only for tourists?

My tour guide took us to Chinese restaurant in Florence where I had worst Chinese food in my life;) I'll never go eat Chinese food in Italy, of course

[_malakawa_]

I had pizza in Rome, quite good actually but I went with local people; maybe if you go with tour it's different, they take you to places expensive only for tourists?

My tour guide took us to Chinese restaurant in Florence where I had worst Chinese food in my life;) I'll never go eat Chinese food in Italy, of course


I was in venice, milano, torino, verona, on the lake lago di garda ...... without a tour, because Italy is my neighbouring country, and sometimes food was ok, but more times it was :?.

The best food - when my mother is (or I) cooking. :cool:

[jennyisdancing]

Best pizza is in Chicago or Brookllyn, of course. :)

Oh Yeah! NY Pizza! I haven't been to Chicago but that style pizza sounds good too. And I have been in Italy and found the pizza there delicious, especially in the Naples area where it originated. BTW I didn't go to any fancy tourist restaurants, just ordinary places.

Honestly, I thought even the food in the Rome Airport was better than most American food. Yes, airport food. At the Fiumicino airport I ate at a sandwich/snack place where I bought fresh mozzarella and freshly baked bread that would put most American gourmet shops to shame.


Haven't taken dance lessons abroad though; sorry I can't comment on that. In the U.S., I would say NY/Northern NJ area is probably tops. Philly area is not bad, because many of the NY/NJ pros are willing to travel to Philly to teach.

[Standarddancer]

right NY pizza not bad:) Last time a friend living in Italy for his entire life came to NY and tried some pizza, he commented "very good";)

I agree with jennyisdancing that in U.S. NY/NJ area best for dancing, a lot of great coaches, many competitive couples, good pros, studios, competitive atmosphere

[Katarzyna]

dont know, but when i went to italy pizza there was just so much bettter :)

[samina]

greek pizza is so gooood, too.

[jwlinson]

Chicago pizza's the best.

[Angel HI]

Last time a friend living in Italy for his entire life came to NY and tried some pizza, he commented "very good"


dont know, but when i went to italy pizza there was just so much bettter :)

Both, interesting comments since...you know that pizza is not from Italy, yes? My vote...New York, or this little place in Norfolk, VA called Mama Mia's. http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/party/party0021.gif (http://www.mysmiley.net/freesmiley.php?smiley=party/party0021.gif)

[Gssh]

Both, interesting comments since...you know that pizza is not from Italy, yes? My vote...New York, or this little place in Norfolk, VA called Mama Mia's. http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/party/party0021.gif (http://www.mysmiley.net/freesmiley.php?smiley=party/party0021.gif)

Huh? The oldest still operating pizzaria in naples started serving pizza before the chicago was even founded, and when new york was still
british.

http://www.pizzanapoletana.org/showassoc_eng.php?id=140


Gssh

[Angel HI]

Huh? The oldest still operating pizzaria in naples started serving pizza before the chicago was even founded, and when new york was still british.

I have actually danced at that pizzaria in naples! Yeah, I probably should have qualified the post. Pizza as we know it today is a varied, uniquely nationalized version of pizza; founded by persians in some century BC...improved on by the greeks...made great by the italians...made greater by a little place near Times Square in NY...absolutely perfected by a little place in Norfolk, VA (the only real reason why someone would want to go there for any reason whatsoever. sorry, if someone is from there, but...sigh).

[Standarddancer]

wow!!! lol..seems this thread transformed from "best dancing place" to "best pizza place" thread;)

[LucyDiamond]

wow!!! lol..seems this thread transformed from "best dancing place" to "best pizza place" thread;)
I don't think that's necessarily mutually exclusive... :lol: Having said that, I stand by my original answer - NJ! ;)

[Standarddancer]

Are you also from NJ? LucyDiamond?

[_malakawa_]

wow!!! lol..seems this thread transformed from "best dancing place" to "best pizza place" thread;)

if you want to dance good you need to eat good. :p:p:p (and practice more)

[LucyDiamond]

Are you also from NJ? LucyDiamond?
Yes.

[Gssh]

wow!!! lol..seems this thread transformed from "best dancing place" to "best pizza place" thread;)

And we are probably equally likely to get a definitve answer everybody agrees on to either question :)
(my favourite pizzas at the moment are weird japanese variants: squid+onions+mayo pizza - the
perfect comfort food, but not very italian :) )

Gssh

[Standarddancer]

if you want to dance good you need to eat good. :p:p:p (and practice more)

that's true. You need to eat well and eat healthy to have energy for training;)

[Standarddancer]

And we are probably equally to get a definitve answer everybody agrees on to either question :)
(my favourite pizzas at the moment are weird japanese variants: squid+onions+mayo pizza - the
perfect comfort food, but not very italian :) )



Japanese pizza? never heard of:confused:

[QPO]

I thought Blackpool was the mecca for dancing. but alas I will not get there for awhile I dont think. when you live on the other side of the world travel is an expensive pastime. So we seek out the best we can locally.

[yippee1999]

I can't speak to the NJ vs NY question, but overall, I'd suspect the NY metro area has to be one of the best for salsa. I think the "level" here is very high, and so it gives us all very high standards to reach for. And I think there's a good number of salsa social/club venues to choose from....