Beginning Dancers' Frequently Asked Questions

[pygmalion]

Beginning Dancers' Frequently Asked Questions

Dance Forums -- an information exchange for partner dancers.


dance-forums.com often gets questions from brand new dancers, just starting out. In order to help those new dancers, we've compiled a list of frequently asked questions, with links to pertinent threads attached. Please feel free to browse through the frequently asked questions below. If you have additional questions, please post and we will make every attempt to get you an answer.


I'm just starting out. Do you have any words of wisdom?
What Would You Tell Beginners (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=14587&highlight=beginners)

What do I wear to dance?
Swing Dance Clothes (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=556&highlight=swing+dance+clothes)
Dressing for Social Dances/Parties (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=139&highlight=dressing+social+dances%2Fparties)
Basic Wear to Practice (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=33&highlight=basic+wear+practice)

How and where do I find a reputable dance teacher?
What Makes a Good Teacher (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=173&highlight=makes+good+teacher)
Dance Instructor Questions (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=652&highlight=dance+instructor+questions)
Does the Sex of the Instructor Matter? (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=563&highlight=instructor)

How do I practice?
Keeping Practice Exciting (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=152&highlight=keeping+practice+exciting)
Practice Makes Perfect … Or Does It? (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=262&highlight=practice+makes+perfect)
Dance Practice Drills (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=675&highlight=dance+practice+drills)

Do I need dance shoes? Where do I buy them? How do I care for them?
Help with dance shoe sole issues! (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=560&highlight=dance+shoe+sole+issues)
Shoes and Foot Care (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=687&highlight=shoes+foot+care)

I only have a couple weeks to learn to dance. What do I do?
Help! I Have a Wedding in Two Weeks (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=425&highlight=wedding)
Ballroom Lite Please (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=520&highlight=ballroom+lite)

What about dance lessons -- how much do they cost? Should I take group or private lessons?
Cost of Private Lessons (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=514&highlight=cost+private+lessons)
How Can I Get More Out of My Group Classes? (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=452&highlight=group+classes)

Are there rules of etiquette for the dance floor?
Etiquette (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=5823&highlight=etiquette)
Social Obligations (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=136&highlight=social+obligations)

How do I find a dance partner?
Dance Partners (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=138&highlight=dance+partners)

I need to know the basics of club dancing. Help.
Club Dancing Index (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=2761&highlight=club+dancing+index)

[Danish Guy]

Our forum with an index.

Nice 8)

[dancersdreamland]

Very nice! I'll have to check this out when I have more time. Great job!!! :D

[pygmalion]

Thanks! :D :D :D

Jenn

[will35]

Here's a question. "What is a break?" "How does one break?"

[pygmalion]

Sorry I missed this yesterday, will. I pulled this definition from ballroomdancers.com, but it applies to non-ballroom dances as well.

Break: A unit of two steps where the second step is taken in exactly the opposite direction from the first.

Anybody care to give will some examples?

[Vince A]

I would really stress the part about not breaking frame . . . the article talks about the elbows, but not why.

and . . .

Maybe to feel this, if they are struggling with breaking frame, to get the push/pull . . . practice with a large rubber band to get the feel of what is needed.

It's hard to say what works. Each student is different . . .

[jdavidb]

The one titled "Dressing for Social Dances/Parties" needs a dash put in its url. It currently leads to some other site called danceforums when you click it.

[pygmalion]

Thanks, jdavidb. Nice to see someone's using those indices. 8)

[Deschain]

I'm relatively new to dancing. I only dance when im in a night club and have never taken dancing lessons. However people have commented on my dancing and have even asked me where did I learn my moves. So I my intrest for dancing grew.

I came upon this forum by accident and it seems a good place to start :D

[SDsalsaguy]

Glad to have you Deschain! :D

[pygmalion]

Welcome Deschain! :D

That reminds me. I guess I should update this index, one day soon. Probably not today, just soon. LOL. :oops: :lol:

[Deschain]

Everyone is so friendly here :D . Thanks for the welcome

[STUDIO183]

Hi there...I am helping a client launch a new dance studio in the South Chicago Suburbs. I want to network with independent dance instructors in the Chicago area (doesn't matter what type of dance), but it is really hard to find them. Any suggestions? Thanks so much. I'm new, so please go easy on me :P ...d

[d nice]

I'd suggest doing a search for some of the dances that tend to produce independant instructors. Swing (lindy hop, jitterbug, chicago steppin'), Hip-Hop, Funk, Jazz, salsa, etc.

Another option is to take a look at the various dance clubs in the area and see if the social dance nights have instructors. If so chances are they are independants and you might be able to get them to teach at your studio.

[pygmalion]

Yes. Independents can be hard to find, at least on the web, because not everybody is on the web. Let me think about how I can help with your search. *furrowed eyebrows*

And yes, d nice is right. Some dance disciplines, such as swing, are a lot more likely to produce independents than others.

[macha]

http://www.learntodance.com/video%20clips1.htm

[Leggie]

I'm afraid these links don't seem to work any longer - could they be fixed?

[dancersdreamland]

Ditto...

[matttwine]

are these links working? was interested in reading a few of them, will do a forum search see if i can locate them elsewhere

[Tamara]

hello everybody, I am a newbie here. I very fascinated of dancing, as I am very interested in this forum. I think it's a good place to ask opinion or help, or just to talk about dancing and related stuff! I've danced for six years in a modern dance group, but now I'm 'retired" because my parents didn't payed anymore the lessons and I didn't manage to pay them from my salary! So now I just study and try to get in touch with people that love dance!
Hugs, kisses and to congratulate you for the ideea with the forum...See u around!

[fascination]

hello everybody, I am a newbie here. I very fascinated of dancing, as I am very interested in this forum. I think it's a good place to ask opinion or help, or just to talk about dancing and related stuff! I've danced for six years in a modern dance group, but now I'm 'retired" because my parents didn't payed anymore the lessons and I didn't manage to pay them from my salary! So now I just study and try to get in touch with people that love dance!
Hugs, kisses and to congratulate you for the ideea with the forum...See u around!welcom eto Df tamara...dance never really goes away if you love it...hope you feel at home here...hugs back

[salsabor]

Very informative.. ;-)

[-[L}yn]

hi all! im new here..i would like to know if anyone of u here have interest for theatre dance? i would like to exchange some experience with u all. do message me, ya. I wish to know more about the modern theatre dance. i'm really interested.

[!aborabi]

Great thread. It helps very much to begginers.

[katq]

Good stuff here.

[andrewpueschel]

Its definetly a great place to start - contact your local USA Dance Chapter and see what is listed. Many chapters have monthly dances that offer a lesson with the social dance - so you dont have to pay much and you can meet other people while starting to get some instruction.

[quixotedlm]

the links don't work :(
most important question not answered - someone's got to tell beginners about 'dancing and romance' ;)

[spectator]

i get my shoes from www.tango-wear.com they are custom made and absoloutely perfect.

[Drensik]

So, the information the links used to lead to...is it in any particular place now? because I can't find it....

[misswaltz]

none of the links work. :(

[SDsalsaguy]

So, the information the links used to lead to...is it in any particular place now? because I can't find it....
none of the links work. :(
Use the DF search function with those thread titles; they're all still here, its simply that the links got broken when we switched operating systems.

[newbiee]

hi, im new at this forum so be nice to me ;) the day before yesterday i went on my first night out on a club for youths (im 15 years old but soon 16).
it went really well actually. i kissed 5 different girls and grinded with at least 10 :rolleyes:( i kissed them while grinding). the problem is, i really dont know how to dance alone (i think i get the grinding part). 90% of the music they played was techno/rnb. so my question is, how do i dance to techno/rnb? i saw a few guys dancing very well, but i think its impossible to copy their moves, but it was like the basic steps of breakdancing or something :S you put your right foot(for example) behind your left, and then back, make another wierd step and then the left foot behind the right. i dont really know if that is a dance or something, but i have seen a few guys doin it. so if you seem familiar with it so pls tell me.

sorry if i am at the wrong place here at DF:p
(and my bad english)

best regards! //swedishnewbie

[newbie]

Nice to see that you got the whole point of dancing, which is to kiss many girls every night with the occasional grinding as a bonus. Now about dancing alone, yes we all here are extremely proficient in that matter but no we won't tell you any of our secrets, this is something we just can't give away like that as this would mean less girls for us.

[biggestbox]

hi, im new at this forum so be nice to me ;) the day before yesterday i went on my first night out on a club for youths (im 15 years old but soon 16).
it went really well actually. i kissed 5 different girls and grinded with at least 10 :rolleyes:( i kissed them while grinding). the problem is, i really dont know how to dance alone (i think i get the grinding part). 90% of the music they played was techno/rnb. so my question is, how do i dance to techno/rnb? i saw a few guys dancing very well, but i think its impossible to copy their moves, but it was like the basic steps of breakdancing or something :S you put your right foot(for example) behind your left, and then back, make another wierd step and then the left foot behind the right. i dont really know if that is a dance or something, but i have seen a few guys doin it. so if you seem familiar with it so pls tell me.

sorry if i am at the wrong place here at DF:p
(and my bad english)

best regards! //swedishnewbie

Why do you want to learn how to dance solo again? it looks like you got the skillz you need...haha. If you want to start battling, you really need some training (either at a studio or on the streets) For guys, popping is a nice way to start because it is naturally musical. Hip hop is ok, but a lot of that is choreography, a has a very strong "hip hop attitude" which may or may not fit you. If you're very strong, breaking might be for you. Personally if I enter a battle, I will use popping mostly, crib walks stuff like that. I also use my Latin training. If I'm up against a strong breaker or popper, I know I will be completely smoked against them, so I do ballet tricksf, since I know they won't be able to follow

[Serby]

hi...everybody...i think i'm the newest member in this moment..a good friend of mine recommended me this forum :) anyway i've read many of your messages and from other forums and i found this site an interesting one..and i hope to learn different thinks about dancing...i'm practice ballroom dancing , latino and club dancing since 2006 , actually i began to like this sport accidentally but now i 'm lovin it...:) it's part of my life

[Serby]

well...i think everybody has this problem when we want to learn a dance...but first u must find out what dance represent u ...after u find out what is your dance , u will need some exercice ...is not bad if u copy some moves from others but u must have a little originality and dancing is very simple...u just need to feel the music and the rythm and then try to find your own moves (try to practice at home) and after u practice a while u will se that is very easy...anyway if u like to dance alone my advice is to keep practice r&b ... but if u want to dance with a partener u should try a latino dance club...like salsa or bachatta..in those two dances u don't need a coregraphy but u must learn at first some basic steps .... i hope i was helpful :)

[QPO]

Welcome Serby hope you enjoy it and find discussions helpful to you, I certainly do

[fascination]

yes, welcome

[nikejogabonito]

Hi everyone im new here and I can already feel the ppl are friendly and helpful here.

I was SO glad to find those links, but they dont seem to work, and I tried the search function, and I couldn't find the exact same one? Please someone help me, 100% of them (basically ALL of the links posted) I really really really wannt to see, but none of them work.

Thanks, guys and girls

[binzer]

I'm new here and decided to update the links to help out my fellow noobs (plus I was looking up some of them anyways). Hopefully they all work :)

I'm just starting out. Do you have any words of wisdom?
What Would You Tell Beginners (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=14587&highlight=beginners)

What do I wear to dance?
Swing Dance Clothes (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=556&highlight=swing+dance+clothes)
Dressing for Social Dances/Parties (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=139&highlight=dressing+social+dances%2Fparties)
Basic Wear to Practice (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=33&highlight=basic+wear+practice)

How and where do I find a reputable dance teacher?
What Makes a Good Teacher (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=173&highlight=makes+good+teacher)
Dance Instructor Questions (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=652&highlight=dance+instructor+questions)
Does the Sex of the Instructor Matter? (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=563&highlight=instructor)

How do I practice?
Keeping Practice Exciting (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=152&highlight=keeping+practice+exciting)
Practice Makes Perfect … Or Does It? (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=262&highlight=practice+makes+perfect)
Dance Practice Drills (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=675&highlight=dance+practice+drills)

Do I need dance shoes? Where do I buy them? How do I care for them?
Help with dance shoe sole issues! (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=560&highlight=dance+shoe+sole+issues)
Shoes and Foot Care (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=687&highlight=shoes+foot+care)

I only have a couple weeks to learn to dance. What do I do?
Help! I Have a Wedding in Two Weeks (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=425&highlight=wedding)
Ballroom Lite Please (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=520&highlight=ballroom+lite)

What about dance lessons -- how much do they cost? Should I take group or private lessons?
Cost of Private Lessons (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=514&highlight=cost+private+lessons)
How Can I Get More Out of My Group Classes? (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=452&highlight=group+classes)

Are there rules of etiquette for the dance floor?
Etiquette (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=5823&highlight=etiquette)
Social Obligations (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=136&highlight=social+obligations)

How do I find a dance partner?
Dance Partners (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=138&highlight=dance+partners)

I need to know the basics of club dancing. Help.
Club Dancing Index (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=2761&highlight=club+dancing+index)

[Larinda McRaven]

WOW!
Thank You!

[etp777]

That would officially be one of the best first five posts ever. Welcome, and THANK YOU!

[SDsalsaguy]

That would officially be one of the best first five posts ever. Welcome, and THANK YOU!
Ditto!!! :cheers:

[Terpsichorean Clod]

Thank you, binzer!! :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:

[Terpsichorean Clod]

Um...so, do I get to keep my job? :)

[SDsalsaguy]

Um...so, do I get to keep my job? :)
Yep... but you may have a deputy in the making! ;)

[Terpsichorean Clod]

:cheers:

[taylor1990]

I think this is a great thing for beginners. I really hope they make use of it!

[Kits]

I think this is a great thing for beginners. I really hope they make use of it!
This Beginner is! :)
I'm glad I found this! Thanks so much!

[Ray Sison]

This Beginner is! :)
I'm glad I found this! Thanks so much!

This is a great resource--and I still come back to it from time to time...

[dancygirl]

hey everyone, actually I think that if u are a beginner at dancing u have to learn to relax, as tension will prevent u from getting pleasure from dancing and it will seem as it is a work for you.

[saraht]

None of these links work anymore. Can't someone update this?

[Larinda McRaven]

They are all working... Not sure why they did not for you.

[wooh]

The OP links don't work, but these work:
http://www.danceforums.com/showpost.php?p=680493&postcount=41
But if I was new, I wouldn't read all the way through thinking that at some point someone updated the links. Perhaps they can be edited into the OP by someone with magical mod or admin powers?

[Larinda McRaven]

Oh.. I see.....

When I scrolled up to the top of my page I got post #41... which all the links work. I did not realize that was not the top of the original thread.

Original post is now updated :)

[ksulli]

I have 2 questions:

1. I was taught that a man can "invite" the woman to turn but that she does not have to turn (her shoe is loose, she's dizzy, etc.). Is this true or does the woman always have to turn?

2. This really happened. A couple was bearing down on us and would have run into us if I had not taken the lead to steer us out of their way. I didn't feel I had time to warn my husband. Hubby says I should "never" take the lead. Is this true? If not true, when can the woman legitimately take the lead?

Thanks in advance for any help on this.

[DL]

I have 2 questions:


Hi there.


1. I was taught that a man can "invite" the woman to turn but that she does not have to turn (her shoe is loose, she's dizzy, etc.). Is this true or does the woman always have to turn?
The sun won't fall out of the sky or anything if she doesn't. :)

Sometimes I lead an underarm turn and my partner, for one reason or another, just doesn't go. That's OK, as long as we sort ourselves out and (ideally) get back on the same page for the next measure.



2. This really happened. A couple was bearing down on us and would have run into us if I had not taken the lead to steer us out of their way. I didn't feel I had time to warn my husband. Hubby says I should "never" take the lead. Is this true? If not true, when can the woman legitimately take the lead?

Thanks in advance for any help on this.I think not-colliding is better than colliding. That said, there's a wide spectrum of back-leads. My favorite back leads:
* make it clear that my partner will keep following no matter what
* let me know that there's a problem where we're headed
* give a clue about where the problem is (how far, what direction)
* suggest a safe alternate route.

I know very very few ladies who can do all of that; and I have a LOT of respect for the hard-earned skill they exhibit when they do it.

In any case as a leader I think it's ideal when my partner communicates but leaves it up to me what to do about what she communicates. This requires a certain amount (!) of trust on her part.

It's tough for a beginner follower to back lead adeptly. It's disconcerting for a beginner leader to feel that leads are being disregarded. It's useful nonetheless for both to work together to avoid being bumper cars.

Suggestions might be to make a point of returning the lead immediately after taking a *brief* action to avoid a problem; or indeed to allow minor collisions to occur (back-of-leader-to-back-of-leader is generally not so bad in my experience).

Finally, not having been there and not having seen the incident, I might note the possibility-in-principle that the other couple, despite all appearances to the contrary, had their own plan to miss a collision.

[wooh]

I have 2 questions:

1. I was taught that a man can "invite" the woman to turn but that she does not have to turn (her shoe is loose, she's dizzy, etc.). Is this true or does the woman always have to turn?


It's a free country. If I don't want to turn, I'm not going to turn. If there's a reason though, I'd probably mention to the lead, "Ummm, I'm dizzy/tired/shoe about to fall off." Otherwise, he's going to keep trying to lead you to do it.


2. This really happened. A couple was bearing down on us and would have run into us if I had not taken the lead to steer us out of their way. I didn't feel I had time to warn my husband. Hubby says I should "never" take the lead. Is this true? If not true, when can the woman legitimately take the lead?


With a good leader, I won't backlead, but I will indicate that something is amiss. GOOD leaders can pick up on a teeny indication. Like a slight "pull" (for lack of a thesaurus at the moment to come up with a better word for it) on his arm. Granted, I've also social danced enough that I can make my indications there pretty clear.
With a beginner leader, I'll flat out back lead away from danger. If he gets peeved about me "taking over," then in the future, I'll just make sure I'm safe and the other couple's lady is safe and let the stupid leaders run into each other.
Of course, if I happen to not like the other couple, smacking the guy with my elbow might be a good thing. (I kid, I kid. My dear departed (for another state, I didn't kill him) former instructor would purposefully put me where I could "arm style" into my much formerer instructor, and the social part of me wins over the gladiator part of me and I just can't do it. :x )
When I was starting out though, sometimes the best thing is to just grab the guy and get out of the way. But then you've also got a blind spot too, so you might be moving him into a danger that YOU don't see. So really, my rule is to just keep myself and the other couple's follow as safe as possible. And until I was aware and skilled enough, my rule was really just keep myself safe. Let the guys battle it out. Once the clueless leaders run into each other a few times, they learn.:p

[pygmalion]

lol

Have I told you lately that I love you? You crack me the heck up wooh.

[DerekWeb]

DW does a great job of quickly taking the lead if there is danger on the social floor. But often she over reacts. For example, I am moving forward in LOD, someone is moving quickly toward us from behind in LOD. They should wait for us. I do not want her to hold me up for that split second because that interrupts our flow as I am moving into free (forward) space. Often this causes me and the overtaking hot dog to arrive at the open space simultaneously.

[pygmalion]

That reminds me of when I first started driving. My twin sister would sit shotgun and harass me about checking the rearview mirror, avoiding oncoming traffic, timing for changing lanes. You name it. When I finally lost it and told her to bug off, she said, "I just want you to be a better driver!" Uhh. No. I beg to differ, sis. You want me to drive the way you do. *grin* It took me at least a decade to realize that she and I had the same problem from two different perspectives -- neither one of us had full confidence in my driving ability. That, and she's a controlling megalomaniac. :shock: :lol: Just kidding! There were more than a handful of times when she was probably right and helped me avoid many a fender bender.

Not saying anything about you, Derek. Not at all. I'm just musing about the different perspectives on sitting in that passenger seat. It's easy to say that a follower should sit in the passenger seat and wait for a collision with oncoming traffic (i.e. trust the driver.) Hard to do. And it's easy to say that the leader should be open to side-seat driving. Also hard to do.

Not sure that there's a right or wrong answer here.

[ksulli]

Two questions:

1. Does the woman always have to turn when the man invites her to?
2. Is it permissible for the woman to take the lead to avoid being "hit" by another couple?

Thanks for your help!!

[fascination]

1) no
2) yes

[ksulli]

Thanks to everyone who responded to my questions re ladies refusing invitations to turn and temporarily taking the lead to avoid collisions.

The answers were terrific (and humurous) and I believe hubby and I are now in harmonious agreement.

I apologize for the multiple posts -- still new to this forum -- promise to get better

[basicarita]

This is just fabulous (especially since I always feel like a beginner).

Thanks so much!

:-D

[nucat78]

2. Is it permissible for the woman to take the lead to avoid being "hit" by another couple?


Heck yeah. DP has saved us (me) several times.