Dancing ballroom after stopping formal instruction

T

TangoRocks

Member
Any ideas on how to go about continuing ballroom dancing socially, after you stop taking private lessons/groups classes?

I have pretty much given up on my current franchise studio, and have so far not been successful in procuring an alternate provider to take lessons from, so at the end of my currently paid for "semester" I'm done with ballroom lessons for the foreseeable future.

Now, there are a few venues I can go every week that has ballroom dancing, and I will frequent them but I am wondering what I can do so as NOT to lose my dancing skills. I have noticed, even after long summer vacations, that it took me a while (and a few privates/groups/parties etc) to get back into the groove, so I am concerned my dancing will slowly deteriorate to the point that it wouldn't be enjoyable to any partner I dance with. I am considering DVDs as a supplement, but as it has been mentioned in that thread, DVDs probably work best as a supplement, so with no private instruction, they might do more harm than help.

Has anyone kept on social dancing successfully after stopping formal instruction? Any suggestions? Like I said, I still enjoy ballroom dancing, just not so much the current studio or the alternate offerings I have access to from the paltry selection my city offers. I really really want to continue dancing! :(
 
I stopped taking lessons for about 6 years. If you use it, you won't lose it. As long as you go out dancing a couple of times a month, you might some, but it's not like all social dancers have to keep improving to keep enjoying themselves.
 
toothlesstiger said:
I stopped taking lessons for about 6 years. If you use it, you won't lose it. As long as you go out dancing a couple of times a month, you might some, but it's not like all social dancers have to keep improving to keep enjoying themselves.
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For many, attending classes and lessons is a hobby. Others enjoy going out to dance. If you combine the two, you might hope to improve, over time, but the two are not really connected once you have gained a level of experience or competence that satisfies you.

Dancers dance.
 
You could go through exercises that you would normally do when you were taking lessons to try to maintain your edge. But if you just do some social dancing once a week or so, unless you find someone of comparable skill, your skills will slowly depreciate. It will not depreciate to the point that nobody wants to dance with you. You will still likely to be the best on the floor. It's like riding a bike, you will always be able to do it even if you stop for a long time.

I still take lessons in Standard, but as far as the other styles are concerned, I have not taken a group class in years. Whatever I know now, is all that I'll know later unless I pick up a new move from another peer. I'm perfectly happy to only know those limited steps and the women I social dance with have an equally enjoyable time.
 
toothlesstiger said:
I stopped taking lessons for about 6 years. If you use it, you won't lose it. As long as you go out dancing a couple of times a month, you might some, but it's not like all social dancers have to keep improving to keep enjoying themselves.
Click to expand...

Thanx tiger, this is encouraging--I know at least one place I can go every week, and various studios (non-franchise) have parties I can attend for a reasonable cover charge, so I hope I can at least maintain my skillset--sure, improvement would probably not happen but I am actually satisfied with my level in most of the dances I like to dance.
 
UKDancer said:
...once you have gained a level of experience or competence that satisfies you.

Dancers dance.
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I like the sound of this, and yes, I might not be at my absolute best I could be, but I am reasonably satisfied with my competence. Now all I have to do is go dance instead of procrastinating on Sunday nights!
 
Gorme said:
You could go through exercises that you would normally do when you were taking lessons to try to maintain your edge. But if you just do some social dancing once a week or so, unless you find someone of comparable skill, your skills will slowly depreciate. It will not depreciate to the point that nobody wants to dance with you. You will still likely to be the best on the floor. It's like riding a bike, you will always be able to do it even if you stop for a long time.

I still take lessons in Standard, but as far as the other styles are concerned, I have not taken a group class in years. Whatever I know now, is all that I'll know later unless I pick up a new move from another peer. I'm perfectly happy to only know those limited steps and the women I social dance with have an equally enjoyable time.
Click to expand...

Gorme, excellent suggestions, although I mistrust my stick-to-itness when it comes to practicing on my own instead of a structured lesson enviornment. As for your second point, a number of my friends with comparable and better skill level (some compete) also frequent the social dances I am thinking about going to, so I am hoping that would slow down my skills depreciation. I do hope I never get so bad that people would not enjoy dancing with me, though.

And who knows, maybe I will find another teacher I click with at one point, *sigh*
 
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