How to ballroom dance by yourself

How to dance with a partner 101 - Social dance steps
Get introduced to social dance steps in this free mini course. Learn how to social dance with 3 Ballroom dances: Rumba basic, Swing basic and Waltz basic. These dances are perfect for partner dancing at weddings and parties. Perfect for beginners looking to get started.

Waltz dance steps for beginners
The slow Waltz is one of the most classical Ballroom dances - dating back to 16th century when they used to hold "Balls". The Waltz's main characteristic is the rise and fall used through out all the steps. Our videos will teach you the most basic Waltz steps with ease.

Cha Cha dance steps for beginners
This cheeky dance is perfect for anyone starting out. This Ballroom dance has a lot of quick and sharp foot and leg movements. It is characterized by a triple step which is danced on the "Cha Cha 1" counts. In this video course you will learn 3 beginner dance steps that you will be able to use right away.

Swing dance steps for beginners (East coast Swing)
The East coast Swing combines rocks steps and triple steps to create a very fun and energetic dance. This dance is influenced by rock n roll and Lindy hop styles - which give it tons of variations including kicks, flicks and turns. Have some fun with the swing now!

Rumba dance steps for beginners
The Rumba combines lots of body, hip and arm movements to make this Cuban dance very expressive. In this mini course you will learn the basic steps, box step and slow underarm turn. This dance requires lots of control because of its rhythm - Slow, Quick, Quick. Learn the basic steps with our videos in this beginner course.

Salsa dance steps for beginners
This popular Latin dance is perfect for those of you who like to fast rhythms and lots of turns and spins. This dance is a great for social dancing with its emphasize on lead and follow - where the man initiates movements and the lady follows. After our mini course you'll be able to use what you learned in Latin clubs.

Foxtrot dance steps for beginners
One of the first Ballroom dances that people usually learn is the Foxtrot. It is a very elegant dance that travels around the room. Both men and women push off the standing leg in order to move from foot to foot. This dance is one of the best for pure lead and follow.

Tango dance lessons online for beginners
This Ballroom dance is great for passionate dancers who like to express the Tango music. This is a traveling Ballroom dance that combines a lot of shapes and rotational movements. In our mini course you will learn 3 beginner moves to get you started. Enjoy.

Merengue dance steps for beginners
Here is a Latin dance that is considered to be the easiest of all! The saying goes: "If you can walk, you can Merengue". The basic steps all consist of small weight changes that could be danced on the spot, or across the floor. There are lots of intricate turns and arm twists too.

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Dances

Author: Pavel Gather
Psychologist, Lecturer Salsa and Tango

Dances

Author: Pavel Pavel
Psychologist, Lecturer Salsa

on At the start, you always want to get a quick result. When it doesn't happen, the hypothesis arises that everything takes time. After a conditionally acceptable time, humility comes to mastering pair dances, which, perhaps, is not given, and I will just do what I learned somehow.

This is the most common story of those who believe that the mere act of attending a pair dance class is enough to learn how to dance.
Absolutely not. If you want to really dance well, you have to make an effort outside of the dance class. A good teacher will definitely be needed, but the initiative should be on your side.

1. Listen to music

The most common and accessible advice that is given already in the first lessons. And it definitely works. Music creates a certain atmosphere of the dance and intuitively you want to move to it. It doesn't matter where you listen to music - in the car, on headphones while walking or doing household chores.

An addition that will help you dance better is your active participation in the music. Sing along, dance or simply beat musical accents with any free parts of the body. In the subway, for example, it is enough to tap out bright moments with your fingers, in the car to sing along with sounds, and at home you can jump for pleasure.

2. Watch videos of good dancers

It's complicated, but also obvious. It’s more difficult, because without recommendations from more experienced dancers, unfortunately, it’s not so easy to find a good quality video on the net (I mean not the resolution quality, but the content itself).

Meaningful video viewing is about building an understanding of HOW dancers make a particular impression on a partner or viewer. Technology is at the heart of everything. Understanding how the pros do it is a big step forward.

It is important to distinguish a show from a disco dance, a staged performance from an improvisation, a stylized dance from an authentic one, etc. Ask for recommendations and dance teachers will always throw off a couple of videos of worthy landmarks.

Tango Z. Showreel.

Online modern tango courses

Tango nuevo is the most advanced version of tango. We can quickly learn to dance from zero to a steep level.

3. Dance in salsatecas/milongas/discotheques

A very delicate moment when it is worth coming to the first party. From a technical point of view, most students in 1-3 months have a sufficient set of figures and techniques to come and dance calmly. Psychologically, the same moment can be stretched out for an indefinite time. After all, it is imperative to “not lose face”, “learn more figures” and be sure what to do in case “there is an unfamiliar movement”.

In fact, the partygoers don't really care (except for a small layer of non-professional teachers who want to help inexperienced dancers by treating them as customers in the future). It is important to come and try dancing after a month of classes. You can only with friends or guys from your group. This will be enough to feel the adrenaline and inspiration from the dance.

4. Dance with partners or partners not of your level

The conventional wisdom that you need to practice in groups of your level does not withstand the test of experience. Perhaps now your eyes widened in surprise, and you want to meaningfully read the phrase again. Yes, you saw everything correctly: when you dance with a partner of your level, you don’t grow anywhere.

It's important to understand that not only does it work one way and you have to dance with cooler dancers, but it works even more effectively the other way. It is no coincidence that teaching pair dances dramatically raises the level of the teacher himself. You have an endless stream of very beginner dancers.

How it works. A more experienced partner needs to be "stretched". It's easy and obvious. With beginners, you need to take more initiative on yourself, see the general pattern of the dance more widely, turn on and insure more, try to be an example and be more careful. The quality of interaction begins to grow significantly. And wonderful partners too.

Dancing with partners of your level doesn't make you grow. Dance with both beginners and more advanced dancers

Dominican Bachata Women's Style Online Course

Want to learn how to hypnotize those around you with the most appetizing part of your body? On the course we will tell you all the secrets.

5. Learn to dance for a partner and for a partner

Turks and Argentines are one of the best partners in the world. In Russia, partners are highly valued. Why? The answer is simple. In Argentina and Turkey, it is not questionable for men to ask another man to lead in one piece or another and give feedback on the quality of the lead. For them, it will be a great shame to hear moralizing from a partner, or even more so to be known in the community as an insecure partner.

In Russia, due to the constant, often far-fetched, opinion that there are more women in pair dances, partners calmly get up and study their partner's part. Such partners then grow into very cool dancers and teachers. In no case do this at parties, only in class. Here we are talking only about the learning strategy. At parties, be yourself.

6. Do not memorize the links

Always try to look deeper and understand the through principle and idea of ​​movement. Understanding what and how is done will make it possible to independently generate any sequences and chips.

Human memory is limited and there will always be a moment when something will escape and your repertoire will be limited by the size of RAM.

In Argentine tango, for example, there are seven levels of movement construction that, when mastered, will allow you to make millions of combinations. And how many dance sequences can you really remember? In rueda, more than 150 figures dance in a rare circle. It's hard to keep more in mind.

7. Develop your body

Many years of experience in teaching couple dance shows that as soon as everyone pairs up in a class, any progress in individual style ends. But it is the individual style that distinguishes everyone at the disco: partners change, and style is always with you.

The body as the main instrument of dance must be very plastic, responsive and emotional. Surprisingly, not all pair dance schools have a general physical warm-up. It is vital to tune the body and understand how it works.

You can always train extra and concentrate more on the basic steps, as their true value is as body work. The sequence of steps is, in fact, the simplest thing that can be in pair dancing. The quality of individual performance determines the craftsmanship.

8. Try on the images of inspiring dancers

A psychological life hack for those who have already mastered the steps, but still feel that there is not enough brightness and drive. Most are terribly afraid of being someone else's "clone". Here the action is the same as under the influence of hypnosis - the more you resist, the more you plunge into an altered state of consciousness.

With a high degree of probability, you are already dancing like someone else's "clone". A meaningful fitting of someone else's image is that you mentally take the image of the one who inspires you (inspiration is critical in this case) and "put on" yourself. Then you start dancing and trying to feel in general how it is to be able, for example, to be the best partner or the sexiest partner in a disco. This is much more difficult than it seems. But it works extremely efficiently.

9. Dance to offbeat music

Habitual rhythms keep you tight. Tango salon or speedy timba leave little room for experimentation and fantasy. Pattern dancing is always noticeable and is reserved for beginners.

The truly new is born outside of the usual. Look for places to experiment. If there is no place, organize self-training. The main thing is not to get carried away, because music determines the style. We bring something new to pair dances, rather than trying to change them.

Search, improvise, don't be afraid to go beyond, develop in different directions, be inspired by music atypical for the style

10. Try your hand at basic dance directions

dances exist according to their own non-choreographic laws.

This is the deepest delusion, which has turned into a ceiling for the qualitative development of partner dances. After all, all professional dancers, for example, in salsa or bachata, build their ideas on the basic choreographic principles.

Do not think that choreography is only applicable on stage. Any meaningful movement of the body can be choreographic. In general, try classical or modern choreography. Basically, hip-hop can work too.

11. Look for battle sensations

Pair dances return us to an active position of manifestation of our body. As in the days of our ancient ancestors, we impress the members of the opposite sex by how dexterous, hardy, sexy, etc. we are. Modern laws of the jungle in the entourage of big cities.

If you look around the dance floor, it becomes clear that the majority are clearly herbivores (not in the sense of vegetarians, but in relation to those around them). I am sure that predators are always more interesting in terms of the attractiveness of the image - try to find a counterbalance among herbivores, for example, a cat woman or a lion man.

The conversation is about an internal position, not about aggressiveness. Lability and lack of control are inherent in adolescents, and not in adult self-sufficient people.

Accordingly, even a training or friendly battle gives, on the one hand, practical skills - to make a bright sequence of movements, bring an idea to a climax, show a spectacular feature, on the other hand, develops the psychological basis of the dance - self-confidence, resistance to extraneous attention, self-control and self-control in complex elements.

12. Communicate with professionals

The environment shapes the internal position. Basically, real passionaries of the dance community are ready to openly talk, discuss and support the development of dance in every possible way. Universal principles and the ideas they articulate have a much longer and more practical perspective than meets the eye.

Accept that, for example, behind the words "listen to your partner" is not only a beautiful metaphor, but also a practical skill to literally listen to your partner. At the same time, always treat every thought, even the most respected teacher, as a private opinion.

Your skill will lie in finding the scope of the idea even in conflicting opinions. Most often, the contradiction is speculative and the truth lies in the angle of perception or situationality.

Your dancing growth will stop sooner or later. This can happen at the level of three basic steps or years of experience in teaching and show performances. Regardless of your level, the suggested 12 life hacks can get you off the ground and greatly accelerate your dance growth. There is no way here without your motivation and activity. Take your dance development into your own hands. 9Ol000 Dangerous sexuality

Salsa: destroyers of stereotypes

Couple dancing as a source of strength.

Self-destruction of the couple dance community

The Salsa series as a mirror of the community

Mamita Fridays: salsa, bachata

Destroying the myths about leading pair dances

Does dancing make us better?

The seven deadly sins of teachers

Why we will never dance bachata like the Dominicans

Why tango?

Dispute over musicality

Selection of dances according to alcohol preferences

Where to find inspiration for dancing?

Terrible tango nuevo

Distribution of roles in a salsa party

Argentinean tango through the eyes of a salsa dancer

Is there a predisposition to dancing?

Which is more effective: individual or group lessons?

Sexual overtones in pair dances

where to start your journey into the world of beauty

Once upon a time, ballroom dancing was taught from an early age, not knowing how to waltz was considered shameful. Today, the classics are back, the ability to dance will come in handy at the reception, and at a romantic date, and at a wedding.

Which of the girls in childhood did not dream of sliding along the parquet in a waltz, like Cinderella or Natasha Rostova? The era of balls has passed, but there is always the opportunity to feel like a princess. And this is not a fairy tale, not a fantasy, but ballroom dancing, where to start learning depends on your preparation, age and place of residence, but desire should always come first! Plunge into the world of charm and you will see how life will be filled with new notes.

1. Dance history
2. There are no old couples - there are seniors
3. What you need for classes

Dance history

Ballroom dancing, according to the classical definition, must be paired. A man and a woman communicate in the language of movements: either passionately and passionately, as in the Latin American rumba and samba, or stiffly and coldly - in the European standard.

The familiar term "ballroom" came from medieval Europe, where it referred to non-professional secular dances. And only in the twentieth century did dances with African and Latin American roots penetrate into the ballroom group.

In 1920 in England ballroom dancing turned from a pleasant pastime into competitive dancing. It was then that, at the official level, the Ballroom Dancing Council divided them into groups: sports, in which contests and competitions are held, and social ones. Until 1950, five Latin American dances were gradually added to the European fast and slow waltzes, foxtrot and tango.

Since then, two directions, two competitive programs have been actively developing: European and Latin American. And to this day they are the base in the training of dancers.

There are no old couples - there are seniors

You can start dancing at any age. Of course, you can become a professional provided that you got into this sport in early childhood. However, as in sports, there are Olympic champions, and there are those who practice for themselves, for the soul. In this case, the main thing is desire. If you want to dance, dance!

If you live in the city, contact the Palace of Culture, clubs, fitness centers. Surely there are several different studios, sections in which lovers of waltzing are engaged. Groups in them, as well as in competitions, are divided by age.

Children start dancing at the age of 4-5, and this group corresponds to the standard "Children 0". And the “oldest” ones dance in the “Seniors 4” group, in which the youngest partner is 80 years old or more. There are twelve age groups in total.

Of course, it's great if you have a training partner. Its absence is most often the stumbling block, due to which the impulses of the soul remain unfulfilled. Good dance schools will help you find a partner, or they will offer you to study with specially invited professionals. Most likely, this service, like others, is not free.

By the way, ballroom dancing is expensive. Gorgeous concert costumes, professional shoes, well-groomed appearance, chic hairstyles and makeup - all this takes time, effort and money. But it's worth it.

An indescribable feeling when in an exquisite ball gown emphasizing femininity and fragility, you slide along the parquet to the enchanting sounds of a waltz. Or you “light up” in the jive, completely surrendering to the rhythm and pressure of the music.

What you need to practice

So, if you want to practice ballroom dancing for the soul, you first need to find a dance school. Next, you will need shoes with a medium stable heel. Of the clothes in training, it is better to have not trousers, but a classic short skirt and a light, tight T-shirt. Even at rehearsals, you should feel like a lady, and your partner - a man. For concerts, if any, dresses can be borrowed from the wardrobe of clubs, theaters, or rented.

Another thing is if you live in a small village, town, where there is not even a dance club. No problem. Buy or download video tutorials and practice on your own at home. Involve your friends in this, it will be more fun.

Of course, in a small room, in an apartment, it is difficult to perform a full-fledged waltz tour, but the Latin American program is danced practically on the spot. And "Cha-cha-cha" or "Jive" is a great solution if there is no pair.

Thanks to ballroom dancing, like oriental dancing, plasticity, a sense of rhythm, and self-confidence develop. Even walking will be different. Reminds me of the Dirty Dancing movies. Here is an example of how non-professionals became the stars of the dance floor due to their desire to dance.

Start by learning the simplest movements. Mandatory warm-up, then learning individual elements. And you combine everything into a single complex of movements, the dance itself.

By the way, competitions have strict rules regarding “access” to program movements. Some elements are allowed to be included in your program only when you are at a certain level according to the classification of dancers.

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