Hello,

Having often visited this website, now I also braved myself to ask you a question. I must begin with a short introduction, just to put you in the picture:

I am in my mid 40s and live in Poland (in Europe). With my soulmate we just love love LOVE the swing music and it was for years a big upset for me that I could not dance it. But there was just nowhere to learn.

Now, with so many changes around us, not much happened to the dancing scene.Unlike many other west originated crazes, the partnered dancing revival has not happened. Still, holidaying abroad occasionally, we have been jeaulously watching others having fun, and now we know our time is running short. Either we teach ourselves, or we shall never even know how it feels to respond to that music that we both love and feel so acutely.

Now finally my question: would you have some tips for the people who HAVE to do without teachers? Surfing the Web I often came up to see warnings that this kind of learning to dance actually harms and stops your budding skills. Anything one can do to at least lessen some of those potential problems? What if the choice is DIY or nothing at all? (NB I come from a family whose members have succeeded in learning to ski and to swim from BOOKS, so I guess in some circumstances it can be done.)

For two months now we have been learning Leroc French from a VHS cassette (another problem here: most dance material I have identified is American and therefore NTS, unsuitable for European players). It is such a huge enjoyment and fun I hope Never to stop learning.

For that reason, I would be so very grateful for advice, tips, suggestions, materials and thoughts. Have any of you been in a similar situation as "students" or maybe teachers at a later stage?

Thank you.
Mira

Mira--

Given your circumstances, don't worry about getting everything just right, just learn however you can and have fun with it!

If you get the chance to vacation often, you could try to always arrange a couple of professional lessons on your vacation. That way at least occasionally you can get some tips.

Here in the Midwest United States we sometimes struggle to find teachers as well. I have students who learn from video. Then they video tape their own dancing along with questions and problems they have, and they send it to me. I look at it, and make a video tape of myself and my partner demonstrating new steps, answering questions and speaking at length about the partnering techniques involved in the patterns. This works well for some people, and not so well for others.

Best of luck to you!! Have you thought about a dance cruise or dance workshop for a vacation idea?

ChampionDancesport KC