Originally posted by cserpent:
I need some good advice on how to go about learning to dance - **EFFECTIVELY**. I'm 30, male, single, work full-time, have 2 years of experience from various, mediocre, expensive, dance studios, and can get through the basic figures of most dances. My technique is poor, and I'm not happy with my dancing. My goal is to be able to dance nearly perfect "basics", in 6 or so dances. Please, help!
Good dancers spend most of their time perfecting "basics", so you are in good company. Lots of people are not happy with their dancing, but most of us keep working at it.
Should I be taking lessons at my local studio? Am I wasting my time? Would a college be better? A club? An independent instructor?
Do you have a local studio? Are the instructors any good? If yes, then go there. If not, keep looking.
A college or club might be better than a local studio, but they also might not be better. They will undoubtedly be cheaper, but that doesn't make them better. Check them out to see if there is anything available.
An independent instructor might also be a good possiblity, but how do you know if they are any good? Go to dances and ask the people who you enjoy watching where they learned to dance. If they all refer you to one teacher, you should try working with them as well.
As far as wasting your time, keep working and dancing, and enjoying yourself and it doesn't matter how long it takes to get where you want to be. Dancing is all about the journey to self-improvement. You never actually get there, you just keep climbing little hills to find that there are begger hills, with better views, further along.
How important is it to have a regular dance partner?
If you are planning to dance competativly than a dance partner is very important, especially since you can't compete without one!
If your goals are more social oriented, one partner will just slow you down. You are a 30 year old guy who likes to dance, you could probably find several women who would love to practice and dance with you. Each of them, and every other person you ever dance with, will feel and react differently to what you lead, and practicing with multiple partners will enhance your ability to lead new partners.
How important is it to work on my own?
You are always working on your own stuff, even when you are dancing with a partner, so it is very important.
But your question was really about practicing by yourself, and that is also very important. Working on your own footwork, and technique without the distraction of another person can be very helpful.
Should I use videotapes?
Should you buy instructional tapes, or videotape yourself? Videotaping yourself is a great idea because you will be able to see what you are doing. A warning, though, one of my teachers once warned me to always look for three good things the first time you watch a tape, and only after you've found them do you start picking at all the "bad" stuff you did.
Buying videotapes may or may not be a good idea, depending on how good the local teachers are in your area. If there aren't any teachers, of if they aren't able to teach what you need, then videotapes are a fine idea. However, if you have access to good local instructors, you should use them because they can give you feedback on what you are dong, and videotapes cannot.
Of course if you've got the time and money, buying tapes as well as using local instructors could be very effective. You would get your live contact, as well as the teaching style and information from the tape-teacher.
Should I build routines?
Yes and no. You should build routines to do in competitions, and you might want to build routines so that you can remember all of the different steps that you know for each dance.
However, using routines won't always work because there will be other people around you, and they won't necessarily move out of your way at the correct times. Leaders need to be flexible enough to change patterns partway through a routine without falling out if time with the music. Also, if you always dance the same routine, no matter what the song, partners will recognize that, and be less interested in dancing with you.
How many dances should I work on at once?
Well, you can only really work on one at a time, but you could certainly work on several in the same day. Work on whatever you "need" to work on, especially with the advice of your instructor. Sometimes the same technique can be used for several different dances.
How do I know when I'm ready to work on cuban motion?
You know what cuban motion is, so you are ready to start working on it now...
How many hours should I work per week?
You should dance as many hours as you can without buring out. Dance at least a little each week, more if you can. Do social dancing to keep the enjoyment going, do group classes to work on patterns and meet people, do private lessons to work on technique, practice by yourself when you can.
Can someone that KNOWS what they are talking, and that has been in a similar situation, please provide some guidance. What should I make a priority? What WORKS? Thank you!
Your priority, in my opinion, should be to keep having fun with your dancing. Keep practicing, and learning, and improving, but keep having fun.
