Hi.
I am extremely new to ballroom dancing.
I having been taking lessons @ one of those franchise studios. The instructors are nice and all. I decided to sign for more lessons than my intial 8. I am probably on lesson #12 (includes my 1st 8) and I can't for the life of me remember all the steps to the dances that I told them I wanted to learn. I know the basic steps, but I get so upset that if someone asked me to do the cha-cha, I would have a blank look on my face.
Does anybody have any advice to help me w/ this frustration??!!?!

Elizabeth, as an instructor and student (all dancers continue their education) I can tell you even the quickest learner will forget steps taught.
My best advice is to figure out how you learn best. If it's visually, buy some tapes or DVD's through the studio. Write out the steps in a notebook or create an audio prompt you can say in your head. (ie for a cha-cha New York step say "step out, back, cha,cha,cha.)
Most of all be relax because you'll learn better that way and have fun.
Dana

Thanks a TON Dana & Sue. I truly appreciate your advice. I will try the things that you both have suggested. Does anyone have any hints on how to remember the basic steps, besides actually doing it. There are a few dances that I do know the baisc steps to, but the other dances I do not. Like the cha-cha...UGH. I have some down time @ work & I would try to work it out in my head @ my desk.

How long does it take for a newbie to look relatively smooth?

The only method I have found to work, is physical repetition of the steps, technique or manuever, shortly after the lesson. We took lessons for over 5 years and would always practise what they showed us, within 1 or 2 days. If I was having trouble with a new step, like swing chasse, I would work on it for a few minutes every day until I got it down.

Now we use videos. I review that video and than we work on the new manuever or addition/change to an existing manuever. Since I dance with my wife and we learned together. We can do new steps at dances and can do all the manuevers we have learned a few times, each week when we go out dancing.

Keep working on basic steps until you can do them without thinking. I've been dancing for 4 years now and I remember feeling the exact same way. In fact, I still draw blanks. I can hear my instructor in my head saying "but you know this!". You've only had 12 lessons and you can't expect to retain everything you've been shown. Go to the parties, practice and have fun. It will all come together!

Dear Newbie and frustrated, I was exactly in your shoes one year ago. Practice,practice ,practice what you remember from class or your lesson. I learn a lot from the videos on ballroomdancers.com! Check them out. Persevere like never before. Dance whenever you can. It will come.Enjoy!Debbie

Take notes immediately after your lesson. Figure out a way to describe the steps so you'll understand later, either in words or diagrams. If you find you can't remember right after the lesson, it would be worth taking the last five minutes of the lesson to have your teacher review the steps while you take notes.

Practice every day, even if it's just for a few minutes. The sooner you get the patterns into your muscle memory, the sooner you can stop thinking about them!

You don't say how many dances you've learned in 12 lessons, but maybe it's too many. Consider whether you might want to focus on a couple dances for your next few lessons and get them down more solidly.

Tapes--or the videos on this site--are also a big help for reviewing steps you know (it's harder to learn new steps from a video, especially if you don't have a partner to do them with).

Have patience with yourself! It takes a while for dancing to become part of your muscle memory. Practice will help speed that process up.

Elizabeth.
Tell me and I will surely forget
Show me and I might remember
Make me do it and I will surely
understand.
Dance not to dance better than
anybody else.
Dance to dance better than yourself.
Consentrate on things you have
controll over and not things you have
no control over. You have no control
over people who may be watching, or
the music , or the floor. Consentrate
on what you are doing and are being
taught.

THANKS EVERYONE FOR THE SUGGESTIONS!!!!

I will let everyone know how I do. I will stay postive & keep my frame up, I mean chin. hee hee

Hi everyone.
I have not been frustrated as much as when I first posted. I have been practicing a tad when I don't have lessons and just relaxing when I do have my lessons.

Still anxious on remembering the steps. I am trying to learn the following: Rumba, Foxtrot, Salsa, Waltz,Tango, & Cha Cha.

Any suggestions?