terence2,

I think you are saying something of vital importance.

I used to dance because I loved to dance. I pushed myself because I loved how I grew and changed. Now I'm dancing to fit someone else's ever shifting ever elusive vision of perfection. I need to get back to my roots and find the love I had and actually dance again.

Thank you. I always find you have such valuable insights.

I think you are a little confused on the " makeup " of dance in general.

Social does not necessarily imply that one cannot use it for Comp entries. On the contrary, most amer.style comps have their largest entries from the lower divisions.

As to technique.. you are correct that it IS necessary to apply this to all that you dance, at every and any level.. WHEN it is taught in depth , is a moot point.. much depends on how frequently one takes lessons and practices on a regular basis..learning basic structure, like direction, rhythms, and amalgamations in addition , developing your poise, posture and frame .. all are fundamental to your learning process, and one cannot apply technique, if you are unable to dance without first mastering basic concepts..

Every comp. dancer went thru the same process.. basics.. basics and more basics..

You have the normal frustration of all beginners.. remember,, dance is a marathon.. NOT a sprint..

You have the normal frustration of all beginners.. remember, dance is a marathon.. NOT a sprint..

Absolutely true. We see way too many beginners at our studio who want learn it all now. We teach American style in our group lessons. We believe technique is important but we also realize that people want to dance (and have fun) so we try to balance technique and steps. The first 6 weeks is spent on the basic steps and trying our hardest to get the dancers to stop looking at their feet and to stop imploding (when the arms slowly get closer and closer to their bodies until they are folded in on their chests). Leading and following is another major hurdle. Some pick it up the basics faster than others and if they want we will go into technique in more detail. We do not hold people back but we do know the dangers of giving too much info too soon.

drscience. The Social Foxtrot. We call it Rhythm Dancing . Could be learnt in about 15 minutes. Then strait onto the Quickstep for the rest of the lesson.Thats what we do.

You now have a general idea of what Ballroom Dancing is. (I would say you got your moneys worth.)

You should make a decission as to exactly what you want out of your dancing.

Do you hope to compete at a high level? If so, find a teacher who will work you very hard, and who will not allow you to, "cheat" in any way.

On the other hand, do you wish to be able to lead most women who have limited dance experience? If that is the case, you need a very different teacher. (If you want to lead lots of different ladies, you might have to adjust a little to each of them.)

Are you looking to have one partner, who is willing to go through the drudgery of practicing every day?

Or are you a person who wants to dance with lots of ladies? Are you a technician, or might you be an artist? (It is sometimes difficult for the artist to comform to every rule in the book.)

You have to decide what you want. Is it all about the music? Or is it all about how many figures you can memorize and lead?

There are no right and wrong answers to these questions. However, you must answer them before you find the right teacher for whatever it is that you want out of dancing.

A different country , possibly a different name. Rhythm dancing or the Rhythm Foxtrot is the one that has simular steps to the Basic Quickstep without any rise or fall.
We always teach this one first to a Beginners Class, but always, because this is a serious Dance School, we teach alignments starting diag to wall on the LF and make a quarter of a turn between steps 4 and 5.. Then complete the backward steps to face once again diag to wall. What we insist on is that we only turn after the step is completed and not to bend it by turning too early. This gives us precise clean lines. We are very carefull to teach that the person on the inside of a turn will take a much smaller step than the person on the outside of the turn and stay in the same position in relation to the partner. They learn this right at the beginning. All of this is imperative for other dances that will be taught later... So don't sell that old Rhythm dance down the river. It can be very important. It is also explained that dancing this dance in a confined space. like a Night Club or at a get together at home. The alignments will have to be bent to suit the environment.