hello I am 45, 5'0", 125 lbs (would love to lose about 5-10 lbs) and have been looking for some FUN way to exercise to get fit and feel great! I think DANCING may be the way to go! I found a stuido near my home and gonna check it out tonight! Tonight is Salsa Tuesday! I am so excited! My cousin started taking lessons and she looks fantastic! I don't think I can devote the time she has but I think if i stick with it, I will truly feel and look great! So.. i found your board and hope to get some encouragement! (Will register next time.) Thank you! =o)

Welcome to the dance world. Bunch of friendly people on this board if you have questions.

Enjoy

Hi! I went to check out the studio last night. Very nice setup - lights, mirrors, music. However, I am disappointed! The dance instructor spent too much time "giving instructions over and over" plus he showed us too many steps too quickly. I plan to go back again and give it another chance and perhaps share my thoughts if it seems no one is getting the steps. Any comments? =o)

I began dancing when I was 60 years old. In order to remember steps, I have to write them down (I developed my own shorthand notation), and I have to videotape my lessons. Otherwise my wife and I would be lost.

That said, it sounds to me as though you should speak to the instructor. Maybe that class is not really a beginner class.

Also, take a look at the videos on this website. I'd steer you to the Rhumba steps in the Learning Center, since that's a good basic dance, and you can get up to speed quickly in it. Furthermore, many Rhumba steps and patterns have analogs in other dances so for example, if you get comfortable with a box step or a "5th position break" in the Rhumba, you will greet them as old friends when you encounter them in other dances.

Jerry

Hi Mag
Some people are very slow to pick up new things, and your dance instructor, who i'm sure has given these lessons before, has probably learned from experience. You will probably find that, at the next class, many people will have forgotten the steps and they will have to be gone over again. Don't lose heart over it. If you pick up the steps easily, just concentrate on practising them until they become natural.
The "too many steps too quickly" effect is very common. Once again, your instructor is probably trying to keep everyone happy. My experience of group classes is that people expect to be able to do all the fancy steps overnight, with no effort at all!! If the instructor spent time on more subtle technique with basics(which would eventually make you a better dancer) a lot of people would come away from the class saying "well - we learnt nothing".
Stick with it - you'll get a lot of fun and if you learn quickly and practise, you'll progress to become a good dancer

If you can, also check out other studios in your area. It is a good idea to take lessons from a variety of instructor at the beginning to see with whom you are comfortable and what dances you like/want to do.
Don't forget independent instructors etiher. A bit harder to find but they do group classes as well.

Are the classes progressive (first week is the basic step, second week a slightly harder step) or are they on going (instructor shows a different step each week)? If the classes are progressive then find out when the series begins again. If they are on going you would definately need to go somewhere else to get the basics. If you go back, ask other people in the class what they think of the instructor and if they are not getting the steps, why not? Ask about other instructors. Once you start taking classes you'll find that other students know of other instructors. They will tell you who they think is a good instructor.
Another place to consider for lessons is the local high school or college. I started with adult ed classes at night at our local high school. They taught the basics in 6 or 7 dances. It was a great place to get started and is usually inexpensive (I think it was $40 for 8 lessons). The only down side is you may be required to have a partner.