Hi,

I just started ballroom dancing. I already have a partner who I want to practice with, but the question is where. The socials do not provide a great opportunity to learn. I had hoped that the studio would have just practice time where you can come in and practice with no music. However, this is not the case.

Where did you find a place to practice on your own?

Thanks a lot for all the input.

Hi dancer
It depends where you live. Unless you're very lucky, you will have to pay for the use of a hall. In the UK they have church halls - small halls closely linked to churches. THese halls are little used during the day, so this is perfect for dance practice.
Here in Ireland we have community centres and certain sports halls. But, sadly, you will have to pay.

We rent church halls all the time.

We usually pay $12.50 - $15 Canadian/hour for a private practice or teaching a lesson. (We have one at $7.50/hr but it's linoleum floor).

Churches raise the rate for for groups. We're used to paying $21 - $25/hour for groups.

OB

Operabob. Is there a draw back dancing on linoleum. We very often strike Vynal tiles, They are OK. We have even done a bit of practise on a surface which was a very harsh and very short piled carpet . It was very good to dance on. It was the type of carpet used in public places. I was told that in Italy it could be on a real tiled floor or painted cement. One coach said that in his opinion it is why Italian dancers are so strong in the feet and ankles.

Look for space, and then use it.

A room in the house (with stuff pushed back), especially for "in place" dances.

A basketball "court" on the side of the house (in nice weather).

In the "common room" of a facility for seniors. Visit a bit and then "entertain". There will probably be at least a few of the seniors who will be interested in watching you.

On travel, we've practiced in an otherwise unused exercise room and in unused and largely empty meeting rooms -- several times a portable dance floor was in place.

We do basic practise in 2 rooms in our basement. We run through manuevers, we are learning or technique we are trying to improve. Once we think we have the basics down, we do the manuevers when we go out dancing, along with the other manuevers we are allready comfortable.

Ironic thing is we built the room 27 years before we started dancing and called it the Ball Room. Meaning a room were our children were allowed to throw balls. Unforetunately the floor is a bit sticky, so practising some manuevers is very difficult. Our grandchildren like to use the room wearing just socks, so I don't want to change the floor.

Your studio doesn't rent floor time for practice? That's seems odd to me. I think most studios do. At mine, for $5, you can practice all day if you want, as long as you don't get in the way of lessons going on.

If there's a friendly atmosphere among the studios in your town, perhaps you can practice at another studio.

If you belong to a gym or the YMCA, they often have rooms with wood floors they use for exercise classes, but you could use them when no classes are scheduled.

Maybe you could see if a school gym or dance room is available to you.

Good luck!

Thank you everyone for your ideas. I'll try to find something. Ellen, $5 for the whole day would be great. Where are you, by the way? My studio charges $17/hr.

The linoleum floor in that particular hall is very sticky for sueded shoes so we only use it to teach beginners or in an emergency.

Then again, some halls over wax their wood floors.

Another possibility is to get a group practice going. I was at one on Wednesday night. It's a young fellow with a passion for WCSwing. He's renting a hall for 2 hrs. @ $25/hr and charging people $5 each. So far he's getting his 10 people so he's not losing anything.

OB

operabob. Have you tried putting Talc Powder on any floor that is sticky. I've done it on my cement floor in the garage. I only use old shoes though, and it was Rumbs Cha and Jive. It worked OK.