hi guys. a few weeks ago my friend convinced me to take a ballroom class with her at a studio near her house. i went with her and took the class (beginning salsa) and i really really liked it. i saw some people in the bigger ballroom practicing and i suddenly knew that i HAD to learn how to dance like that. they were absolutely amazing.
so i have continued taking the beginning salsa class with my friend. im still oving it, but the only problem is that the pace is so slow. i have been dancing ballet and jazz (and figure skated competitively) intensively since i was five years old, and because of all this training, i catch on to the steps muchmore quickly than do the other members of the beginning class, some of whom have never danced in their lives. i would take a more advanced class, but im afraid that they would all be much much better than i am.
so i was just wondering if anyone had any advice for someone like me who really really really wants to get into ballroom dancing but doesnt know exactly where to start. thank you so much!!!!!

i love both smooth and rhythm american style ballroom dance, but have no partner, with whom i can practice. i've had many years of private and some group instruction and am silver level. i have placed ads and asked instructors, even strangers. most folks think i'm an excellent partner. what's a body to do without a partner?

I've never had a partner, so I don't really know the advantages of having one specific partner. That doesn't matter to me very much, however, since my goal is to be the best social dancer that I can be, and (I feel) the only way to do that is to dance with lots of different partners as often as possible.

If your goal is to be a great social dancer, go to as many ballroom parties as possible, and dance with everyone.



If you are desparate to dance, keep taking group classes. You will get to dance with lots of people, and you will get to practice basic stuff. Just because the teacher is trying to get the new dancers to commit their weight to one foot that doesn't mean that is what you need to work on. You could be practicing rise and fall, cuban motion, or whatever your private lesson teacher suggests. Sure, lot's of your partners will suck, but maybe your dancing with them will bring them up to your level?



Are you looking for a competitive partner? Based on my second-hand knowledge your best bet as a new compeitor is to get a male partner who is not as good as you are, and train him to your level. Hopefully you will have some success with him so that other leaders will want to dance with you when a more-advanced follower takes him away. Then you go steal a lead from someone not quite as good as you are. (This is how partner switching was described to me by an amatuer competitor, anyway.)

Do you just want to go to competitions? Pro/Am competitions where you dance with an instructor might be another way to go. I'm sure any male teacher in your area would love to take on a Pro/Am student.

Do you want to be a great social dancer? Don't even try to find one partner. Find a few guys who might want to practice with you occassionally, and work with each of them when they are available. If you split the cost of private lessons with several guys and go to several teachers you will get lots of conflicting advice and skills, but overall you will get better than not dancing at all!



You could give up dancing. (Don't do it!)
You could move into non-partner dancing, like Tap, Jazz or Brazilian Samba. (But partner dancing is better...)
You could try to develop a stable of leads all of whom work with you once in a while on various steps/ patterns/ techniques. (I like this choice.)
You could pick one guy who is not as good as you are and train him to your level. (This could be very frustrating, however.)

Good luck!

Kevin

To charmingrose:

I share with you the situation you are describing: I have been trained to a gold level in one dance only (swing, including very advanced lifts/aerials) and I have also been trained in free style figure ice skating to a very advanced level and practiced it for 10 consecutive years. Whenever I take group classes in ballroom dancing, most of the time I feel I am waisting precious time; my background allows me to learn a lot faster than the learning pace of group lessons. Therefore, I have decided to learn at my own pace with a private instructor. This solution does not come without disadvantages: (1) It is very expensive, especially if you want to practice with your own coach. (2) For a male dancer, it does not allow you to polish your own leading skills, since most of the time, a female instructor tends to execute her part in a pre-programmed manner. For a female dancer, it accustoms you to the specific leading style of your male instructor, unless you periodically deliberately change instructors. (3) You cannot deliberately practice what you have learned from your instructor with dancers you meet casually in social dance settings. So, you must imagine a partner while you practice on your own. It can be done during the early learning stages (bronze level; maybe some silver), although it requires significant previous experience in dancing with an actual partner. (4) There is no real substitute for a real compatible partner, even though such individuals are hard to find (I have had an excellent one in the past, with whom I have reached top levels during national and international competitions; getting another one of the same caliper seems to be a one in a million afair).

With the arrangement I have chosen, I at least find some satisfaction in learning at my own pace. In parallel, I keep looking for a partner who has compatible attributes. Maybe I will find her; maybe I will not. At least, I am taking the chance while I continue to learn. So, in a group class setting, I am patiently scouting for a potential compatible partner. Maybe I will find one just like you. Who knows?

I hope that sharing my experiences with you is of some help.

You are fortunate that you have a background which allows you to learn ballroom dancing quickly and enjoyably.
If you REALLY REALLY want to be a good ballroom dancer, here's what you do:
1)Find a suitable partner - this isn't easy. Go to competitions....go social dancing...let dance teachers know you're looking for a partner...
2)Take private lessons - that way, you will progress in a way which matches your potential. Unfortunately private lessons can be expensive
3)Practise..practise..practise..
4)Plan some way to find the time that you will be devoting to dancing

but don't forget - you will have a partner

Ask the instructor if you are able to move to the next level. If they see that you are learning quickly and doing well, they should have no problem advancing you. If you find that the advanced level is too difficult, you can always move down again and work on your technique.

Start taking classes!

Decide what you want to do with your dancing. Do you want to be a great social dancer? Start taking American Style dance classes. Do you want to compete and perhaps go to the Olympics? Start taking International Style dance classes.

Talk to whoever is in charge at the studio where you are taking classes. They are in a much better place to help you decide what you should do next. (Don't sign any long-term contracts, though, make sure you are willing to make the time and money commitment.)

Take private lessons with any qualified (preferably nationally certified) dance teacher. If you can take lessons with whoever is teaching the group class you have been observing, that would be particularly useful.

Start dancing!

Kevin Laddison
kevin@FirstStepDance.com