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What should I wear to a dance lesson? You are not expected to dress up! Just wear loose, comfortable clothes
and avoid high heels and trainers. We can help you buy specialist dance shoes if you would like them, but they are not
essential for beginners. Click here to read a helpful article from Foothealthcare.com by nurse Honey Wesley, about choosing good shoes for
ballroom dancing.
I have
a health problem or disability and I’m worried it will affect my ability to dance. It depends on the nature of the health problem, but lessons can be tailored to suit, for example, people with
restricted limb movement. Contact us to discuss details and always check with your doctor before undertaking a new exercise
routine.
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All about Ballroom Dance. Click here to see Wikipedia's entry on the history and development
of ballroom dancing.
Ballet vs Ballroom? Click here to read Lisa Buckingham's Guardian article on the respective
health benefits of ballet and ballroom dancing.
The International DanceSport Federation
Click here to see the IDSF's webpages on all things relating to
competetive dancing, including the latest news on dancing as an olympic sport.
See our video tutorial for the Quickstep on VideoJug by clicking here.
See our video tuorial for the Waltz by clicking
here.
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I
don’t have a dance partner. That's not a problem. At most classes the
students like to swap dance partners during the course of the lesson, but this is of course voluntary.
How big are the classes? Numbers vary, but the largest
class size is currently around 20 people. Usually they are smaller than this.
I’m
an absolute beginner - will I be able to keep up in a class? Yes, teaching is
customised to take account of different students having different abilities within a single class. However, if you want to
‘test the water’ before coming to a class you could consider taking one or two private lessons first.
I just need to learn one routine to dance at my wedding or other special occasion. That’s
fine, just contact Martyn and he will choreograph a routine for your chosen piece of music, or teach you some basic steps
of your chosen dance. Whatever the occasion, you can learn to feel comfortable and look good on the dance floor.
How many lessons will I need?
It depends on your existing skills and what
your end goal is. Most absolute beginners can learn, for example, a waltz in around 5 hours of lessons. Other dances, such
as Argentine Tango usually take longer to pick up. All dancers are continually learning, and even when you’ve mastered
the steps there are always new routines and refinements to perfect your style.
click here to download our advice on wedding dances
Dance Guides
These ballroom and latin
american dance guides have been prepared as a teaching aid, to help students remember and practice the steps they are learning.
The powerpoint files are free to download. Just click on the links below.
Introduction
A brief history of ballroom dance
Directions on the dance floor
FAQs
Waltz
Cha cha cha
Quick Step
Foxtrot
Tango
Rumba
Jive
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