Posts

Learn Social Ballroom Dancing in Arizona 2014

Interested in learning to ballroom dance for your upcoming social events? Swing, Latin and even Country Western dancing is a wonderful activity that benefits people of all ages. Whether you have always wanted to learn to Tango with that special someone or just have fun with a variety of partners at a club, there are numerous benefits to integrating social ballroom dancing into your life. If you live in Phoenix, Arizona come explore some of the cool aspects of knowing how to dance with us at Dance FX Studios!

Did you know that social dancing isn’t just about learning the steps and listening to the music? It is truly a perfect combination of physical activity, social interaction, emotional well-being and mental stimulation.

Let’s start with the fact that dancing is a great fitness activity. Swing or Salsa dancing is an excellent cardiovascular exercise that uses countless major muscular groups, even those that do not often get used enough. With turns, quick steps, arm movements, and spins, ballroom dancing makes for a great workout that is a lot more fun than running on a treadmill! And, as you continue to dance on a regular basis, it also helps you to lose weight and stay fit. Dancing is an enjoyable activity, so you won’t be looking at the clock to see how much longer until you can bolt out the door.

Talk about relieving stress! Ballroom dancing is similar to meditation when you just relax and let yourself go, so there is no time to think about your troubles. As you enjoy dancing, your body releases endorphins, which produce positive feelings similar to a runner’s “high”. Just one vigorous dance session can eliminate stress more than a challenging exercise routine or even listening to upbeat music. Some consider it a holistic healing method since it focuses on the connection between the mind, body and spirit.

Another great benefit of social dancing is flexibility. This is an important part of being healthy. Ballroom and Latin dances like the Foxtrot or Cha Cha and require a good amount of flexibility. When dancing, you use a full range of motion for your major muscle groups. The greater the span of motion, the more your muscles will flex and extend. Most forms of dance require you to perform moves that involve bending and stretching, so dancers naturally become more flexible by simply dancing.

Now here is an advantage of social ballroom dancing that you may not have thought about- gaining confidence. When you learn how to dance, your whole outlook takes on a renewed sense of energy, motivation, and creativity. This confidence will begin to blossom after your first lesson, just by overcoming your fears and doubts by taking action to improve yourself. As you progress, so will your level of confidence in what you can do! This new self-confidence in your dancing ability will transfer to other aspects of your life as well, which may help to explain why dancers tend to possess self-confidence and an ability to enjoy themselves more in social situations.

And speaking of social situations, dancing is a wonderful way to socialize! Meet new friends and potential dance partners with confidence once you have skills on the dance floor. There’s nothing more attractive than a new friend with a cool hobby like knowing how to Salsa dance or do the Argentine Tango.

Improve your life in so many ways by learning to social dance. Before long, you will have the physique you have always wanted with the self-assurance to match. Private dance lessons in Country, Latin or Swing dancing are a great gift to yourself or those you love. It’s a new year and time to have some fun, so give us a call at Dance FX Studios in Arizona to begin your exciting transformation today.

Swing Dance Variations

What is Swing dancing and how many kinds of Swing dancing are there? Well…here they are!
  • Lindy Hop
  • Balboa
  • Collegiate Shag
  • St. Louis Shag
  • Jitterbug
  • Lindy Charleston
  • Eastern Swing
  • East Coast Swing
  • West Coast Swing
  • Western Swing
  • Boogie-woogie
  • Carolina Shag
  • Imperial Swing
  • Jive
  • Skip Jive
  • Modern Jive
  • Rock and Roll
  • Acrobatic Rock’n’Roll
  • Washington Hand Dancing
  • Push and Whip
  • Modern Swing
  • Mo-cathy or silly swing

After condensing all of these Swing dance variations, these are the ones that can be used most socially:

  • Lindy Hop
  • Balboa
  • Shag
  • East Coast Swing
  • West Coast Swing
About these dances:
Lindy Hop, the original swing, emerged in the 20’s to 30’s. It was followed Balboa and Shag-two dances that are also in the Lindy Hop family.
East Coast Swing, a simplified version of Lindy Hop and comes in triple, double, and single-time varieties. Single time is commonly referred to as Jitterbug, although the term “Jitterbug” originally referred to anyone who danced Swing.
West Coast is a more modern version of Lindy Hop with a different twist on the style. Originally, Lindy Hop dancers looked down on West Coast dancers, or “Westies” as they called them, and vice-versa. Now, dancers tend to appreciate each other’s styles a bit more.
So what is Swing? Swing is an always evolving and changing form of dance with lots of fun turns and exciting music to match. New versions of old dances are inevitable and the rabbit hole of Swing dancing goes as deep as you want it to.
Our recommendation? We recommend starting with either Jitterbug or West Coast Swing in private dance lessons for the fastest way to becoming a great Swing dancer. This way you can dance swing to a variety of music and have fun doing it.