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Dancers wearing black

Men…3 Reasons Why You Should Learn to Country Dance

Is there a girl that you see every weekend at your favorite Country bar that you wish you had the nerve to ask to dance? If you’re shaking your head “yes”, then now’s the time to get those Country dancing skills in place so you can sweep her off her feet someday soon.

Of course, you could just keep going back week after week and watch her be twirled around by other guys who know how to Two Step and Swing dance, and do it with confidence, but that would really suck, right? I would say so. So let’s explore what dancing will do for you, and your experiences to your favorite Country bar from this point forward.

Dancing Builds Confidence

Well, it’s not actually the dancing itself that builds confidence, but it’s knowing how to dance well that makes you feel confident anywhere, anytime. How cool would that be? Think about it. Wherever you go, from a wedding to a night out with friends, you can grab anyone and show her a great time. That is quite empowering, wouldn’t you say?

I bet you’re wondering how you gain the skills to sweep her off her feet. Simple. With Country Dance Lessons, of course! Country Dance Lessons for Beginners are a wonderful way to begin the process of learning how to lead on the dance floor, and how to do all of the fancy moves that you see others doing so effortlessly. And, if you make the investment into Private Country Dance Lessons, you will get much more in the way of technique and detail so you’ll have the moves in a much shorter amount of time. Even better!

With your newfound sense of assurance on the dance floor, you’ll have the ladies lining up to dance with you before long!

Meet New Friends

Once you’ve got the tools you need, you might as well get out there and use them as often as possible! Be sure to ask a variety of partners to dance to perfect your lead and meet all sorts of new people as you hone in on your Country dancing skills, and kill two birds with one stone!

Relieve Stress

Being active, connecting with others and improving in your hobbies…that’s what it’s all about! Country dancing is an incredible outlet after a long week at the office, filled with meetings and paperwork. Go burn off some steam by Two Step dancing into the night…it’s much more fun that the treadmill!

 

Are there any other benefits to knowing how to Country dance other than gaining confidence, connecting with others, learning a cool new skill and relieving stress? Believe it or not….yes! There’s so much more that social dancing can do for you! To see for yourself what you can gain by knowing how to social dance, take your first step into your local dance studio for adults today. Yes, it can be a bit intimidating, but you’ll be so glad once your entire world has shifted for the better! You’ll be dancing through life knowing that you have a skill that most people only wish they could do.

Life is better when you’re dancing

8 Cringe-Worthy Habits of Untrained Social Dancers

adult dance lessons in arizonaHow many times have you gone out dancing and been stepped on, kicked, pushed, or simply disregarded on the dance floor? If your answer is even once, that’s one time too many. These days, it can be not only intimidating to go out social dancing, but downright dangerous! In this blog, I’d like to share my opinion of some of the most cringe-worthy behaviors of social dancers, and what you can do to change those habits if you happen to be guilty of them yourself.

As has always been the case, the majority of those who go out dancing, be it in Country bars, Latin dance clubs or even at weddings, are untrained dancers. Let’s face it, the average person does not invest in Private Dance Lessons before they go out dancing, which is why many mishaps occur in the first place. A least they’re going out and having fun, right? Agreed! I give anyone who goes out dancing major props for having the courage to step on to the dance floor without any experience. It’s scary to even ask someone to dance, let alone be expected to know what you’re doing…and it takes a lot of gumption to try something new.

The thing is, when you’re dancing in a social setting like a bar or party, bad habits can develop, mainly from what I call “the blind leading the blind”. Example…A couple tries something they saw one time on YouTube that looks “so cool”. The twosome watching from the sidelines wants to look awesome too, so they copy couple #1. From there we end up with the trickle down effect where everyone is simply mimicking each other, yet no one has a clue how to do the dance move correctly. Following others, especially in partner dancing, without training and practice can lead to trouble, big time!

This is just one instance of a bad behavior gone wrong. Let’s go into some other acts that may cause you to cringe too. Starting with…

Stepping on other people’s feet.

Ouch! Who likes to come home with high heel marks on the top of their feet after a night out Salsa dancing? What about a Cowboy boot landing on your toe? That hurts like no other. Trust me, I speak from experience. Being stepped on is unfortunately a common experience when you’re out social dancing. It can be avoided, though, if you keep a proper dance frame when you are leading or following. If either person’s frame is not in tact, you will inevitably drift too close together, putting those precious toes, and your pedicure, at risk.

You can also avoid stepping on other dancers by keeping your feet underneath your body. Social dances like Country Two Step, Swing, Salsa and Argentine Tango are done most often on a crowded floor, so if your feet are up in the air and not tucked underneath your body, you may end up injuring someone. In Private Country, Latin or Swing dance classes, you will learn helpful tips like these to make social dancing that much more fun!

Not dancing on time with the music.

How frustrating! Your favorite tune comes on. The tempo is obvious and clear, yet he is dancing to the beat of his own drum, so to speak. It is the man’s/leader’s responsibility to listen to the music and keep you as a couple on time, so guys, ask your dance instructor for ways to hear the music. That way you can begin enjoying dancing to the music, and not fighting against it. It really does make quite the difference, especially when you’re dancing with someone who feels the beat.

Yanking instead of leading.

Did you know that leading a lady on the dance floor involves finesse? The lightest of touches can give her just the right cue to get her to go where you want her to be. In a previous blog, I go into the “Less is More” concept behind being a great lead on the dance floor. Check it out. Yanking her arms out of their sockets like you may see often in the local Country bars can not only be unsafe, but it is truly unnecessary (not to mention rude). Think of “inviting” your partner, not “making” her go. It really will make all the difference in her experience, and hopefully get you another dance with her later in the night.

Expecting him to do all the work.

As a woman, this bothers me. Ladies, we are not meant to be limp noodles waiting to be tossed around. We have a role on the dance floor too. That is to maintain a proper frame-even in social dancing-and make sure that we are lead-able. OK, that’s not a word, but you know what I’m saying, right?? Don’t make him work so hard. Partner dancing should be fun and relaxed, not work in the traditional sense. Remember that ballroom dancing (including all partner dancing-Salsa, Swing, Two Step, etc.) is a conversation between two people. One of you can’t be yelling while the other one has her ears plugged. Acting and reacting, non-verbal communication, that’s what it’s all about.  Again, you can learn more about this with one-on-one dance instruction. These concepts are integral to being a self-assured social dancer.

Not asking for a dance, and not saying “thank you” at the end.

Communication. This is what dancing is about, as I said. Please don’t feel that, because you’re a good dancer, you can grab any woman and starting spinning her around. Ask her first, and let her accept before bringing her on to the dance floor. It’s easy to get caught up in the moment and just pull someone onto the floor, but it’s much nicer to get her permission first.

Ladies, please thank him for the dance, even if you didn’t have the time of your life. It’s scary to ask someone to dance, and then try to recall the moves you know. The first few times he tries, he may freeze up and blank out. That’s normal, so girls, be kind. You may be his first dance ever. What an honor, rather than a punishment. Your “thank you” will go a long way.

Appearing to be bored by him.

To follow up from my previous point, ladies please do not roll your eyes if he does the same three moves over and over again. Please do not stare off into the crowd like you can’t wait for the song to be done. I can assure you, he’s doing the best he can. If you’d like him to want to improve, look for something to compliment him on. It will mean a lot and most likely motivate him to want to lean more. You never know. You could run into him six months later, and after some dance lessons under his belt, he could come in and sweep you off your feet! How exciting would that be?!

Wearing the wrong shoes.

Looking your cutest does matter, but if you’re planning to cut a rug, put on the proper dance shoes for the occasion. Latin dancing requires a heel with a strap around the ankle so your feet are protected. Country dancers, throw on a pair of boots and you’ll be good to go. Flip flops and sandals do not make for good dancing shoes and can detract from your cuteness in no time flat.

Doing the same dance to every song.

This is different from above, where I wrote on being off time with the music. There are many dancers out there that only know one dance. Country Two Step, for example. Suddenly, every Country song, be it fast, slow or medium tempo, is a Country Two Step. That’s just not the case. If Country dancing is your thing, great! Explore 4-5 main Country dances in your lessons so that you can be prepared for any speed of music that is played.

Same with Latin dancing.  Merengue music and Bachata music are both Latin based, but are very different in terms of feel and speed. Therefore, learning several Latin dances will only be to your benefit when going out social dancing, so all of your bases are covered.

If you’re guilty of any of the above mishaps on the dance floor, it’s OK, you’re not alone! Now that you know better, you can do better, right? Dance lessons will help to iron out a lot of common mistakes, and get you on the right track to becoming an awesome social dancer. So, contact your local dance studio for adults to get started. In the meantime, which one of the above can you improve on? I’d love to know!

 

 

 

A group of people country dancing

How To Be Approachable For A Dance

Country Western dance lessons near Chandler ArizonaSo this Friday you’ve got plans to hang out at your favorite Country bar with the girls. How fun! What’s even more exciting is that there’s live Country music there on the weekends. Sounds like the perfect opportunity to Country dance the night away! What a great way to relieve some stress after a long week at work. For some reason, though, you always find yourself heading home without even dancing once. Boo!

Have you considered that you may not be making yourself noticeable to be asked for a dance? Are you  tucked away in a corner behind the bar, far away from the dance floor? Maybe you want to dance but you’re afraid of what will happen once you get out there. If so, you’re completely normal! Country dancing, with all of the cool moves, dips and tricks, can be intimidating for sure. Then again, if you don’t ever get out there and give it a try, you’ll be missing out on all the joys that social dancing can bring. Take it from me, that would be a real bummer! Here are a few of my favorite tips that will help you to be more approachable for a dance.

 

  1. Stand closer to the dance floor. “Wallflowers”, it will be hard for him to see you if you’re off in the distance, so get close enough to the dance floor so that he knows you’re interested in being invited out for a dance. Again, this may feel a bit scary because you have no idea of what’s about to happen once you do get on the floor, but at least you’ll have a chance to dance if you can be seen
  2.  Making eye contact with someone who seems to be a great Country dancer won’t hurt either. Scope out the room and see who you’d feel most comfortable dancing with, then shoot him a look. Maybe he’ll pick up on your interest and take you out for a spin. Warning: Once you get out there, you may not ever want to leave the dance floor! Dancing is highly addictive, but in such a great way!
  3. Take Country Dance Lessons. Once you know how to turn and spin with confidence, you’ll want to put yourself out there. With a series of Private Dance Lessons under your belt, your confidence will soar. You will get all of the in’s and out’s of how to be a great follower with one-on-one instruction Country Dance Instruction, and you’ll want to show off your skills, so get going with lessons and put yourself out in the mix.
  4. Lastly, be proactive! There’s no rule that says we ladies need to sit back and wait to be asked for a dance. You’ve put in the time to learn to Country dance, and you see a few guys that seem to know what they’re doing, so why not ask one of them for a dance or two? Just by asking for a dance, you can take control of your night and meet some new friends in the process. It’s a win/win!

Now that you know the steps you can take to be more approachable for a dance, it’s time to take action! If you reside in Phoenix, Arizona, you can get the ball rolling with social Country dance lessons from us at Dance FX Studios. Our adult dance studio is located in the East Valley, just off the 101 highway, for your convenience. We can help you to look fantastic for that next time you and the girls get together at your favorite Country bar, so give us a call today!