Our studio focuses on social partner dances, like Country Two Step, Salsa dancing and Swing dancing. Learn today.

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Local Country Dancing AZ

Social Dancing Etiquette for Country Dancers

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rsz_1rsz_1dsc05426I’m sure you’re wondering why we don’t teach any flips or dips in our Mesa, AZ dance studio. You see people doing them all the time when you go out Country dancing especially, so why aren’t we showing them to you? Well, we have some pretty good reasons why we avoid them.

Our studio focuses on social partner dances, like Country Two Step, Salsa dancing and Swing dancing. When you are out socially, it is of primary importance that you are mindful of others. Flips, dips and tricks not only require lots of space, but can be very dangerous to onlookers, or fellow dancers. Rather than tossing our partners around, we recommend learning to dance with all 4 feet on the ground (his and hers). We love to teach, and would encourage you to learn, practical dance moves that are not only safe, but will help you dance with anyone at your local bar, or even at a wedding or other special event. When you see couples who are doing flashy moves, it is most likely they can only do them with the people they practice with. They can’t dance with anyone else in that way because any move that both you and your partner have to memorize is considered choreography. At Dance FX Studios, we want you give you the tools to lead or follow anyone around any floor, not memorize patterns or flashy moves that are not able to be led or followed. Being in a social environment, these types of moves really should not be used at all and we strongly urge you not to try them.

Many couples who do the more eye-catching moves are often looked up to by novice (or non) dancers who truly do not consider the ramifications of a slip up. The couple may look flashy and cool, but they are really just getting in the way of people who want to social dance and enjoy each other. Plus, we would bet that they have unfortunately kicked somebody in the face before when they flipped their partner, or maybe their shoe flew off and hit someone… and if you trust someone to throw you in the air and they don’t catch you, guess what? You will end up falling on the hard floor, which most of the time is wood or concrete, and you could seriously get injured. Honestly none of the risks are worth the “cool” move. You aren’t on the set of “Dirty Dancing”…so relax.

The same thing goes for dips… We know traditionally people love to end a dance with a cute dip, but we like to save those for our wedding routines. Notice that we said routine. A routine is choreography; this is the only time we will teach moves like that… because technically, you will be on a floor to yourself. While it looks cute and romantic, do you really want your head that close to the dance floor? Or, being the male, do you want the responsibility of possibly dropping someone? What if you dance with someone you don’t know and they aren’t expecting a dip? All of those scenarios could seriously end up badly. Most importantly point, those moves aren’t made for a social situation and they should be left on the stage.

If you think you can’t look as cool as, or cooler than, that couple doing crazy stunts, you are so wrong. With Dance FX Studios’ New Student Offer for Beginner’s Dance Lessons,  we can show you tons of great looking moves in popular Latin, Swing and Country dances without having either of you lift anybody in the air. Join us in the fun!

Country Western dancing AZ

Tired of Your Gym Workout? Just Dance!

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Country Western dancing in ArizonaIs your gym workout same old same old, boring, boring, boring? Are you starting to skip workout days because you can’t look at that treadmill or stair climber again? Is your same weight training routine giving you the blues? Maybe social dancing is your new answer to “working out” while having fun. There are so many benefits to Swing, Latin and Country dancing, and one big one is getting in shape without even knowing it! Country Two Step or Salsa dancing is a great way to keep fit or stay fit. You might be shaking your head right now thinking, “No way… dancing?”, but our point is before you knock it, try it out!

Taking dancing lessons burns calories and is at the “target heart rate” for fat burning! That’s right, get both body fitness perks from just one activity!  Just a half an hour of Country Swing or Country Two Step, Cha-Cha or Argentine Tango dancing can burn 200 or more calories, making dance lessons your top choice for the best workout while having a blast. Of course, when you do end up dancing at your favorite Country bar or Latin club, being a great social dancer and knowing your way around a dance floor also benefits you socially!

Gain Cardio Endurance! Knowing how to dance, recognizing the appropriate dance for each type of music, means that you will also be out there for more than a few songs. Being a great leader or follower means that you will be called back again and again to the dance floor. When you are dancing for extended periods of time, especially to some of the faster or spicier dances, like Salsa, your heart rate goes up! By committing to dance regularly, your stamina and endurance will increase. This means an improved cardiovascular system for whatever activity you may find yourself doing.

Dancing improves coordination and balance. Taking dance lessons to know how to do a variety of popular social dances means learning dance steps which require new movements by your body. Learning to move well establishes a connection between the mind and body. Improving this mind-connection is important and will aide you in better performance for any type of other physical activity you do.

Elevates mood and strengthens memory! Dancing is exciting and so much fun! Like long distance running, but more entertaining, dancing raises endorphin levels! For these reasons and more, dancing is supported with clinical studies proving that dancing reduces stress. It also reduces depression! If you have a high-stressed job or stressful change in your personal life, why not try dancing twice a week? You will be surprised at how good you will feel during and after your dancing “workout”.

The thing you never get working out solo at a gym … person to person interaction! Learning different types of social ballroom dances like Bachata, Salsa, Tango, Waltz, and Country Two Step requires you to interact with a partner. Even group dance classes will require some interaction with others. When you go out to a club, getting on the dance floor means interaction with other dancers. When you are dancing with another person you are interacting on a physical level, as well as possibly making an emotional connection.

How great is that to getting all of these awesome benefits from one activity? Call Dance FX Studios in Mesa, Arizona today and start a workout plan that is more of a long term body and life-enhancing plan! Take advantage of our New Student Offer to spend an hour being taught person to person by a talented instructor. Why go through the routine of another gym workout? Start a dance routine that changes it up to exciting, fun skill that lasts a life-time today!

beginner Swing dance lessons

Two Left Feet? Relax It’s as Easy as 1, 2, 3!

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beginner Swing dance lessons ArizonaWhen you decide to start your new hobby, learning to dance Salsa, Swing or Country Two Step, you may get cold feet. We have had students sign up using our $25 New Student Offer, only to call each day before what they feel is impending doom and move their first appointment back and back!  Once they get here, though, they realize they had nothing to fear. In fact, they have a GREAT time and wish that they would have come in sooner.

Along your dancing journey, you may realize it takes a little time to get to looking smooth and natural on that dance floor. Just like the first time you committed to dance lessons and walked in to your local dance studio in Arizona, have no fear and keep plugging along! Remember your goal of being a versatile social dancer and that knowing how to dance is a timeless and extremely useful skill.  However if ever you feel like throwing in the towel before your mission has been accomplished, here are a few tips to get you back on track:

Don’t over-think your dancing! Being stuck in your head has stopped many dancers with great potential from sticking with it. Obsessing over dance moves won’t make them sink in. In fact, constantly being in your thoughts and getting stressed out will make everything worse. The trick is to trust the music and your body. Those muscles do have memory! Relaxing and just letting your body go for it is the best course of action. You will be surprised at how much you actually retain during your private dance lessons with this attitude in mind.

Remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is your dance repertoire. Though Country Two Step dancing seems like a breeze, those out there who are stealing the spotlight, have put in their time training. While everyone would love to be great instantly, knowing how to dance just doesn’t happen overnight. Our tip: keep your dance lessons close together and practice as much as you can. This will speed you along both in retention and learning when it comes to owning those cool moves that will make you stand out in a crowd. If you only show up for your dance lessons one or two times per week, remind yourself that it will obviously take longer to become a competent social dancer.

Commit to your goal. This is a biggie! You have invested your time and financial resources to learning to dance. This is for you, a skill you have picked that will last you, or you and your partner, a lifetime. Decide to stay the course and see your dancing journey through to the vision you have for yourself on the dance floor. Stick with it and remind yourself that anything that is worth doing takes time and effort. Then, when you have that ball rolling, you’ll have people waiting in line to dance with you! (Trust us, this will happen.)

Have fun and reap the benefits! Social dancing has so many wonderful benefits, from weight loss to stress relief to improved balance and coordination, increased social life and even couples therapy! While you are probably creating one of the best investments that you can make in you, you are also doing this for fun! Enjoy it, dancing Salsa, Merengue, Cha-Cha, Foxtrot and Argentine Tango are all exciting dances to learn! Tons of fun! The benefit is plenty rewarding and the end result … a new and improved, proficient dancer, YOU!

So if you’re committed to learn to dance, you must also be committed to put some time and energy into creating that dream.  If you happen to live here with us in Phoenix, Arizona, we invite you to learn to dance from our school, Dance FX Studios, located in the Phoenix East Valley. We can help you to explore popular dances like Salsa, Country, Swing and AZ Two-Step. Our New Student Offer is the best way to get started for just $25! So get started now, relax, have fun and remember it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3!