There’s a saying in the dance world that sums up this blog on how to be a great dance student, and I’d like to start by sharing it with you. We say that beginner dancers show up to intermediate dance classes, intermediate dancers attend advanced dance classes and you will always find the most advanced dancers in the beginner dance classes. “Why are the dancers of the highest level showing up to beginner dance lessons?”, you may be wondering. Well, it’s an interesting thing when you realize that the “gold” in dancing, be it ballet or ballroom, is in the basics. Without a solid foundation, we cannot actually become competent dancers. That being said, here are a few more tips from me to you on how to be the best student you can be so that you can get the most out of each and every dance lesson.

To start, let me say that I have been a ballroom dance instructor for over two decades here in the Phoenix East Valley of Arizona. My regular readers know that I, along with my husband, own Dance FX Studios in Mesa, a social dance studio that offers private dance lessons to couples and singles across the valley. We teach Latin, Swing and Country Western dances to adults who want to gain confidence, relieve stress, add romance, and learn a new hobby.

I have literally trained thousands of couples and singles and over the years, I began to realize early on that the one thing that stands in the way of developing into the social dancers we have always wanted to be is ourselves. We stand in our own way, or in the way of our partner unfortunately, when it comes to being awesome social dancers. A recent example of this came about just a few days ago, although I could probably site an example daily, if not hourly, on how this happens. We had a single male student who was doing an incredible job in his Country dance lessons at the studio. In fact, he was feeling so confident that he grabbed a few buddies and went out to Country dancing over the weekend. He came back a few days later completely defeated. Apparently he was told that he had no idea what he was doing by someone who has never had formal instruction. She felt the need to tear him down because she wasn’t able to adapt to his style. He bought into this nonsense and now he doubts his ability, but worse, he doesn’t feel capable of learning how to dance. How sad! Rule number one in my book: Never let anyone tell you what kind of dancer you are (unless you’re seeking positive and constructive feedback from your professional instructor).

Rule number two: Believe in yourself. When you walk into a dance studio for the first time, it is very intimidating. People are Salsa dancing over there, and Swing dancing on the other part of the floor, and you’re sitting there thinking that you could never do that. You can! Don’t start with a negative mindset or it will be that much harder to break through the basics and make real progress.

Rule number three: If you want to grow, leave your excuses and insecurities at the door. This is a tough one. It’s natural to come up with “why” we aren’t getting a certain move in any given dance. Forget the whys. Let’s see how we can make it happen so that you can start to make sense of this new language called dance.

On that note, Rule number four: Come in with an open mind and forget your preconceived notions. You won’t know how well you will do on the dance floor unless you let go of what you think may happen and be open to what is actually taking place. Just because you’re a doctor, that doesn’t mean that you’ll be a quick study on the dance floor. Conversely, if you’ve always felt gawky, you may turn out to be very graceful on the dance floor with some guidance through formal instruction. Don’t stand in the way of your own success by starting your Swing or Salsa dance lessons with limiting beliefs.

My final rule, Be humble. Know that there is always more to learn, hence the advanced dancer who attends a beginner’s dance class so he can re-visit the basics. You’d be surprised at how much faster you will grow in your dancing when you come from this mindset. It’s OK to not be perfect, remember it’s the journey that matters more than the destination.

If you’re considering exploring cool social dances like Country Swing, Two Step or Salsa dancing, go for it! With proper training, anyone (yes, anyone) can learn to dance. And, if you live here in Phoenix with us, we love to help you reach your dancing dreams at Dance FX Studios. We will make learning to social dance a fun and easy experience for you so that you can shine on any social dance floor.