Do you love to Latin dance? Me too! Whether I’m dancing Salsa, Bachata, Cha Cha or Merengue, I truly enjoy the freedom I feel when I’m Latin dancing. Latin dancing is playful, flirty, sensual and a great way to express yourself and let go of life’s worries, but it doesn’t always feel great when you’re a newer dancer. It’s very typical to not feel smooth and fluid in the beginning, so be patient with yourself, and your partner if you have one. Here are a few of my favorite tips so you can become a better Latin dancer in a shorter amount of time. Enjoy!

1. Focus on your frame. Leaders, although your footsteps and patterns can seem like a priority, Latin dancing, like all partner dances, can only feel comfortable with someone else when you have a great dance frame. We followers can’t feel what your feet are doing, but we can feel a loose frame that is not guiding us on the dance floor. In return, we ladies tend to try and “fill in the gaps” and lead ourselves, which takes away from your role as a leader, and frankly disempowers you completely. Never a good thing on the dance floor. So guys, focus on your dance frame first, then we followers can make you look great by being able to understand and follow what you’re trying to lead.

If you’re wondering what your dance frame should look and feel like, that’s great! I’m going to suggest signing up for some Private Latin Dance Lessons to make you a confident social dancer. Private Dance Lessons are the only real way, in my opinion, to get the detail and technique tips needed to thrive in partner dancing. Yes, Private Dance Lessons are more of an investment both time and money-wise, but you will get the results you’re looking for in a more efficient way that will last long term when you take the time to learn correctly from the start.

2. Keep it simple. Oftentimes beginner Latin dancers try to show off with the more flashy or “cool”-looking dance moves as a way to impress the person they’re dancing with. Guys, keep it simple. I firmly believe in the concept of “less is more”, especially when it comes to dancing. Once you know what your partner is capable of, and you’re sure that you have a great connection with her on the dance floor, then you can layer in some more advanced moves on the second or third dance with the same partner.

3. Be aware of your surroundings. If you don’t already know this, many Latin dances do not travel. Instead, they rotate in place on the dance floor, making Latin dances, like Salsa and Bachata, “spot” dances. That being said, it is key to be mindful of your surroundings. It would not be fun to dance with a person who runs you into others, right? That will happen unless you know what’s going on around you.

Keep your eyes up, leaders, dance within the space you’re standing in, and keep it nice and simple for your follower on the first dance, and you should be ensured at least a second dance, hopefully many more, with that beautiful woman you’ve been eyeballing. There’s really nothing more exciting, in my opinion, than dancing with someone. Social dancing, be it Latin dancing or otherwise, is a fantastic way to connect with someone new or someone special, so enjoy it! Keep on dancing and, to grow and be that leader or follower that you have always wanted to be, find a local dance studio near you to take some Private Dance Lessons. You’ll be so glad you did!