Have you ever found yourself without a dance partner and desperately wanting to practice your playful Country Two Step or sexy Argentine Tango dance moves? Have no fear!!! There is always room for you as a student to come and practice your dance steps at Dance FX Studios in Mesa, Arizona! We welcome our students on the floor and encourage them to use the studio space to get some extra dance time in daily. If you are unable to make it out to see us on a particular day, however, you actually do have the perfect dance partner waiting for you at home! What do we mean by this? You have an ‘everyday item’ that is actually wonderful to dance with… your BROOM!!! Yes, I said your broom….Specifically the handle.

You may be scoffing, but read on a there are many reasons why a broom can be an excellent dance partner. First, it won’t talk back! 🙂 True, you won’t receive feedback (which is why it is important to make sure you also take private dance lessons to receive more information), but if you step on or drop it on accident, it won’t protest and, it will allow you to focus on something very important, your dance frame. As a dancer, it is imperative that you maintain a good frame. Why? Your frame is the point of contact that you have with your partner, which is what we call your lines of communication. Think about it, what do you expect when you pick up the phone and get frustrated with if it is faulty…the clarity of the line. If the sound goes from loud to soft, you tell the other person. If it begins breaking up on you, you move to another place or hang up and try again. In partner dancing, from Salsa dancing to Swing dancing, the communication is a little easier to control, because both parties are in the same place, and you can communicate verbally if needed. However, you don’t necessarily have the time to think about what is happening and get your point across, this is why we use non-verbal communication through the frame. At Dance FX Studios we teach different types of dance frames and connections between partners that are used for each dance so be sure to come in and learn about all of this before beginning your at-home dance journey.

Here is where the real reason for using the broom comes out…. It helps you to understand how to better maintain a frame that is communicative to your partner. Since the handle of a broom is stiff, it can better show you the flaws in your frame and it makes you work to maintain a connection. The best way to practice with the broom stick is to place it evenly in the crook of your elbows. I know you may want to hold it tightly so that you can “sweep it off of it’s feet” :), but this placement actually helps to bring your elbows in front of your body and create a movement that is easier for another person to follow.

Whether you have a partner or not, come learn how to be a confident social dancer here at Dance FX Studios. Come take advantage of our $25 New Student Offer and learn to Country dance, Swing dance, Latin dance, and even dance the Argentine Tango. In an hour-long private dance lesson, you’ll begin to get healthy dance habits from us right from the start!

You can even put on a fun tune that will enhance your experience of dancing with your new-found buddy: Billy Idol’s Dancing With Myself. His lyrics say everything: “Dancing with myself, well there’s nothing to lose and there’s nothing to prove; I’ll be dancing with myself.” So grab that broom next time you get the urge to bust a move and create a fun way to practice, improve yourself as a dancer, and pave the way for a great experience in dance!

Fun video of someone dancing with a broom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEoaN9qIxFs