Tips to get the most from your dance lessons

Posted by Suzanne - May 6th, 2008

Tips to get the most from your Dance Lessons

Whether you are dancing competitvely, or purely for social reasons, you can help yourself get the most from your dance lesson by following some simple steps.

Timing – arriving to class

Make sure you get there early! This will give you the time to get your self “sorted out” without your teacher standing over you while you are trying to fasten your shoes! It can be quite stressful, when someone is waiting for you and this won’t help you get in the dancing mood.

What to wear to class

Layers – such as T shirts, cardigans or tracksuit tops are suitable for dancing. You can add and remove these easily as required throughout the lesson. You will see from watching programmes like “Dancing With The Stars” most professionals tend to prefer layering their clothes, so they can put on/take off as required, throughout the lesson – some dances make you HOT!

I have written before about shoes, but will say again – don’t fork out until you know you are going to stick to this! £60 shoes should not be bought lightly! When you do decide to buy, shop around. It might be a good idea to ask your instructor if he can suggest a good supplier. You will need to try shoes on. I know from personal experience that different styles have a different fit/width and you might need to go up or down a half size.

Don’t rush out to buy a competition dress either. There is a myriad of different rules for different grades of dancer – you don’t want to be disqualified because of Rhinestones being “banned” for your grade, do you?! There is also different “styles” of dress, for different dances – eg a Viennese Waltz dress will tend to be bigger and fluffier than one for a normal waltz. A tango dress will often have a high split, and a Paso dress tends to have a very full skirt, but only one layer.

Lots of dancers will buy a dressing gown type thing and a pair of slippers (honest!) for when they are sitting around waiting. Don’t go to M&S for these though! Look at sites such as DSI and Supadance. That’s the look you should be going for! They are not expensive and will really add to your “professional” look.

Warming Up

Think like a sportsperson, whether they are on a field, or in a gym, they will always do some warm up exercises to get their muscles and body stretched adequately. It is very easy to injure yourself going from a cold start to full action. A couple of good warm-ups to think about would be:-
• Rolling your head around (for neck),
• circling your shoulders, push them up and down,
• circle your ankles
• moving your hips from the joint forward and back.

Do these for a total of 5 minutes or so and you should find your body loosens up and dancing will be a lot easier, and will look a lot better!

Bring a bottle!

Bring a drink with you, but take small sips through the lesson – this will ensure that you keep hydrated, and also you will be less likely to need a toilet break than you would be if you downed it in one.

Social Dance Etiquette

You are here to have fun remember! The most important aspects to keep in mind are:-

• Whatever you do - do not criticise your partner, or make them feel bad for getting something wrong.

If someone asks you to dance, you should dance with them. It is only polite. You are not in a nightclub, its not that they want to take you home! If you really want to sit this one out, make sure you dance with this person later in the evening. It is also good practice for you to dance with new people – regardless of their level. You learn to be a better dancer from dancing with “good” and “not so good” partners, and make new friends on the way.

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