TIPS FOR NEW DANCERS


Tip #1)  DANCE WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE:

Dancing with the same person a lot is just fine, but if you do this exclusively, whatever "less than perfect" dance habits you may have developed are much more likely to get reinforced. You will be AMAZED at how different the lead/follow is from different dancers. If you start dancing with different people, you'll be much better prepared to go out and dance anywhere. Besides, dancing with new people is fun (mostly) and can be a great way to make new friends. Most advanced dancers are very pleased to be asked to dance by a beginner ---- don't be shy folks, and in 2005 it's perfectly fine for ladies to ask guys to dance.

Tip #2)  THE SECRET OF HOW TO ALWAYS BE ON THE RIGHT FOOT:

Do you find yourself stepping out on the wrong foot occasionally (maybe a lot)? The solution to this problem is really quite simple. ALWAYS DO A COMPLETE WEIGHT SHIFT WITH EACH STEP. If you do this, you will always be stepping on the correct foot, 'cuz it's impossible to step with the foot that has your weight on it. Ya gotta step with the unweighted foot (or fall down!). End of Story.

Tip #3)  HOW TO HEAR THE BEAT IN THE MUSIC

"I don't hear the beat in the music". This comment is heard frequently from new dancers. So far, every time I've asked someone saying this if they listen to music at home on a regular basis, the answer has been "No". So, if the only time you listen to dance music is at class, the best thing you can do is to slide on down to your local music store and pick up a CD or 3. Put music on while you're doing the dishes, driving to work, doing your taxes, etc. While the music is playing, try tapping whatever body part is available to the beat of the music. Don't make this into a big effort. It should be fun, and will start to work for you, sort of subconsciously, as you spend more time listening. Try to find music that has a fairly distinct beat. Frank Sinatra is excellent for Foxtrot. Cajun Waltzes have a really clear beat, 'cuz they use the kick drum on the downbeat (the 1 in 1-2-3). Most swing music also has a fairly clear beat, as do Cha-Cha (try Santana's "Oye Como Va") and Rumba. The beat of Salsa is more complex, but you'll get it if you keep listening. If there's enough interest, we can possibly produce a CD mix that has all of the dances we teach, and make it available.

Tip #4)  AVOID FLAT-FOOTED DANCING:

For swing and latin,step onto the ball of each foot. Your heel should not touch the floor at the beginning of the step. For latin dances, stepping onto the inside ball of the foot, and then rolling down onto your heel will automatically give you that "Cuban Motion" in your hips. For East Coast Swing and Jitterbug: keep your knees slightly bent and stay on the balls of your feet, so that the legs act like springs. You'll know that you're doing this right when an hour of dancing produces sore calf muscles!

Tip #5)  GOOD ADVICE FROM JJ LASERNA:

-Get to know the dance you prefer to work on, and to do that, know its rhythm. Listen to it a lot, and find the beat by tapping your feet. Then, start moving with your feet.

-Have a solid foundation with dancing, meaning have the BASICS done 100% perfect everytime. A perfect execution of a simple basic move is BETTER than a sloppy fancy move that is NOT on beat.

-Once you are comfortable, take it to the next level, and that doesn't mean that new, harder moves mean advanced level. The next level would be making the dance your own with your partner, which means playing with your partner, and playing with the rhythm. Play with footwork, for example.

-You have probably heard this a million times, but here it is again: PRACTICE!!! There is always time for that. Dance in your head. Go to a practice dance. Go to the social dances. Social dances are the REAL DEAL. This whole dancing thing is not just learning the moves. It's also learning how to step out of that comfort zone and asking someone to have a dance with you. So, practice more than you think you need to. It's a life skill.

Tip #6)  MOVING AROUND THE DANCE FLOOR (OR NOT) KURT BYERS:

As the winter dance season swings into high gear, and our local dance floors get crowded at the Silver Spur, Big Daddy's, and other venues, and with the Harvest Moon Ball fast approaching, it's a good time
remind everyone that there are some basic tenets for taking up real estate on the dance floor. Different kinds of dances can often be done to a single song. For example, many Big Band swing numbers are
great for both East Coast/Lindy swing and Foxtrot. ECS and Lindy are considered "spot" dances, done more-or-less in one spot on the dance floor. Foxtrot is a "traveling dance," moving counterclockwise as if
on a track around the perimeter of the floor. Spot dancers and traveling dancers need to accommodate each other. The rule is, spot dancers (regardless of skill level) must stay away from the perimeter
of the floor, allowing free passage for the traveling dancers around the outside of the floor. And traveling dancers should stay to the outside of the floor and avoid invading the spot dancers' real estate on the inside of the floor.


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