.... and if so do you have any advice which would help me choose one?

I'm considering going on a dance holiday. Unfortunately none of my friends share my enthusiasm for dancing (as much as they enjoy SCD) and so I would be going on my own....a bit scary.

I've contacted one place in the UK which hosts holidays and they've said single women are welcome and that they'll supply partners (to be shared though).

I'm studying the bronze level syllabus, in respect of steps. although much of the technique I get taught in my lessons is evidently at a higher level. Mainly ballroom, but would consider latin or something completely different. I guess I'm a bit spoilt though since I have private lessons from a pro dancer and so it would be weird dancing with someone less skilled.

So any advice or shared experiences would be welcome.

VL I am in a similar position. I am married but my OH would not dream of setting foot on a dance floor. I dont know if he would let me go on a dance holiday on my own though.

I have private lessons, have tried on a few occasions to dance with an amateur male dancer but find that difficult.

I am doing Silver Latin in June which is tricky but a lot of fun. At the end of the year I will be doing Gold ballroom.

My pro teacher runs a dance holiday every summer but I have not yet had the confidence to even consider it always assuming OH would let me go.

EJ - Frustrating, isn't it? I'm told I doing well in my lessons but have nowhere to show off the skills I've acquired (modest though they might be).

I think the dance holiday hosted by your teacher was one of the ones I was considering (August in Bournemouth?) I just don't want to end up sitting on the sidelines all evening though like some poor wallflower. However I thought that if I went somewhere in the UK I could always escape back home if it was really bad. The alternative is to try a weekend and see how that goes (not so much of a commitment).

I go on a cruise once a year and always mean to get up and dance but .....

August in Bournemouth, yes thats right. I would love to go, have been asked but I cant see me being allowed to disappear for a week.

Didnt know they provided partners though will have to ask that, I couldnt face being there on my own without anyone to dance with.

Dancing is the one thing I am passionate about and also frustrated with.

I have yet to dance with an amateur male dancer who can lead which is also frustrating. I had a partner once who couldnt lead, thought he was perfect, and got himself banned from all the dance schools in his home town because he was rude to the teachers.

The hotel tells me that they try to book "one gentleman per three single ladies". That sounds quite reasonable.

Even so, I remember being asked to dance by one of the hired partners on a cruise that I went on last year. At that time I had only done social dancing, and he tried to lead me in a social foxtrot. However it was terrible, in that he had very poor posture and a very very weak lead. I had no idea what steps he was doing! I'm a reasonable follower and generally don't need a very obvious lead. I've followed the lead when I was doing group beginner classes and so I'm sure it wasn't me.

We've been concentrating on posture in the last few lessons, and I think the position I'm being taught is probably not required for the level I'm at, but I'm getting used to it now and wouldn't want to go back to something which was technically less rigorous.

1:3 ratio seems reasonable if the gentlemen can dance. Must ask about that and I will let you know what I am told.

Keep on with the posture it is really important. My main problem these days is keeping my head position correct, I do get told, forcibly, if I get it wrong. One word is all it needs now

I can follow very well if I get a good lead, probably too well as sometimes I 'coast' and just follow and get told off for that too. To stop that I have to dance on my own to prove I know what I am doing.

But who did you dance with in your medal exams?

Is that question directed at me or VL?

If it is me then the answer is I dance with my professional teacher.
If anything goes pear shaped in the exam he can usually cover for it.

sometimes if a couple are learning together they do the exam together but usually they do the exam with the professionals, it means that in the case of mistakes the fault is their own and they dont start blaming each other.

If I make any mistakes however small I can see a reaction usually raised eyebrows or a grin.
I got out of time with him when I was doing the bronze jive, my fault I missed a step, on that occasion I managed to put it right by putting in an extra one. The examiner saw it as well and I had to go through the routine again with my partner grinning like the cheshire cat

VL I emailed John to ask about the partner thing.

He has replied already he says :-

"In previous years the chaps,( generally one per night), have been satisfactory. They are not a high standard but have been ok."

Hope that helps, any more questions just ask me and I will try to find out for you.

I'm a bit the same! I was being shown a new step this weekend, and then my teacher asked me to dance on my own. My reaction was "I can't, I was just following you!" For that reason I'm sympathetic to men who are learning and who have to remember so much more. Mind you, I think my following skills may have deteriorated since we've been doing routines in the ballroom and so some practice with other partners might help.

Thanks for checking up with John. The partners sound ok. I'm still unsure at the moment, but hope to make up my mind in the next few days (need to check for cover at work before I commit) and so hopefully won't leave it too late.


Like EJ, it will be my dance teacher if I ever get round to taking exams.