Not sure if this is the best place to post this but as an avid SCD fan and regular reader and sometime contributor to the forums I thought I'd try my plea for help in here.

Every year I watch SCD and wish I could learn how to dance. My kids are old enough to be left alone for an hour or so now and I think I might have persuaded my husband to come to dance lessons with me. There seems to be a mixed bag on offer = just salsa class, a class that does a mix rock, tango, cha cha cha, paso etc, or a line dancing class.

I'm not a bad mover, my husband's a bit 'stiff' and neither of us have ever learnt dancing before. What would you advise us to go for in the first year ? Thanks in advance

Fantastic, especially as you have someone to go with and practice at home.

Personally I would choose to learn one dance at a time so go for the salsa, I don't know how good the teacher is and if they actually teach you to dance or just routines. Plus salsa is great fun and the music is fantastic. Must add I am not an expert just my opinion.

I wouldn't worry about not having danced before etc. just go and enjoy yourself, dancing is supposed to be fun.

miaviv. I'm no dance expert but I do go to lessons twice a week (Argentine Tango and ballroom/latin with different teachers). I'd say whatever you both want to do. Otherwise your heart won't be in it and you'll give up. And shop around until you find the right teacher. Try and get recommendations since a bad/indifferent teacher can really put you off dancing.

Ballroom/latin lessons are good, because you get a wide range of dances, which gives you a chance to see what suits you best. Argentine Tango is good you start with basics such as learning to walk, understanding changes of weight (in both yourself and your partner).
LOL, I've just seen Kassie has said salsa. So some differing views, just as you'd expect on DS.

I guess it depends on what grabs you! Given that your husband is a bit "stiff" (lucky girl, on two counts lol - a) this, and b) that he will dance with you - mine is just the first one lol), I think I might go for a mixed Ballroom and Latin class, then you can see what you both enjoy together.

You might like Latin, he might like ballroom - basically, if you've managed to get him this far, try all of them then he's more likely to keep going with you if he finds what type of dancing in particular he enjoys, and he's more likely to do this if he has a selection of dances to try.

is only opinion - but above all, enjoy, and REALLY have fun!

great minds VL! although I'm not exactly an expert either!

I just think its such lovely fun to learn to dance, and if your partner enjoys it with you, its a fantastic thing.

Enjoy whatever you decide!

Yes but I can see Kassie's point about salsa too, since it is a more natural dance as far aa movement and posture are concerned. It all comes down to horses for courses, dancers for dancer floors

I would not try to advise you until I saw you both together - dancing some simple steps - but you've had some great feedback here. Here are my thoughts as an ex-dancer and teacher -

Ballroom is a good place to start. The pace is steady - you'll learn all the basics and then work out which dances you like the best. Weddings will never be the same again!

Salsa is amazing fun but does demand a really good ear for music and a strong sense of the beat. if your husband is tad stiff (or very English) he'll find it tricky at first because it does need good hip movement generated by transferring your weight and rolling your hips - and being able to dance into the ground to get the right sway. It's sexy and often freaks men out at first. Women always pick it up a lot quicker!

Also, there are hoards of 'salsa' teachers out there and many are useless. Try to get a Latino teacher - someone who does more than salsa and comes from a relevant country. Look out for Cuban, Portugese (or Cape Verde) or Colombian teachers. Also have a look out for kizomba classes. If they teach good kizomba chances are they'll teach good salsa. I rate Cuban salsa the best, and New York style the worst Cali Salsa is the hardest & fastest and the Colombians ace this! They are amazing dancers.

Argentine tango is a lifelong addiction. You have been warned. It suits all ages and abilities, is beautiful and very beguiling and has glorious music. Men do need to learn to lead but most love it because it's very masculine and stylish. Try and find a genuine Argentine Tango teacher and avoid ballroom schools who say they teach it, but don't know the real thing from ballroom tango. There are some good English teachers but nothing beats an Argentinian for style and passion.

If you need any recommendations let me know

I'd echo what others have said. Try the mixed ballroom and latin first. You'll be familiar with it through Strictly and could even work towards medals!

Where in the world are you? Perhaps some members may know good teachers near you.

Fantastic advice sofa, I have a bit of a block about ballroom dancing, it's all those years of shuffling around the gym with similarly bored classmates, when all we wanted to do was jive

Another thing to look out for is Bachata, it's becoming popular in the UK, Dominican Bachata is best.

yes agree - I wasn't ignoring her post or her advice, just got called away before I could post some more!

I felt the same in boarding school kass We all wanted to jive too but the nuns thought it was heinous!

It wasn't until I started teaching for an American dance studio that I rediscovered ballroom - but the love of it it was hugely helped by the US approach to social dancing where their version of ballroom was a lot less rigid, uptight and stiff than English ballroom. I also learned the Hustle, and East and West Coast Swing. I am soo pleased about the revival of the latter all over the UK. West Coast Swing is a great couples dance and looks effortlessly cool

Yeah, I don't knock learning the old ballroom it comes in really handy at social occassions. I love west coast swing, along with bachata and salsa. Still haven't got round to AT lessons, I don't know where this year has gone.

Oh no, I wasn't suggesting you were. (Hope all is well with you - keep meaning to go and have a look at theTeam Cutler thread - haven't been there for a while)


Yes, that's why I wouldn't necessarily recommend ballroom because lots of people find it an unnatural way of moving, although many beginners' classes start with a social foxtrot and waltz which are fairly relaxed. I love it though, especially since I've learnt to move more across the floor. Although, when it comes to tango, I now have definite preference for Argentine Tango over ballroom.

I've never danced West Coat Swing, but since I'm starting to enjoy ballroom jive more now and I am wondering if I should give it a go some time (but not enough time in the week to do these things really).

It's alright, your advice was far more sensible I just love salsa, it's such a fun sociable dance, the basics are quite easy to pick up, although as Sofa says the hip movement can be quite a challenge. Also, I have seen a few people get slightly bored with ballroom classes, especially if they are taught routines instead of how to dance, and they tend to drift away.

Go for ballroom as a starter and gain confidence the easiest way (on the floor) plus it gives you a social skill on outings
Having gained confidence and with it a feel for (on the floor) balance in movement go for basic Latin
Above all else go for a qualified teacher / school

It's wonderful and I think you'd like it. Hard to find classes though.

Save it up for the future is you have time. However, if you ever get a chance, out of the blue, to try it please do. The timing is tricky till you get the hang of it, but it's worth a shot The best thing about it is that you can dance it to soul and blues music, as well as jive.

If you choose ballroom classes a good place to start to look for schools is to look on the teacher listings pages of either the IDTA (International Dance Teachers Association) or ISTD (Imperial School of Teachers of Dancing). Those teachers who are listed on there will be registered and qualified with that particular society. There are a couple of other associations (NATD, BATD) but most are qualified with them and either IDTA/ISTD.
Here are links to those first sites:
IDTA: http://www.idta.co.uk/Site2/centres.php
ISTD registered teachers: http://www.dance-teachers.org/ (ballroom/latin will be under the dance style dancesport).

Very practical and useful advice Ballroom B.

When Mark cut himself shaving in the bathroom he would let loose a torrent of swear words. On hearing this in the sitting room his genteel, sophisticated wife Olivia was uncomfortable. At the next swearfest she made a meticulous inventory. The following morning when Mark was shaving Olivia pronounced Mark's torrent faithfully word for word with ladylike decorum. Mark came into the sitting room.

"You have the words my dear, but not the tune," said Mark without turning a hair.


Anyone who has played a musical instrument or sung would realise it is impossible to play well without genuine feeling for music and understanding of the composer's drift. Without feeling dancers merely go through the motions like Olivia Twain.

With empathy comes participation and creativity, so that dance in general becomes body language in particular, communicating via both words and tune.

Something else I just thought of most dance teachers will let you sit in on a class and observe, check and see if yours do this, if so take advantage and see which you prefer.

So much great advice on here. I wish my husband didn't have two left feet and no rhythm. He can't even clap in time.

That is such good advice! Excellent idea.

Oh, that's so unfair Ive noticed in the classes I go to, very few English men can dance. It's a cultural blip.

Those who can are very popular, even if they have all the charm of a formica table

Hi there

It depends what you are looking for
Generally in ballroom classes you stay with your own partner, learn set steps and classes last more or less an hour or so.

The salsa scene is generally different in that you can pay to go in and often take one or two classes in a night, there is often a bar (depending on where it is held) and it's more of a social thing. Classes often rotate partners so you get to meet people but if you want to dance purely with your own partner, it might not be for you. There are loads of regular party nights and social dances that you don't get with ballroom. I don't agree that a genuine latin teacher is necessarily better given my own experiences but with salsa you just try different classes until you find the one that fits you best. It's definitely the most fun.

Argentine tango is really hard to learn - it's not something that you can pick up a basic step and muddle through a basic dance in a month or two. The class I went to rotated partners like a salsa class though I don't know if this is generally the rule. I'd guess it's probably the most rewarding once you've cracked it though - but I imagine that takes years :/

http://frankieandcloverstrictly.blogspot.com/.

My other half is a professional musician but believe me being musical doesn't mean you can dance!!