Whether you are a new or existing student looking for a dance studio, a new partner, competition result, or you simp
ly want to get more involved with your dance community, I have got great news for you. You can now find all these services online! Currently, there are many websites providing this information, but in my opinion, only few provide quality and user friendly content worth checking out. Below I outline my favorite websites for dance studio/instructor search, dance partner search, Dancesport news/results and dancing forums! READ THE REST
Ballroom dancing lessons
In this article I clarify 3 myths about learning how to dance and give suggestions about what you can do to get the most out of your ballroom dancing lessons.
Let’s get started!
1. You either have it or you don’t
Misconception number one is that you have to be born with some extraordinary natural ability to dance, CONTINUE READING
One of the questions that I hear most frequently from people inquiring about dance lessons is “How many dancing lessons do I need to take to be able to dance”? The short answer is a long time! I must admit that this is the only question that I, a professional dance teacher still have difficulty answering because of how “naive” the question itself is. You see, learning how to dance is a process not a destination. I get a little queasy when I hear a new student anxious to put a number on something that is so individual and not very quantifiable. CONTINUE READING
Have you ever gone through a month of intense reluctance to attend your dancing lessons? You just did not feel like going. You have not gone social dancing for a while, and you were losing the excitement you once had for learning how to dance. Something that used to keep you up late at night is not all that it used to be. That is perhaps when inspiration needs a little butt-kicking! CONTINUE READING
In the syllabus levels of a Latin and Ballroom dance competition, there is a series of dance steps that couples must adhere to and dance only the steps that are appropriate for their level. Having been competing in the pro/am (teacher/student competitions) syllabus levels for the past 2 years, there had not been a single competition where I did not spot at least 1 out-of-syllabus incident. Is there someone on the floor monitoring this? For most competitions, it looks like there is not sufficient oversight.
Most would agree that couples often need to grab the judges’ attention in order to get noticed and place well in Dancesport competitions. Couples that incorporate dance steps from the higher levels will often have an advantage because they will be more visible on the floor. They would be performing the faster, more intricate, some would say more interesting dance routines. This is not fair to the couples who stick to the rules. One of my competing students had also spotted couples dancing “all these cool” moves in her category and began implying that I should be letting her do them as well. “No one cares for the rules, Leon”, she said. Here I am, a professional dance instructor who teaches his students stick to the syllabus and I found it hard to justify why the syllabus rules matter (other than that I stick to it for myself as a teaching method). Mind you, these pro/am students pay very well in competition fees to at least expect a fair competition system in place. CONTINUE READING
The subjectivity of Dancesport competitions can cause the results to vary greatly. As a dancer, you can only 
control how you dance. The resulting placement is in the judges’ hands. Therefore, being attached to results is quite futile and may lead the dancer to feel drained and frustrated.
It may even make him/her question whether or not to continue dancing at all. For instance, doing well in one competition makes you feel ecstatic. However, at the next competition you do not make the finals and you cannot help feeling miserable. Your emotions swing from one extreme to the next, leaving you feeling unfulfilled and disappointed. CONTINUE READING
Social dancing
Do you want to learn how to dance but have doubts about starting too late?
Latin and Ballroom is a great dance style to pick up for people who are in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and even 80s (And beyond!). Yes I said 80s! I know an 82 year old woman who takes 3 lessons a week and loves it… CONTINUE READING
