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Craig Revel Horwood's Ballroom Dancing: Dance classes

by Craig Revel Horwood

 

Don’t feel embarrassed when you pluck up enough courage to go to your first dance class. There is so much to be gained, not only in the physical sense but also mentally and emotionally, from the experience of dance classes and one-on-one tuition. It is so very important that an experienced teacher guides and helps you to understand the true physical nature of the various dances through demonstration and correction, making that first brave step into the unknown easy and accessible.

Classes in your local area are easy enough to find through Google and other Internet search engines. For many of them you don’t need to have a partner, and it is a great way to meet new people. Wear comfortable clothes and as soon as possible invest in a pair of proper dance shoes, as you’ll find it much easier to master the techniques in the correct shoes.

If you need to boost your confidence, start by reading a book such as Craig Revel Horwood’s Ballroom Dancing, which covers in detail four ballroom dances (waltz, foxtrot, quickstep and tango) and four Latin American dances (rumba, samba, cha cha cha and jive). Spend some time mastering the steps, then you’ll feel ready to face your first class!



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Craig Revel Horwood's Ballroom Dancing: Dance techniques Most dances have specific techniques to master.
Craig Revel Horwood's Ballroom Dancing: Dance styles Dance styles can be divided into four broad categories: social dance, nightclub dance, historical dance and performance dance. Formal dance styles usually have governing bodies which lay down rules and standards, and many are danced in both a competitive way and in a more relaxed way for pleasure.
Craig Revel Horwood's Ballroom Dancing: Tango The tango is a passionate, erotic and sensual dance which tells a story too. It’s said to be a mixture of African slave dance from the eighteenth century and a Cuban dance from the nineteenth century. The story is about communication between a prostitute and a pimp, so it was rather looked down on until a less vulgar version became popular.
Craig Revel Horwood's Ballroom Dancing: Waltz The waltz was revolutionary when it first started in the early nineteenth century, and caused quite a scandal. Now there are two versions: the modern (or diagonal/slow) waltz and the Viennese (or quick) waltz. The diagonal waltz is the standardized one. The music has three beats to the bar and 32 bars per minute. The hold is normal.
Craig Revel Horwood's Ballroom Dancing: Latin dance Latin dance in its loosest sense includes a number of dances that started in Latin America and Cuba. In a ballroom sense it refers to only five dances: rumba, samba, paso doble, cha cha cha and jive.
Craig Revel Horwood's Ballroom Dancing: Social dancing As the name suggests social dancing has as its main aim socializing and meeting other people. The dancers are not professionals and there is no performance or competitive aspect, although many of the dances are also danced professionally and in competition.
Craig Revel Horwood's Ballroom Dancing: Your dance partner Communication is the key to a successful dance partnership, and it is the boy who is in charge because he is leading. Girls, whatever mess your partner makes of the dance, it’s your responsibility to follow him, right or wrong! It shouldn’t end in tears if you’re both aware of one another and take equal responsibility for your weight and balance. The girl must carry herself and her weight so that her partner doesn’t feel like he is dragging her around the floor with a 2-tonne weight strapped to his back.
Craig Revel Horwood's Ballroom Dancing: Shoes and costume For practice, the most important thing is to wear something that is comfortable and non-restrictive because your body needs to be able to move fluidly. As you are going to perspire, be practical and wear something sensible like loose-fitting lightweight cotton trousers and shirt for the boys or a practice skirt and top for the girls. For the boys, it also helps to wear a T-shirt under your lightweight shirt just to protect yourself from perspiration. And take a hanky for mopping your brow if you tend to heat up quickly.
Craig Revel Horwood's Ballroom Dancing: Strictly come dancing The BBC TV series Strictly Come Dancing started in 2004 and has been a runaway success. Celebrities are paired with professional dancers who coach them to perform various ballroom and Latin dances in front of a team of judges. The judges’ scores are added to viewers’ votes (registered by phone) and each week one couple is eliminated, until eventually there is an overall winner.
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