The world of ballroom dancing might seem daunting and overwhelming to outsiders, but if you’re interested in learning to dance, you can find teachers and classes who are excited to have you aboard!
No matter your age or previous experience, ballroom dancing is for anyone who wants to learn. There are classes for all levels of expertise and all ages out there for you to find.
Is Ballroom Dancing Difficult?
Ballroom dance, while easy to learn, can take some time and practice to feel comfortable with.
Before you can move on to more exciting aspects of dance, you have to learn the basics, like how to balance, what part of the feet to keep your weight, and how to move your whole body at once.
It can be a little bit painstaking at first, but it’s important to get those fundamentals down so you can quickly learn a ton of new things afterward. Have some patience for yourself! Learning a new skill is challenging!
If you have natural dance talents, you’ll find the process rather easy. If dancing is hard for you, well, you’ll need a little bit of extra practice. In general, learning ballroom dancing is no different from learning any other new skill.
What Are the Easiest Ballroom Dances to Learn?
There are dozens of different ballroom dances to choose from! Not all of the dances are recognized in a competitive setting, so be aware that there are probably dances you’ve never heard of before out there, just waiting for you to try!
In terms of the ease of the steps and the pace, the dances that most people find easiest to learn are:
- Waltz
- Foxtrot
- Swing
- Rumba
- Cha Cha
All of these dances have moves that are used in other dances, so when you learn one, you learn many! For example, the box step is a specific dance move used in several dances including waltz, rumba, and foxtrot.
These ballroom dance styles have more simple, flowing, and slower movements than some other dances, making them relatively easier to learn.
Popular Dance Steps from Ballroom Dancing
What are some of the most popular dance steps in ballroom dancing?
Even if you don’t know much about ballroom dance, chances are you’re familiar with a few different dance moves just from TV and movies. Some of the most popular dance steps that you’re likely to learn in ballroom dance lessons include:
The Waltz Basic Step (Box Step)
The box step is named as such because you are essentially making a square on the floor with the areas where your feet land. The square is made of two “triangles” and when you complete two triangles, you get one box step.
Think of drawing a diagonally-sliced sandwich on the floor with your foot movements, one slice at a time.
The box step is 6 counts split into 2 counts of 3 and it goes like this:
Count 1: The leader steps forward with their left foot.
Count 2: The leader sweeps the right foot towards the planted left foot before changing the direction of the sweep and planting the right foot out to the right.
Count 3: The leader’s left foot meets the right. (This makes the first “triangle,” where the feet have been at three points on the floor.)
Count 4: The leader steps backward with the right foot.
Count 5: The leader sweeps the left foot back toward the right foot before changing the direction of the sweep and planting the foot out to the left.
Count 6: The leader’s right foot meets the right. (This makes the second “tringle,” which completes the box step.)
"Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance. Great dancers are great because of their passion." -Martha Graham
Basic Cha Cha
This move might look a little intimidating at first, but once you break it down, it’s quite simple. It’s all about the knees!
The move is 8 counts, split into two sets of 4 counts. Note that the counts are irregular due to the cha cha cha, which adds to the pizzazz of the dance, but makes it hard to write down!
Count 1: The leader steps out to the left with the left foot.
Count 2: The leader steps back with the right so that the right foot is slightly behind the left.
Count 3: The leader shifts the weight and steps in place with the left foot.
Count 4: The leader’s right foot meets the left and moves right into the first cha cha cha. Bend the right knee, then the left, then the right.
Count 5: Count 5 actually begins on the third “cha” when the right knee bends forward.
Count 6: The leader moves their left foot forward and shifts the weight to that foot.
Count 7: The leader steps in place with the right foot before shifting the weight back to the right foot again.
Count 8: The leader steps the left foot back to meet the right and moves right into the second cha cha cha. Bend the left knee, then the right, then the left.
Count 1 of the next set actually begins on the third “cha.”
"Ballroom is two people dancing together to music, touching in perfect harmony." -Anton du Beke
Basic Tango
The rhythm of the basic tango step is a little tricky. It is a 1, 2, 3-and-4 rhythm, so that the “3-and” beats are quick, and the 1, 2, and 4 beats are slow. Think of the intro to Mambo No. 5 by Lou Bega, only instead of “One, two, three four five,” the words are “One, two, three and four!”
Count 1: The lead steps forward with their left foot.
Count 2: The lead steps forward with their right foot.
Count 3: The lead steps forward with their left foot.
Count “And”: The lead steps out to the side with their right foot.
Count 4: The lead drags their left foot towards the right, stopping before the feet touch.
In all instances, the follower simply mirrors the leader. So for example, if the lead moves their right foot forward, the follower moves their left foot back.
Habits & Mistakes to Avoid
In any physical activity, it’s easy to make mistakes or fall into a bad habit. Sometimes it’s because you aren’t taught to do it differently, or you’re not aware that you’re making a mistake or a bad habit, or because you are focusing on something else too much to juggle another factor.
It’s always a good idea to try to mitigate bad habits right at the start since it’s harder to unlearn them than it is to just learn the correct way to begin with. As for mistakes, they can be more frustrating than anything else, and without someone to help you learn to overcome them, they can make you feel like giving up.
With the help of a private ballroom instructor, you can be sure to have someone help you notice when you’re making these common mistakes and help you correct them.
Shoe Gazing
Staring at your feet is an extremely common mistake most new dancers make. After all, how are you supposed to know where to put them if you’re not looking?
But, that’s the art of dance: you know where to step without tripping on your partner without even looking.
While it makes sense to look at the feet occasionally to ensure they are appearing properly, it’s important to get used to how they feel when they are in the correct place and position so you can be sure of what you look like without looking.
Scrunched Shoulders
It’s easy to hold tension in the shoulders, and especially when you’re concentrating on dance movies, you might unconsciously begin to tense your shoulders up to your ears.
When you notice this, take a deep breath, bring your shoulder blades together, then down, lengthen your neck and lift your chin. Over time, it will come naturally to you.
Weak Elbows
Another problem that happens when you’re paying attention to other factors is that you may accidentally let your arms go limp. The way dancers silently communicate with each other and are able to follow and lead is through meaningful contact and anticipating movement.
Strong arms and elbows allow you to give and receive messages properly with your partner. Limp arms make communication unclear or impossible, leading to stomped toes and asynchronousity.
Where to Learn Ballroom Dance
You can learn ballroom dance in a number of ways!
When looking for a dance instructor or dance class, check online and in person.
Online Dance Instruction
With an online class, you will have more variety of styles of dance and time slots to choose from. You can find a private ballroom dance teacher who can instruct you in one-on-one classes, or you can find group lessons.
You also always have the option to learn through resources like YouTube rather than pursue formal classes!
Explore these dance classes provided by Superprof. Your journey starts by typing 'dance classes near me' here.
In-Person Dance Classes
With in-person classes, you get the benefits of having an instructor who can physically help position you to learn better.
If you take group classes, you’ll also be able to learn with a partner.
With Superprof, you can find a private instructor who can teach you in person or online, whichever you prefer!
Ballroom dancing is a fun and exciting activity that can open up a lot of opportunities for anyone who practices! It’s easy to start learning, and you can learn harder dances as you become more adept at understanding the steps and how to move your body. There is room for improvement for a long time, which means you won’t easily become bored.
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