There are many reasons people might give for why they want to learn ballroom dancing. Whether it’s a wedding or special event, a chance to salsa in Spain, or just something you’ve always wanted to do for fun, learning to ballroom dance is an amazing skill you’ll never regret acquiring!
Wondering how you can learn to waltz, mambo, and swing with an at-home dance class? Here’s everything you need to know!
Why Should I Learn Ballroom Dancing?
First of all, you might be wondering: Why should I even decide to start taking ballroom classes? Is there any real benefit to learning to dance?
There are many reasons why people choose to learn how to dance, even if they never plan on dancing anywhere outside of their class!
Improve Your Health
Dancing is in the same realm as sports. That is, the point of the activity isn’t to get fit and improve health, but it’s a well-known side-effect.
When you learn how to do any sort of dance, you can improve your health without even thinking about it!
First of all, dancing requires you to develop your balance and coordination. Having strength in these areas means that your body can move better all day long, not just in dance class.
You’ll also strengthen your cardio and respiratory systems by moving non-stop during class. You don’t have to be running in order to give your heart and lungs a workout!
When you move your joints and muscles around regularly, you also help keep them healthy. That’s why many older people pick up dancing as a way to stay active. But you also don’t need to be any specific age to enjoy the benefits of dance.
The physical aspect of dancing gets your heart pumping, your lungs working, your blood flowing, your lymph system draining, your muscles strengthening, your tendons stretching, your joints lubricating, your balance improving, your brain thinking, your digestion regulating, plus even more benefits!
Find a Community
One of the best things about hobbies and skills is finding a community of people with whom you can share your enthusiasm.
In any community, there will be countless people on your same level, as well as many people less and more experienced than you.
This way, you can make friends with people who understand exactly what you’re talking about, teach newbies a thing or two, and learn from more experienced people all at the same time!
Niche skills and hobbies are great ways to make friends with people you would otherwise never have the opportunity to meet.
Loosen Up and Relieve Stress
A natural consequence of moving the body is the release of hormones like endorphins and serotonin. Combined with listening to music (which is likely to happen in a dance class), you have a winning formula for a good time!
Dancing can help you release stress and increase your happiness, even after the class is over.
The cumulative effect of doing activities to release these feel-good chemicals in the body on a regular basis is improved mood and reduced stress in other areas of life as well.
“Don't breathe to survive; dance and feel alive.” -
Possess a Unique Talent
There is a ascertain sense of pride that can be taken when you know something a little bit unusual. While dancing isn’t an absurd talent, it is one that many people don’t spend time developing.
Whether you have a natural knack or have to work hard to build your dance talent isn’t important when you whip out your moves in the middle of a party!
There’s something to be said about harboring a secret skill that nobody really knows you have until one day when you get to really show off!
Make Memorable Moments
One of the top reasons people learn to dance is to have a meaningful and special moment at their wedding. If dancing really isn’t your thing and it’s not fun for you, it’s perfectly okay if you decide not to move ahead with the challenge if this is your only reason for trying. But it really can give you something really special to look back on with your spouse!
Have Fun!
Perhaps the best quality of dance is that it’s fun to do! When you learn how to move in a coordinated way and can competently groove yout way across a dance floor, enjoying the music and rhythm and not worrying about how you look, you have unlocked a new level of freedom! So many people are afraid to dance because they feel like they are a bad dancer. While that shouldn’t stop them, it’s definitely easier to be carefree when you know you look good!
How Long Does It Take To Learn Ballroom Dancing At Home?
Depending on what level of adeptness you aim to achieve, the answer to this question will change.
If you want to be a casual dancer who can just have fun at dance clubs and events, you can learn enough to feel comfortable in just a few lessons and a few weeks of practice.
If you want to dance well enough that you could consider joining a regional competition, it can take 6 to 12 months to get good enough to fit in with that crowd.
As previously stated, talent and natural skill are definitely a factor, but even if you find it hard to be coordinated, it doesn’t mean your dancing dreams are impossible! It just might take you a little more patience, practice, and time.
Find dance classes near me here.
Learning At Home vs Learning At A Studio
Learning ballroom dancing at home is an attractive prospect: nobody to feel self-conscious in front of, no need to commute somewhere else, and you can practice whenever you have time and energy.
For many people, learning at home is a perfectly viable and great way to become a dancer. But, some people are better suited to the dance studio environment.
The challenges of learning dance at home include not having space, not having the right kind of flooring or not being able to wear the right kind of shoes in your home, not having mirrors to see your posture with, and not having a teacher or partner to help you.
If these elements are important to you, you might want to consider taking lessons at ballroom dance studios near me.
When you’re in a studio, you get to have all the required space and environment required to practice plus a teacher and partners who can physically practice with you.
Where To Find Quality Ballroom Dance Lessons At Home and In Person
How can you find lessons that will actually teach you how to dance?
For this, you have a few choices:
Online
Research dance instructors who teach virtually with a service like Superprof.
Make sure they teach the type of dance you want to know and have good reviews from other students. Take an introductory class with them to make sure your personalities match and you enjoy the way they teach.
The great thing about virtual instructors is that you are really likely to find someone who can teach you when it suits your schedule, even if it’s at a weird time like really early or really late!
In-Person
Check around for private dance instructors and studios that offer an introductory class. Perhaps you can have a short meeting before committing to paid classes, or you could ask to observe a class.
You can find listings for these resources online, in the paper, in ads or bulletin boards, and by word of mouth.
Ask the current and former students of the course or teacher if they recommend the classes.
How to Learn Ballroom Dancing At Home
Let’s say you’ve decided to learn how to ballroom dance at home. You need to come up with a game plan to make it happen!
Have a dedicated practice space
Make sure you have a good area available for you to use for practice. It could be your kitchen or another room in the house, in your garage, or somewhere outside. Anywhere that has enough space and nothing to trip on while you move.
Invest in a mirror
While professional studios will likely have many large mirrors for students to be able to see themselves, you only need one good mirror to learn at home. You can get a large, cheap mirror that you can even put away when it’s not in use. You just want to be able to see what your body is doing when you practice new moves.
Find a teacher
As discussed, you have a few options when it comes to how exactly to learn dancing.
You can find a remote teacher, a private teacher to come to your home, or use other resources like YouTube videos.
If you have someone coming to your home, double-check your practice space to ensure it’s big enough for both of you to use it!
If you have a virtual teacher, make sure you can set up your phone or computer so they can suitably see you as you practice.
Commit
The hardest part of learning any new thing is sticking to it, even when it’s hard.
Sometimes life gets in the way and you simply don’t have time or childcare, or your practice space gets messy. Sometimes you might be ill or injured. And other times you might not have enough energy to dedicate to practice.
Even if you miss a few days or weeks, it’s important to get back to practice if it’s really important for you to succeed. The hardest part of anything is finding the dedication, even when you don’t have the motivation. Don’t give up!
Ballroom dancing is a fun and valuable activity, and you can get started learning how to do it today right at home!
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