Why you absolutely need dance lessons (Part 1)

Dancing Through Life

Throughout life, many occasions come around that call for dancing: weddings, school dances, parties, nightclubs, or even work. While not everyone is cut out to be the next Madonna or Michael Jackson, it is important to learn the basics of dancing so you can have a couple of moves on standby. But instead of having just one or two moves for your entire life, learn a couple for each stage of life so you’re always prepared, no matter where you go or what you do. Because one of the most awkward moments you can face is being that guy or that girl when the spotlight turns to you, make sure you’re ready ahead of time. So take dance lessons as you need them and impress those bystanders with your arsenal of dance moves.

Dancing vs. High School

The teen years are some of the most difficult and challenging of any person’s life. You’re growing into a new body, learning to adapt to more rigorous academic demands, balancing the demands of compiling a CV that’ll get you into the university of your choice and, most importantly, trying to fit in with your peers. And with school dances as assured to happen as quizzes and exams, not knowing how to move can leave you out in the cold.

But luckily, most high school students are in the same boat of not knowing any dance styles or moves and performing the ones they do know

awkwardly, or only knowing dorky, out-of-date dance steps. One of the easiest ways to change that is to watch YouTube videos of the most current songs and keep pausing and playing the videos until you’ve learned the moves. There are also a ton of tutorials available on YouTube where great dancers break down all the steps to make the whole routine easy to learn. Be careful with this option, though, because dancing exactly how a singer did in a video can come off as cheesy for its choreography, but not quite so if you plan it in advance with friends and make a little show of it.

Another option is to learn basic rhythm and identify what the down and off beats are, and then move with them. Generally, your right foot takes the down beats and your left foot pairs with off beats, but you can mix it up. Try keeping the weight on one foot for two beats (half a bar), and use the second beat to slide your other foot over. It’s basic, but highly effective, and you’ll already be way ahead of the game.

Dancing vs. Parties

At get-togethers where the music is loud and the crowd is big, knowing the right moves hinges on what’s currently popular. For example, in the ’70s, the most popular dance moves were disco themed and just knowing how to co-ordinate swiveling your hips and jutting out the opposite shoulder would suffice. And in the early ’60s, one of the biggest dance moves was Chubby Checker’s The Twist, which only required dancers to move like they were toweling themselves off. The hand and feet moves were up to the dancer, and they only had to know the basic body rhythm.

Continued in part 2

For more information on dance lessons or to get involved with a dance studio in your area visit DanceHub. Discover dance studios, dance instructors, and dance classes near you.