Thinking about taking dancing lessons?

There are so many dance styles to choose from that it may be hard to choose the right one for you.  Ballroom dancing, modern jive, ballet, line dancing, jazz, tap, hip-hop, salsa, freestyle dance and even belly dancing are just some of the styles of dance available for you to learn......

Learning to dance requires a certain amount of physical strength and flexibility, coupled together with a sense of timing, coordination and bags of enthusiasm.  You can find lessons all over the place; maybe a dance studio, a local community hall or even a school or college.  These days you can even learn to dance online or via dance DVDs purchased in-store or online.  There are loads to choose from so just how do you know which style and type of class is right for you?

First you should consider your own personality. If you are an introverted shy type of person, you may not feel at ease jumping straight into the Salsa.  There again, it may be just the right dance to help you bring you out of your shell. If you are an extravert, open and outgoing sort of person, freestyle dance might be just your thing.  Whichever you choose by taking a few lessons you will soon find whether a particular style suits you or not.  If you find your chosen style doesn’t actually suit you, you have still learned some valuable core moves that can be used within other styles of dancing.  If you are not sure what you want to do why not look for a trial offer?  Some class organisers offer free or reduced price first lessons and that’s a great way to sample what is on offer and determine what is right for you.

Fitness is an added benefit to dancing and if you are not currently active, dancing lessons can come as a bit of a physical shock.  As graceful as the moves may look, dancing is actually quite hard work.  Consulting your doctor before taking classes or in fact any new exercise program is always good idea.  The last thing you want to do is put your body through stresses and strains it can’t cope with. You may be advised to do a regular cardio and weight training routine which you can then combine with your dancing.  You can then even practice some freestyle dance routines by adding them into your general fitness workouts!  In all styles of dancing; turning, twisting, bending, reaching and forced muscular stretching is involved so a good warm up exercise before starting each class will help your muscles to acclimatise.  In fact; including a good stretching routine in your daily exercise program is a good habit to have.

Sense of timing and an ability to hear, read and coordinate with music is good to have as all dance forms require this to one degree or another.  As for enthusiasm; this appears to come naturally!  Once you start dancing you’ll find it is fun and exhilarating, whenever you hear music you’ll find yourself wanting to practice your steps to the rhythm.  Dancing can help you with stress relief, weight loss, self-esteem issues, depression, and much more.  I can tell you that dancing has changed my life for a fact; I’ve lost a stone and made a tremendous amount of new friends and thoroughly look forward to every chance I get to get on the dance floor.  It brings together a whole new social life with people of all backgrounds.

Book yourself in for a class and go out and enjoy!!