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The Solo Practice Guide: A Review

It always drives me a little crazy when students neglect to practice in between classes. I know... They have kids at home, they work all hours, etc. - but it gets to me, because I KNOW they could be learning new stuff instead of reviewing the same material over and over.

As someone working on reaching dancers looking to supplement their lessons - or in some cases, don't learn at a studio at all - it was inevitable that I discover The Solo Practice Guide for Ballroom Dancing by Katie Flashner. Continue reading "The Solo Practice Guide: A Review"

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5 Easy Tricks to Learn Dance Timing

In the past, I’ve tried to explain how to improve dance timing in a variety of ways. In return, I’ve frequently met with frustration. I recall one reader brusquely replying, ‘I’m not a music major.’

I needed something simpler, some ideas that worked for anyone. And so, after hours of research, I’m finally ready with five new exercises. I recently used these in a group class, and they worked great! I hope they work for you too. Continue reading "5 Easy Tricks to Learn Dance Timing"

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The Les Brown Approach To Your Dancing Dreams

When working on our dancing dreams, a time always comes - usually on a day when both body and mind are feeling bruised - when we wonder if we aren’t kidding ourselves. For many people, this is all it takes for them to give up and walk away. For Les Brown, that’s just another opportunity for growth.

Les Brown was born in an abandoned building in a low-income area of Miami, Florida. In school, he was classified as ‘educable mentally retarded’. And yet, he has since gone on to become a motivational speaker, author, radio DJ, television host, and politician. The following 5 principles he shared in countless speeches, as a way to find the strength to achieve your goals - no matter what. Continue reading "The Les Brown Approach To Your Dancing Dreams"

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5 Dance Moves for Sexy Hips

Whether you’re a man or a woman, your hips tell your dance partner a lot about you: how relaxed you are, how playful, how comfortable with your sexuality. So it should come as no surprise to know that, especially in the Latin clubs, one of the big indicators of your popularity as a dancer is how smoothly and sexily you can shake it down.

In previous articles on sexy hip movement, we explored the basic form of Latin hip movement, called Cuban motion, and I highly recommend ballroom beginners start there. For those of you a little more familiar with your body’s mid-section, here’s five more moves to develop some sexy hips! Continue reading "5 Dance Moves for Sexy Hips"

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Roadblocks in Your Dance Balance Training

During your balance training exercises, you will inevitably encounter periods of ‘balance block’, where you could swear you’ve ticked all the boxes, yet you’re still wobbly as a newborn kitten.

Treat these roadblocks as tests, making sure you are really committed to your ballroom balance training. In the end, you’ll always find something that was missing, accelerating your body control and awareness. To speed you along however, these are some common causes of balance block you may encounter. Continue reading "Roadblocks in Your Dance Balance Training"