Merry Christmas y'all! The holidays are a great time to get together with family and count your blessings. After all, we all have things to be grateful for - and for an aging dancer, focusing on what you have can be the fuel and keeps you going and growing. Continue reading "Dancing at any Age, Part Four: Age is a State of Mind"
Dancing At Any Age, Part Three: Surviving the Social
When it comes to ballroom dance socials, some people seem to never lack for a dance partner, regardless of their age. The discriminations that seem to old many senior dancers back just don't apply to them. How do they do it? Continue reading "Dancing At Any Age, Part Three: Surviving the Social"
Dancing at Any Age, Part One: General Tips
I've heard a lot of talk about seniors lately, and usually the language is one of limitation: "They always want to dance with the younger dancers.", "I can't change jobs - I'm too old to find another".
It makes me doubly sad when the limiting talk comes from a senior themselves, because I know where they learned it from. And I don't accept it. Why not? Because I've seen too many people buck the trend.
I've danced with women over a hundred. I've competed with a 60-year-old with multiple sclerosis in one foot. I refuse to accept my life - or anyone else's - is done at 55.
Continue reading "Dancing at Any Age, Part One: General Tips"
The Home Schooled Dancer, Part Four: Supplementing Your Lessons
While instructional videos can't replace learning in person, it does grant us increased flexibility in improving on what we've learned before, or at least refreshing our memory. After all, you can't simply hit rewind on a lesson and play it back whenever you need a reminder.
Today I interviewed Candace, a student who dances and practices at studios, socials, at home, or even waiting for an elevator! Candace's occasional migrations south make this flexibility of learning especially important, as she recognizes how easy it is to forget what she's learned. Continue reading "The Home Schooled Dancer, Part Four: Supplementing Your Lessons"
Boost Your Social Dance Popularity, Part Four: Entertain Your Partner
We've done our share of talking over how you can make a good impression at a dance social, so you can start building up dancers who know and like you. But none of that matters much if you don't put them first on the dance floor.
Continue reading "Boost Your Social Dance Popularity, Part Four: Entertain Your Partner"
Boost Your Social Dance Popularity Part Three: From Wallflower to Social Butterfly
"The only limitations are those you place upon yourself". That's the quote Joy of Dance student Agnieszka Kopka lives by, and a big part of how she overcame her initial shyness of dancing with others at socials.
Boosting Your Social Dance Popularity, Part Two: Joining the In-Crowd
Everybody wants to dance with the regulars at the ballroom dance hall - the really good dancers that make every dance look simply amazing. But getting on their radar is no easy feat. It takes persistence, experience... And most importantly, some knowledge of how dance socials work.
Continue reading "Boosting Your Social Dance Popularity, Part Two: Joining the In-Crowd"
Boosting Your Social Dance Popularity, Part One: Newcomer’s Guide
Newcomers have it tough. When they first step into the social dancing world, they are doing it with few to no connections, zero experience in social dance etiquette, and relatively little technique to work with. It's enough to keep a beginner from social dancing at all.
If only there was a guide to helping social dancing first and second-timers make a great first impression, so they can start making friends and potential dance partners from day one... Oh wait, now there is! (See what I did there?)
Continue reading "Boosting Your Social Dance Popularity, Part One: Newcomer’s Guide"
How to Get More Men to Dance
Any female ballroom dancer knows that the majority of classes and socials she goes to is going to have considerably more women than men. And that means longer waits between before paired with a leader.
True, there are increasingly women who learn the leader's part as well, but this remains in the minority. And the reality is that most women would rather dance with men, and vice versa.
I used to think men's aversion to dance came from seeing it as something only for "sissies". In my own research however, I realized that sometimes there are men who want to dance, but don't. And that's a tragedy.
Tune in for why I believe this is - and what both women AND men can do about it: Continue reading "How to Get More Men to Dance"
Dance Wear, Part Three: Buying on a Budget
"What do you mean I need to buy dance clothes and shoes? Haven't I spent enough money on lessons already??" I know, I know.. Truth is, having clothing and especially shoes for dancing makes it a lot more enjoyable. And they don't have to break the bank.
I didn't always dress this snappy (my wife bought most of my clothes worth wearing), and I've always tended to buck the trend towards dance studio-themed clothing. Not only do many other clothing choices do the job just as well, they're cheaper too.
Over time, I met others who felt the same way I did, who managed to cut costs on their dance wear, while still buying what looked good and felt comfortable. The tips I'm including today are a combination of their advice and my own. Enjoy! Continue reading "Dance Wear, Part Three: Buying on a Budget"