Whether you’re new to dance or a seasoned competitor, the following list can apply to universal strategies you can use at every lesson to maximize your learning and enjoyment.

Set your course

This basically means to envision some of the intricacies of this new challenge you are undertaking. Decide, in advance, how you will face a challenge. This will enable you to better overcome it; therefore, you will feel more relieved, less apprehensive and frustrated. As everything in life this requires a plan and a map.

Clear your mind

Before entering the dance studio, clear your mind of any outside concerns, interferences and issues. Remember that dancing serves as a stress reliever so you can use your class time to relax and clear your mind. This activity is supposed to be anxiety-free and enjoyable. Remember, it’s your hobby – not your job!

 Learn at your own pace

Everyone learns to dance at different speeds, so do not compare yourself to others in your class. There are people who just seem to catch on faster than the others, and many people may already have a dance background. Do not hesitate to ask questions if you are doubtful about a certain step. Teachers love questions! (And chances are, you’re not the only person who has them.)

Wear the right clothes

Ensure that your clothes are of the right size and come in proper dance attire depending on the instructions proposed by your instructor. Make sure that your dance clothes fit your body well; otherwise, it can disrupt your dancing. Make sure you are comfortable!

Be open-minded to new possibilities

Do not take for granted that dances like Samba or Viennese Waltz are simply difficult and impossible because you are an older dancer. When you open your heart and mind to all of life’s possibilities, you will be greatly rewarded. In conclusion, willingness matters and pays off the investment.

Find and work on your own style

Each of us has certain inclinations and tastes that make us feel happy and fulfilled.  While it’s nice to try many things, when you do find something that you absolutely love, make sure to make that a central part of your dancing.  Whether it’s latin music, electronic style, or swing dancing, when something brings you joy, make that a regular part of your life.

Happy dancing everyone!!

The post How to Make Your First Dance Lesson a Success! appeared first on Dance Louisville.

You’ve probably heard the phrase ‘two left feet before.’ It is a common excuse to justify the fear that we may have when it comes to trying something new, say ballroom dancing. Don’t get us wrong…walking into a new, unknown environment can be terrifying! But you never know what’s on the other side unless we give things a shot, right?!

No one was born with two left feet, and in any situation, we guarantee that you’re going to do better than you think your first time out. We want you to get rid of any misconceptions you may have and encourage you to live up to your very own potential. You don’t have forever, so why not start today? Sometimes we hear people say I wish I had started this when I was younger…but age is just a number people and many activities, including dancing may actually extend your life! Just keep that in mind…

First and foremost, if we want to overcome a fear we need to start by wanting to do so. Hesitation is probably one of the agents that tends to hold us back, so you may start with a simple decision and see what happens next. Based on that, we want to remind you that at this very first stage you probably won’t be participating in “Dancing with the Starts” (maybe later, who knows?), so let’s take it easy and focus on just trying out a few steps and listening to the music. We are all our harshest critics, but try to avoid early assessments. Every day that you try, you’re making progress.  It would be unfair to judge the entire process at such an early stage.  We don’t have the miracle  pill  for  everything  we  want,  but  what  we  do  have which  is  even  better  than  a magic  pill  or  wand…we have a PLAN! When we plan any project (whether it be personal,  social, or economic) we are a step ahead of the three ugly Fs: Failure,  Frustration,  and  Fear.

What  does  a  plan  for  overcoming a fear of  Ballroom Dance contain?
How could it be carried out?

Try these ingredients:

1. The first step is the first step
Conquering the  initial  nervousness  is  the  key. Starting something from the scratch may be hard, but there’s nothing that practice cannot defeat. Practice makes perfect!

2. Forget about the cliché “I have no rhythm”
Does your heart beat?  Do you breathe?  Do you walk? Then you definitely have rhythm. It’s scientifically proven! We just have to refine it!

3-. Ballroom Dancing has no age limits!
Anyone at any age can dance. Don’t believe me?  Do you remember the 106-year-old lady who danced with the Obamas a couple of  months ago?  When asked what was the secret to still dancing at 106, she said just keep moving.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/barack-obama-michelle-obama-dance-106-year-old-woman-visits-white-house-a6888656.html

So you have all the ingredients, what about the execution?

Once your ingredients are ready and your fear has started to fade away, what  else do you need?  Well…for dancing you need a dance floor or studio for you to step in to! You don’t actually even need a partner! Plenty of group classes are structured for you to rotate so you get a chance to meet new people, and learn at a faster pace. If you have a built in dance partner, then you’re also set – just remember you’re both learning new skills and patience is essential. This is a fun and exciting experience to share, so keep it fun and light!

Enjoy this new adventure and keep us posted on how it goes. Remember that you won’t be the newbie all your life. Try something new today…what do you have to lose? Hope to see you on a dance floor soon!

The post Overcoming Your Fear of Trying Something New appeared first on Dance Louisville.

In ballroom dance lessons, you will most likely need a partner to dance with. Just by going to group classes or lessons you will spend some time with various partners. Chances are that the instructor will keep the partners rotating, so you will get the chance to dance with and meet a lot of new people. After you get to know your classmates, you can always experience new classes, rhythms or styles during different classes and still meet new people along the way.

Getting along with your classmates in your dance lessons and group classes is only the beginning! Beyond regular classes, are gatherings called “social dances”, in which tons of people get together to move themselves to the beat and try out what they have learned, ‘in the wild.’ Thanks to your dance lessons, and the new people you have met through dance classes, you’ve got some moves under your belt, and you can meet anyone by just asking them out for a dance. It’s as simple as that! One great thing about people who dance is, that they always want to do it, so if you ask someone out, they will gladly say yes almost every time!

You will notice that every time you surround yourself with people who are dancing, you will be in a relaxed, safe and joyful environment. You’ll soon find out dance makes people physically and mentally happy, so you will be meeting new people in a time and place where they are at their best. That’s makes everything easier!

In other matters, if you decide to travel, dancing will also open a lot of doors for you, no matter if you speak the local language or not. You can typically hit a local dance studio and sign up for a random group class or lesson, or check the internet for “social dances” or dancing events in the area. Instantly, you will be meeting new people with at least one common interest, and that will make it easier to break the language barrier, and have a good time despite of it.

Dance is the universal language of the world, don’t you want to be a part of that? You never know who you will meet. So give it a shot – meet new people through dance and see how it changes and impacts your life!

The post Meet New People Through Dance appeared first on Dance Louisville.

So, you want to learn to dance, that’s excellent! Finding a dance studio that fits you, will be an easy second step in this pleasant journey called Dancing.

And to help you narrow down your decision, we are going to give you six pointers that you can follow, and help you to make a right decision, but these are all suggestions, the weight that you give to each of these parameters will be up to you, remember that what matters most is you having the more fun!

Professionals

A detail to consider is the experience of those who will be your teachers, in this type of schools you can evaluate if the teachers have been part of some competition in their discipline, or if they have any certifications or even some awards. It always helps to see a previous class, to see if there is good chemistry between the teacher and the students, and that will also give you a chance to see if you like their methods.

Variety

In a dance school you will find different styles of dance, with different levels of difficulty. When choosing you should consider that the academy has more than one style you like, that way you can continue growing your dance knowledge by learning another rhythm after reaching a certain level in other. See the types of dances we teach.

Proximity

You should find a place that you can access easily, so it should be close to work or home. One of the risks of choosing a school away from your environment is, that daily tasks may eventually prevent you from attending classes. In addition, you must value your time, and the less time you spend on your way to the studio the better. Dance Louisville has a convenient east end location.

Schedules

Schedules Like the proximity of the academy, are very important, since these must be compatible with your availability. Always choose a schedule that you know you can meet. It is worthless to choose the best school or the one that is closer to your house, if you are late. You can see our schedule here.

Trial Run

There are schools that allow you to receive a free trial lesson, and there are others that allow you to take a single lesson by paying it, take it in order to test the service and quality. If you are interested in how to choose a ballroom dance studio… you should first and foremost give one a try! For those studios that do not allow trial lessons, it may be possible to witness one session, go there and watch it, take your time to assets the relation between teacher and students and watch how the teacher perform, and if his styles suit you.

Why Dance Louisville?

At Dance Louisville we have been in business for over 11 years. We are a family run dance studio with a professional staff of 6 excellent teachers who truly care about your experience at our studio. We personally invite you to take us up on our FREE FIRST LESSON. It will give you chance to come in and check us out. I’m sure you will have a great time. Give us a call (502) 3774859. See you on the dance floor!

The post How to choose a ballroom dance studio appeared first on Dance Louisville.

Thanks for clicking and taking the time to read this.

If we got a chance to sit down together – This is what I’d want to say.

I assume that there was something that intrigued you about dancing?

What was it for you?

Well whatever it is…It’s our job to help you reach your goal!

I know that walking into a dance studio is SUPER intimidating…

All of our students have gone through the exact same emotions.

Don’t worry….

After 20 years of dancing I know the exact steps you need to take.

The good news is the first few steps are very easy!

In fact by the time you’re reading this you may have even taken one or two of them.

Step 1. – Get some 1on1 time with an instructor. 

Being able to sit and talk to one of our instructors is the easiest (least nerve wracking) way to get started.

That’s why we offer a FREE 30-Min Private Lesson to all of our new students.

You can book that by calling (502) 377-4859.

If you’ve already done it.. congrats!

On to step 2…

Step 2. – Book a starter package.

A starter package allows you to take private lessons & group classes for a month!

After teaching A LOT of people to dance over year years I realized this.

You need to try group lessons AND private lessons.

So we created a special package to allow you to try both.

From there you’ll be more educated about which path will take you to your goals.

HINT: For most people in includes both group & private lessons.

The final step???

Step 3. – Doing the right things right.

Once you are taking the starter package….

You’re doing the right thing to ensure you’re on the path to reach your goals!

But how do you DO THE RIGHT THING RIGHT?

I’ve put together some tips on how to get the most out of your lessons.

After years of watching people…

The ones that had the most fun, struggled the least and ultimately achieved their goals, did these things.

Seriously.. all of them!

View my best tips

Again if there is anything I can do to help you on your dance journey.

Please let me us know.

Our staff is full of passionate helpful people and they are all on your team!

The post New Student Tips appeared first on Dance Louisville.

Keep your brain in shape!

Dance keeps the brain in shape. While dancing, you need to remember and apply a lot of different movement patterns, which is a great exercise for the brain. Think of a “Sudoku” puzzle for a moment…in it, you have to try different patterns and see which one fits on a column, something quite similar happens while dancing, only that it happens a lot faster, without noticing you are comparing all the different moves and turns you know. This comparison will give you the move or turn that fits the dance, then you try them in your head for a moment, and after all of this, you will perform them, all within split seconds of each other.

Needless is to say, this is a complex process that will get your brain running and exercising on a regular basis. Most of the time you are having too much fun or your brain has gotten so strong after dancing, that it does it effortlessly.

Keep depression away & relive stress

A good state of mind needs a brain in good shape, but some endorphins (happiness hormones) can make a lot of difference in keeping depression away, and releasing stress. Guess what – dancing makes the body secrete tons of endorphins! Almost all physical exercises will do this, but studies shows that due to dancing’s low impact on the “pain receptors” of the muscles, the endorphins are more effective and more powerful on the mind. More studies suggest that being able to keep a beat, gives the mind a sense of triumph and winning that would generate more endorphins, too! Next time you see people smiling while dancing, you will know what is going on their bodies and in their brain. 

In other studies, the American Council of Exercise found out that people who do ballroom dance at least twice a week are least likely to suffer mental disorders or Alzheimer’s. Dancing helps gain and maintain a healthy memory, and because it is a social activity it helps to alleviate a lot of the conditions that usually generate mental disorders.

Improve self esteem!

Last but not least, is the increased level of an individual’s Self-Esteem. After dancing for a while, your self esteem will be better than before, because you will see yourself as someone who is capable to learning something new, Someone who is capable of having fun and being sociable, and most of all someone who is doing something that you love. Different types of rhythms like salsa or flamenco celebrates different types of bodies and looks, so if you choose one that fits you, it will make you feel a lot more comfortable with yourself.

The post Dancing keeps your brain in shape! appeared first on Dance Louisville.

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The newest sensation is ballroom dancing for teens and kids. This boom in popularity is due in part to hit TV shows like “Dancing with the Stars,” “Little Big Shots,” and “World of Dance.” It seems our current generation of kids dream about stardom. When they watch other kids like themselves featured on TV, doing ballroom dancing in their shiny rhinestone costumes, they think, “I can do that too!” Well, guess what? They are absolutely right, they CAN do that…and we can teach them!

Let them experience first-hand the joys of connecting with their partner and the music. Ballroom dancing is a safe and healthy way for teens to spend their time after school. It keeps them focused on teamwork and discipline. It’s great exercise, especially when contrasted with sitting on the couch, playing video games, being online, or watching TV. Plus, learning ballroom dancing will fill your teens with confidence for their school dances and proms.

Dance Styles for Teens & Kids

Ballroom classes focus on footwork, posture, timing, connection, technique, and performance. In our modern, high-tech world, with teens glued to screens, social interaction and communication skills are in decline. Ballroom dancing is a wonderful and positive way to reverse that awful trend. Instead of being couch potatoes, your kids will be moving, spinning, stepping, twisting, gliding, dipping, and turning. They will be learning grace, gaining confidence, and expressing themselves creatively.

Learning new skills

Dancing with a partner involves learning additional skills outside of what they get in their solo dance classes like ballet and hip-hop. Partner dancing really forces communication with the partner, both physically and verbally. This teamwork and interdependence is an important life-skill to be gained. Although having a partner is ultimately the goal for ballroom dancers, no partner is required to take classes. First, your teen needs to learn their individual part and then we will partner them with another student or instructor.

Dance styles teens & kids can learn

Some of the ballroom and partner dance styles we teach include Latin, Rhythm, Smooth, International Standard, Salsa, Country Western, Swing, and Tango. Take your child’s individual personality and preferences into account when choosing which style to start with. Although, no prior dance experience is necessary, any skills they may have acquired from their ballet and jazz classes (like spotting, turns, posture, turnout) will give them an edge in quickly picking up ballroom dancing.

Dance Shoes

Eventually you will want to invest in special ballroom dance shoes for your kids. Teens will typically wear higher heels. For females, 2.5-inch or 3-inch heels are appropriate. For male teens, a 1-inch or 1.5-inch heel is standard. Check out our previous blog on different types of dance shoes.

For your preteens, it is best to stick with half-inch heels. Typically, strappy sandal type heels worn with socks are best for young girls, while young boys usually wear closed-toed, short-heeled shoes with laces. Jazz shoes are fine in the beginning until kids are ready for heels. Balance is challenged in a whole new way once high heels are introduced.

Just about every adult who takes ballroom dancing lessons remarks, “I wish I had started this sooner!” So, don’t wait…give your kids that head-start everyone craves. And keep in mind…you as a parent can learn to dance right along with your children!

The post Ballroom Dancing for Teens and Kids appeared first on Dance Louisville.

Children’s dances lessons are a wonderful after-school activity for your children. Typically, they can begin any time after age three. Check out our blog on “Best Age to Start Dancing” for more information on this topic.

Dancing will improve social skills, confidence, strength, flexibility, and listening skills in your children. Building a strong mind-body connection in youth is a good way to give your kid a head-start in life. Dancing also helps children learn rhythm, beats, counts, and music appreciation.

Things to consider for children’s dance lessons

There are a few things you should think about when you are signing up your kids for dance classes.  These things include style of dance, level of difficulty, dress code, the child’s level of dedication, scheduling, studio location, instructor qualifications, the type of dance floor in the studio, class size, teacher/student ratio, length of the classes, and cost. Check out our blog on “How to Choose Dance Lessons for Kids” for more details about picking classes and what questions to ask your studio and instructors.

Dance Class Attire

It’s important to dress your child in appropriate dance attire for class. Of course, you can buy brand new dance outfits in a local dance store, and there are many options online. In addition, consider buying gently-used dance clothes and shoes from a children’s consignment store or local second-hand shop. They won’t be in these clothes for long! It is recommended to buy shoes and clothes slightly larger, as children’s bodies and feet grow so fast. Yet, you still want the fit to be good to reduce the risk of injury.

Children’s Ballet Lesson Attire

For ballet classes, usually a simple leotard, tights, and ballet shoes are appropriate. A nice tight bun to keep hair out of the face is best. You can look up bun tutorial videos on YouTube if you are new to this hairstyle. You will need a hairnet, bobby pins, and hair spray. Pointe shoes are needed for advanced ballet classes.

Children’s Jazz Class Attire

For jazz classes, stretchy leggings or tight shorts and a T-shirt or tank top are appropriate, as well as nude or black jazz slippers or sneakers. For hip-hop classes, baggy attire is usually trendier, and street sneakers or dance sneakers are typically worn. Special tap shoes are needed for tap classes.

Where to kind dance shoes for children

Some popular brands for children’s dance shoes and clothing include:

• Capezio
• Bloch
• Wear Moi
• Just for Kix

Encourage your child to stretch at home and review their routines before the start of class and in-between classes. Remember, for dancers, “Practice Makes Permanence!”

Dance is an excellent form of exercise that teaches grace, control, balance, coordination and self-expression. Whether your child wants to learn dance for competition, performance, or just for fun, we have the right class for everyone!

See what we have to offer at the Dance Louisville Jr Academy

The post Children’s Dance Lessons appeared first on Dance Louisville.

Your child’s behavior

Parents should always take into consideration a child’s behavior, personality, and attention span. In addition, there are some important milestones that your child should reach before beginning class. These include walking, being potty-trained, taking direction, and listening to someone other than a parent.

Typically, these milestones are achieved by age three maybe even by two and a half, and that’s a great time to start dance classes. It also happens to be about the same time children start preschool, or engage in other social activities, so a comfort level has already developed for being in a group setting. Usually 3-year-olds have overcome separation anxiety from their parents and have started to gain independence, allowing them to fully enjoy their dance classes. See which class is best for your child here.

If a child is younger than the age of three or has not yet reached these important milestones, dancing can still become a fun and vital part of their home life until they are ready for the dance studio. Play music regularly in your home and encourage your child to move freely, without direction or discipline. Dance with them and help them feel the beat and rhythm of the music.

Ready to get started? See what classes we have to offer

Dancing will develop confidence

Regardless of the best age for kids to start dance class – Dancing at a young age can help promote a child’s self-confidence, creativity, self-expression, and social skills. Research shows that an activity like dancing creates a strong mind-body connection, and promotes coordination, balance, and brain development.

Dancing will keep your toddler more active and more flexible than the average child. It is easy to build strength at a young age and dancing helps achieve this goal. Strength leads to greater body awareness, dexterity, physical control, and confidence that will yield positive results throughout their childhood.

Develop discipline 

Young dancers learn discipline and gain perseverance that will carry them through their adult life. Young dancers build an innate sense of rhythm and musicality skills.

Starting your kids in dance classes will help them become performers, which builds leadership skills and brings out their personalities. As a bonus, they will develop friendships with other boys and girls who share a common interest.

Has your son or daughter reached age 10 or older? It is NEVER too late to start them dancing! Contact us today to discuss which classes would be ideal for your child. We even offer ballroom dance lessons for 10 year olds to adults!

The post What is the best age for kids to start dance classes? appeared first on Dance Louisville.