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Who here can dance?

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Abstract

macrumors Penryn
Original poster
Dec 27, 2002
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I can dance badly, but I'm not talking about that. Who can dance? Who can "cut a rug". I've always wanted to learn to breakdance, but I'm afraid of doing it in a literal sense and breaking all the bones in my body.

Also, I went to this Salsa bar once, and while I have taken a beginner's "Idiot's Guide To Salsa Dancing"-style lesson, I couldn't embarrass myself at this club. People were literally spinning, swinging, and tossing each other around. It was like Daycare all over again. It wasn't a place I'd normally go to, but my friend is Mexican, and she told me that Mexicans can dance, and that's all there is to it. :eek:

Anyone feel as hopeless as me? I have actually taken 3 or 4 one-time Salsa lessons. Three or four lessons, and I can never remember a thing.
 
I dance and teach Salsa here and there. Haven't for a while but I may be starting up again. If you ever have any questions, feel free.

The most important thing I find in teaching people, especially men, is to relax, and focus on getting the rhythm down. So many guys want to look really fancy and impress, but they never get the basics ironed out. The guys who, either by luck or persistence, get the basic rhythm in their feet, always turn out to be solid dancers.

The thing that helped me learn is a partner. Learning to practice in public is torture. Find someone that is either at your level or patient ;), and practice at home until you are relaxed about your dancing ability. Don't get fixated on not being able to dance. That will just be another thing you will have to unlearn then.

One of my favorite memories is the feeling of learning Salsa. Enjoy it!

Good luck!
 
3 or 4 one time lessons won't do much for you. You need to have a lesson a week, and at least one practice session in between.

But it's worth making a commitment to -- once you break through the 'IDKWTF I'm doing" barrier, you get confidence, and it becomes a lot easier. There's years and years worth of learning you can do if you want to take it that far, but after 6 months, you'll be able to dance better than 99% of guys in the Western world.

Hear this, a guy who can dance is NEVER lonely on the dance floor. Women love to dance with a guy who knows how. And this is a lifetime skill, too, so the payback is worth the effort.

My wife and I dance Argentine Tango -- it's not as vigorous as Salsa (good thing, my knees and hips aren't that vigorous either) but it is tougher for the guy to learn than Salsa -- it's a little over a year of lessons and I'm just starting to break loose. They say it takes the guy about 7 years to really learn it (the gals have it easier, they follow the guy's lead and look fabulous). But this is a sexay dance, it is.:D
 
I second that advice.

Expect to put in at least 8 weeks, preferably 12 to get a solid footing.

Tango is my first love as well, but it's much much harder than Salsa!

It's also not as available where I live for social dancing.
 
I love how a guy and girl partner seem almost psychic, and can predict each others moves. When my friend told me that the dancing partners may not even know each other, and that this wasn't rehearsed, my jaw dropped. One example was when the guy spun the girl around, and spun himself around, and he caught her hand while neither of them were facing each other. They were looking in opposite directions, and yet they both knew where their hands should be to make it work. They also spun in a way that it looked choreographed.
 
I can do the Soulja Boy dance... Its easy to learn and fun to do, try it!

Although, my girlfriend can dance very well ;)
 
I would love to be able to dance the Tango -It's so dramatic and serious.

They say White men can't dance - I think I define that statement, unfortunately.
 
Men Without Hats Song

Men Without Hats: Safety Dance

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?i=211932307&id=211932303&s=143455

We can dance if we want to
We can leave your friends behind
Cause your friends dont dance
And if they dont dance
Well they're no friends of mine
Say, we can go where we want to
A place where they will never find
And we can act like we come from out of this world
Because you're one far behind

We can dance

We can go where we want to
The night is young and so am i
And we can dress real neat
From out hats to our feet
Then surprise them with a big trick ride
Say, we can act if we want to
If we dont, nobody will
And you can act real rude
And totally removed
And i can act like an imbusil

Say, we can dance
We can dance
Everything's outta control

We can dance
We can dance
We're doing it more and more
We can dance
We can dance
Everybody look at your hands
We can dance
We can dance
Everybody's taking the cha-nce
It's safe to dance
Oh well, it's safe to dance
Yes, it's safe to dance

We can dance if we want to
We've got all your life and mine
As long as we abuse it
Never gonna lose it
Everything will work out right
I say, we can dance if we want to
We can leave your friends behind
Because your friends dont dance
And if they dont dance
Well they're no friends of mine

I say, we can dance
We can dance
Everything's outta control
We can dance
We can dance
We're doing it more and more
We can dance
We can dance
Everybody look at your hands
We can dance
We can dance
Everybody's taking the cha-ance
Well, it's safe to dance
Yes, it's safe to dance
Well, it's safe to dance
Oh well, it's safe to dance
Ah yes, it's safe to dance
Well, it's safe to dance
It's safe to dance
It's safe to dance
 
I can rave, I can *really* rave. I often get a small crowd watching me when I get going.
 
I'm about three months in to ballroom/latin dance lessons. We've learned bits of the Rumba, Salsa, Tango, Cha cha cha, Foxtrot, and Swing. We're tolerably good at the Rumba now, but we've been taking lessons nearly every week and practicing several times a week as well. It takes work, but now it's gotten to the point that it's really quite fun.

For me the key was to practice as soon as possible after the lesson, to make sure I remember what I learned. Then at the next lesson they fix all the bad habits I picked up after a week of practicing.
 
I've been ballroom dancing for four years now. I can waltz, Viennese waltz, fox trot, tango (badly), East coast swing, nightclub two-step, and hustle. I can fake my way through a few other dances. I've always been kind of pissed at myself that I didn't learn west coast swing and lindy hop before graduating because there aren't any good options for learning those dances in this town outside of the dance courses at the university.
 
My wife and I can do a mean Salsa. :)

And while we're quoting songs:

"And who's gonna raise a hand
When all we were taught to do is dance?
Who'll be able to stand after this avalanche?"

from Avalanche by Thea Gilmore.

Mord said:
I can rave, I can *really* rave. I often get a small crowd watching me when I get going.
Click to expand...
I can well imagine... :D
 
I can waltz and fox trot, but I can't (and I mean can't) do anything but ballroom. And I really don't like line dancing and everything else like it.
 
GirthP said:
Tango is my first love as well, but it's much much harder than Salsa!
It's also not as available where I live for social dancing.
Click to expand...
That's a drag. Where do you live? In Victoria we have Milongas 5 nights a week, and a club that is dedicated to Salsa and Tango on alternating nights.

We did ballroom for a few years, but got tired of the regimentation, and the stuffy, political structure of the local Ballroom Dance Society that runs everything and dictates who can teach or not.

Westcoast Swing is the other dance we want to learn, but Argentine Tango is taking all our time at present.

melrose said:
I would love to be able to dance the Tango -It's so dramatic and serious.
Click to expand...
There's three different types of Tango, Ballroom or International Tango is the one with the stylized head movements and frowning.

They can be described like the stages of a relationship:

American Tango is like the courtship,

Argentine Tango is like the honeymoon,

And International Tango is like when you're staying together for the sake of the kids...
 
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