How to Dance Videos & Lessons | Shawn Trautman Instruction DVDs

Yes! It's like having a private lesson at your house anytime you wish. The DVDs in Shawn Trautman's Dance Collection were built specifically for beginners and attempt to address each concern and question you might have. The DVDs include comprehensive dance instructions using stacked learning methods that guarantees success while being easy to follow. It's a guaranteed success. AND, it's a whole lot of FUN! If you have any questions about your DVD and want to talk with Shawn directly, he's available as well (Contact Us).

The top recommendation by customers is Dance Lessons 101, though that's probably because it's had the most visibility of any of our products and it was released prior to our new 101 Series.

If you've never danced before and feel you have zero coordination and two-left feet, Dance Lessons 101 may be right up your alley. If you have a decent grasp on your ability to move & take kinesthetic direction, the new beginner 101 Series will much better fit your needs.

Dance Lessons 101 was specifically designed for those who have never danced a day in their lives and want to start at square one. Dance Lessons 101 will also give you a good idea of what dances you will like. If you know the specific dance you want to learn or if you've taken lessons in the past, you should look at one of the 101 DVDs such as Swing Dancing 101 or Salsa 101 as they'll set the tone and give you the foundation to start with.

Last, if you find that Dance Lessons 101 is too fast for you or goes at a pace that you're not yet comfortable with, you should take a look at Slow Dancing for Beginners Volume 1. We often recommend the Slow Dancing series as a great starting point as it provides a great platform to build upon.

No - and this goes along with the question above regarding a partner who doesn't want to learn to dance. It's easy to learn the steps on your own, but we encourage you to try to learn both parts. This way, you'll understand what's supposed to happen and it will make things easier when you try to dance with others. There are countless places to dance socially with others who "just want to dance."

This is a fun question and one that we get often. If you're learning how to dance for a particular event or show and you're doing a waltz, for example, start with Waltz 101. If you're going out swing dancing next weekend and you want to impress your friends, start with Swing Dancing 101.

Now, if you simply want to 'learn to dance', and have never taken dance lessons, then take note. You should start with a how to dance video like the slow dancing series where it assumes you know absolutely nothing and builds muscle memory to ensure the right foundation is set for your dancing.

Once you're comfortable with slow dancing or if you've already taken other forms of dance and/or lessons, you'll be ready to jump right into any of the new 101 Series of DVDs, but if you're still open for advice, I'd choose Swing to go through first, followed by Salsa. Both have distinct rhythms that will help you with other dances as you go so it's best to get them under your belt. From there, you can either go further in your learning with any individual dance or you can continue learning other dances using the same exact formula (the 101 Series) as you'll know what to expect.

Historically, taking group and/or private lessons was the ONLY way to start dancing. A third and increasingly more common approach to learning how to dance is through self-teaching. Though some of the social benefits are not present with learning by a DVD, there are many other benefits that can be derived if the DVD meets certain criteria. First and foremost, you’ll get structure and documentation when you do it on your own. Second, you’ll be able to learn on your own time and set your own schedule. Third, you’ll be able to visualize and conceptualize the dancing as you go by looking at video of what you’re learning. When you first start out in dancing, you’ll be creating what’s called muscle memory.

For learning or reinforcing the basics the right way to pave a road for future learning, it’s best for you (and especially your body) to have a great source of reference material to go back to that has the exact information you’ll need on it. If you start by taking either group or private lessons, you most likely will not get any materials to go back and reference. Think about it, the longer it takes for you to learn, the more lessons you need - they have a reverse incentive in your education. Learning on your own through DVD is more efficient, much more affordable and less time-constrained than learning in either group dance lessons or private dance lessons, but once you move past the basics, we recommend using it as one type of instruction and not the only one. Supplement either private or group dance lessons with the DVDs, and you’ll be surprised at how quickly you feel confident in the dance world.

In the final chapter of the book Picture Yourself Dancing, “Picture Yourself Dancing for Life,” you’ll find detailed information on next steps for all your dances and for choosing an instructor to assist you with the more intermediate and advanced levels of dancing. There are specific qualities and attributes for several different situations that you should be aware of when seeking out further instruction. Once you’re comfortable with the basics of each of the dances, or the ones that you really want to know, you’ll feel much more confident in going out, watching, and talking with instructors in your area. When you’re ready to progress past the basics, you’ll find this section to be invaluable because it will help you determine what’s best for you.

This is a tough one, though there's still hope. Just as dancing is supposed to be fun, so is the learning process. There's generally a reason behind someone not wanting to learn and most of the time it has to do with confidence as no one wants to be embarrassed, especially in front of a loved one or friends. The best thing to do is order one of Trautman's beginner DVDs and try the instruction on your own and try the instruction from your partner's perspective (i.e., if you're a lady, try the man's part) so you can talk confidently about its ease when you explain it to him/her. It's a much easier sell if you have it on and ask him/her to join you and "it's really easy" than to ask if they'd be interested in learning how to dance. Keep in mind, too, we're one of the few companies that have a full 100% money-back guarantee, so if it doesn't work out, you can always Return it.

There are so many to list, so I'll try to limit it to the ones I find most relevant. Dancing reduces stress, increases energy, improves strength, and increases muscle tone and coordination, all while having fun and meeting people. The exercise one gets from dancing is particularly important because it has a great social outlet that goes along with it as well as the romantic interludes that may be an outcome. Sweating, laughing, joking, singing, and moving to the beat of great music all while mingling and "touching" (if you're dancing with a partner) others on the dance floor. The increases in body awareness, balance, and self confidence are also huge benefits to learning how to dance. There are probably endless lists of the benefits that you could add on from here - my recommendation: purchase any pack of Shawn Trautman DVDs and start reaping the benefits!

Absolutely! Shawn Trautman has built his reputation on teaching people to dance that have never danced before. His corporate training background, MBA in organizational leadership and training trainers, and 20 years of dance instruction help to make the learning process simple, easy, and effective. You'll be glad you chose the DVDs from Shawn Trautman's Dance Collection and you'll have access to him through email and via phone (877-DANCE-01 ).

This one's easy. Start with Line Dance 101 - Shawn Trautman shows more than 30 individual steps and then eases you into 5 different dances that combines the moves. You learn how to do all the steps, what they're called, and how dances come together. It's a great learning tool if you've never line danced or only line danced a couple of times. If you're proficient, know what the steps are called, and want to learn a bit faster, Party Line Dances is for you. If you know several line dances already and you're just looking to add to your arsenal, either of the Essential Line Dances volumes will be great for you. Last, if you're an advanced dancer and/or you're looking for a challenge, try either of the Smokin' Line Dances Volumes as you'll be sure to have your feet on ice after going through them a time or two!

You can click on the Dance Music link at the top of this page or you can click here to see dance tracks for each of the dances we teach. We are always finding and dancing to new songs and the lists are updated periodically so you can have the most variety in your song choices! If you have further questions on song suggestions or what dance could go with a specific song, please contact us and we'll be more than happy to help!

Most men feel this way or ask this question. It boils down to being taught (i.e., a learned skill) what to listen for and how to apply it to your dancing. The skill itself is what's called perception-motor match and is something that can be practiced alone or with a partner. There are a number of tips and drills for understanding rhythm and music in our book, Picture Yourself Dancing (page 21). In addition, Shawn Trautman's DVDs do a great job of explaining the steps and using danceable music to practice with while dancing along with you to ensure you're keeping up.

Dance etiquette can be broken into 2 main groups: Partner Etiquette and Floor Etiquette. Details on each of these can be found in our book, Picture Yourself Dancing (pp 26-27), but the summary is this - Partner Etiquette entails not giving unsolicited advice, trusting your dance partner, thanking your dance partner, and always introducing yourself to others. Floor etiquette entails being aware of your surroundings at all times (on the dance floor), apologizing or excusing yourself if a collision occurs on the dance floor (even if it's not your fault), and knowing the correct placement for each dance (i.e., where to dance on the dance floor).

Without a doubt, Yes! And you're not alone. Shawn Trautman has developed a system that is excellent for beginners and for people who've never danced a day in their lives. It's so easy to go through his DVDs and actually feel good about what you've learned. We hear all the time that the instruction was painless and that people are amazed by their own abilities that they never knew they had. It's a wonderful feeling to be able to accomplish something such as learning how to dance, especially if you thought you never could. You're only one DVD from Shawn Trautman away from changing your impression of your feet!

Ballroom dancing is an umbrella term for the social dancing spectrum. Ballroom dancing is comprised of everything from Swing to Slow Dancing, to Two-Step to Cha-Cha or Salsa and everything in between. There are classic ballroom dances like the Fox-Trot and the Waltz, but all of the social dances that Shawn Trautman teaches in his dance collection still fall under the realm of "Ballroom Dancing", though many of them are the up-to-date versions of the classics.

• Line Dancing: The #1 Rated Line Dance Videos Online - Beginner - Advanced Lessons
• Country Western How to Dance Videos: 2-Step, Swing, West Coast Swing, Polka & Triple Two
• How to Ballroom Dance for beginners: Videos on Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, Hustle. How to
• Swing Dancing Lessons: East Coast Swing for Beginners - How to Swing Dance w/anyone
• How to 2-Step: Country Two-Step lessons w/easy to follow Video Instruction
• West Coast Swing: How to dance videos for beginner WCS dancers
• First Dance (Dancing at Weddings): How to dance videos on Slow Dancing
• Hustle Dancing (Disco): Learn how to dance video on the hustle from the 70's
• Slow Dance Lessons: How to dance videos for the prom, on a cruise, at a wedding, etc
• Latin Dance Lessons: Salsa & Cha-Cha - how to dance videos for the clubs

• Listing of advantages and reasons why Shawn Trautman's How to dance videos are so effective
• General Benefits of learning how to dance through Shawn's DVDs, Private & Group Dance Lessons
• Articles on Dance Instruction, Teaching, Dancing, Lessons, and much more
• Learn about the featured dance instructor, Shawn Trautman & the co-instructors here
• Shawn Trautman's Bio - Learn about the dancer, teacher, author, innovator, and more
• BBB Accredidation, Security, 100% Money-Back Guarantee, Privacy Policy, & more
• Free Shipping and Same-Day Shipping info (Domestic & International Policies)
• Dance Music Suggestions & Song Lists (line dance, two-step, ballroom, swing, etc.)
• Dance Instruction Book: Picture Yourself Dancing (complete DIY book on learning how to dance)
• Video Clips of club dancing, line dancing, testimonials, group classes, & DVD previews
• Intro to Shawn Trautman's Dance Collection (Dancing Success Starts Here!)