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How to Dance Videos & Lessons | Shawn Trautman Instruction DVDs
Proven Effective &
#1 Rated by Consumers
1st Time Beginner to
Advanced Lessons
30 Day Money-Back
Satisfaction Guarantee
There are numerous options for you to choose from when looking to learn how to dance. From expensive one-on-one private lessons to dance lesson videos from hundreds of different companies, we strongly believe our videos are the best way to learn how to dance, or add new moves to your favorite dance. Here’s some of the reasoning why:
The only option that can possibly compare to the success of our videos is private instruction, and that's only in rare circumstances. Finding the right instructor who is both a great dancer and a truly talented teacher is a difficult task. Group lessons are generally not very successful as it is very easy for beginners to fall behind and never catch up. Other dance lesson videos on the market often miss the mark when it comes to covering the basics, the lead & follow aspects, the angles consumers need and music. Most other dance video companies do not offer any type of guarantee or return-policy. We do. We guarantee you'll LOVE our videos or you get your money back. View our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.
Get dressed, get a babysitter, get in the car & drive to the studio. At that point you will have already spent the same time it would have taken you to watch and learn the basics of any dance with our videos.
Private dance lessons cost anywhere from $50 to $200 per hour and prepare to spend much more up front as most studios require a long-term contract. Group dance lessons on the other hand are much more affordable and sometimes even free at nightclubs. However, time is money, and as you walk away from your lesson confused and aggravated think of what you could have done with your time. Our dance lesson videos start at $29.99 which is competitive, even in the dance lesson DVD market.
Only with dance lesson videos can you go back a year later and get the exact dance instruction a second time without paying a dime! Every now and then we even pop our own videos in to get a refresher on some of the more advanced moves to have them fresh in our minds before going out for a good night of dancing.
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The Secret is in the...
Not only am I an instructor, but I'm also an avid consumer who loves to dance! I'm also someone who's been frustrated by the large number of learn to dance videos (that I own) that failed to deliver what they should have. I vowed I'd find a better way and that's exactly what we did and why our business has exploded in recent years.
Every dance I teach I have first-hand experience with & I make it a point to deliver the ins and outs of the instruction you really need to succeed on the dance floor. The last thing I want to do is bore you with dance moves, whether country, swing, west coast swing, or line dancing, that you'll never see in a club or with theory that has no real-world value. The dances and moves you'll learn here you'll use the rest of your life! Read More

Recommended Dance Videos for Beginners:
Can I really learn to dance from
a DVD?
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).
What type of Dance DVD should we
start with if we have never danced?
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.
Do I need a partner to start
dancing?
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."
Which dance should I start with?
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.
DVD, group or private lessons?
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.
Which instructor is best for my needs?
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.
My partner does not want to learn
to dance - What can I do?
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.
What are some of the benefits of
learning how to dance?
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!
Can we
learn to dance even if we've never taken dance
lessons before?
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
).
I've line danced a few times and
want to learn more - where do I start?
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!
What music goes to what
dances?
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!
I can't hear the beat of the
music. Can I still learn to dance?
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.
What is dance
etiquette?
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).
We have two left feet and aren't
sure we can learn to dance. Can your DVDs help
us?
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!
What is Ballroom Dancing?
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.
Site Links to Dance Lesson Videos, Dance Articles, Beginner Dancing, Swing, Two-Stepping, Instruction & more
Links specific to Dance Instruction, Benefits of Lessons,
Advantages of Shawn's Videos, Dance Music, & more
- 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!)
100% Made in the USA
From our film & dance studio in Clearwater, FL we produce dance lesson videos start to finish in-house. Our DVDs are professionally replicated domestically and everything from customer service to order fulfillment is done right here in the Tampa Bay area.
By keeping all operations in-house, we are able to control all variables for our videos, provide rapid response times on order shipments and inquiries, ensure high quality productions, talk directly with students via phone and email, and maintain the highest satisfaction ratings from both a product and a customer service standpoint.
We are proud of what we do and the dance videos we provide and take pride in the fact our company and DVDs are
100% Made in the USA!
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