This is the one DVD I recommend to anyone who's new to couples dancing! Why? Read on and get all the details...
Slow Dance
Waltz
Swing Dancing (East Coast Swing)
Hustle
Two Step
Salsa
Cha Cha
West Coast Swing
I developed Dance Lessons 101 to be a stand-alone introduction to couples dancing and that's exactly what it is. If you've never danced, order and go through Dance Lessons 101 first! When people ask me for private lessons, I always recommend they go through this DVD first - it saves SO much time and frustration, both for the student and the teacher. Truly, there's just so much you can get out of it. It's over 2 hours of dance lessons that are specifically for people who may have never danced before - i.e., the basics and fundamentals that everyone needs to know.
NOTE: If you know how to dance already or have been taking lessons for years, please don't start with Dance Lessons 101! You'll be wasting your time and money and we'd rather you find the right product so you won't be disappointed. I can't tell you how many times I've heard "this is too basic" by someone who's been dancing for years and thought it would be good to brush up on their basics.
This DVD starts out with a general overview of the 8 "need to know" dances and then goes right into a breakdown of how to hold your partner and what to look for and work on. Once you understand the connections and some basics on partnering, we start into the basics of the dances.
Each of the dances on this DVD have their own chapter so it's easy to navigate to the one you're working on. I strongly recommend starting with the Slow Dance chapter first - what you learn there carries on to all the others. Joanna and I start and end each chapter by dancing to the accompanying music (first to show you what you're going to look like, and then to practice along with you). In between, we cover both the men's and lady's footwork along with how to lead and follow each dance. When we designed the lessons, we made sure each dance we taught had enough material to get you started while having fun, and to give you a good feel for the dance... but not so much as to overwhelm you!
If you're not sure if your partner will like dancing, Dance Lessons 101 is absolutely the one DVD you should try! Joanna and I are very straightforward, casual, and easy to follow along with. There's no frilly costumes, overdone stereotypes, obnoxious music, or fast 'show 'em once' instruction that you'll find on other DVDs (believe me, I've seen way too many of them).
I promise you, if you start with Dance Lessons 101, you'll have a solid foundation that you'll be able to build off of for years to come!
Dance Lessons 101 is the all-in-one do-it-yourself DVD. After extensive planning, we've combined the starting points for Ballroom, Country, Swing and Latin Dancing into one easy-to-understand program. This DVD is proof that you can learn to dance without live instruction - and in a fraction of the time. Master the fundamentals of multiple dances with the Trautman method. You'll be dancing the Slow Dance, Waltz, Swing, Salsa, Two-Step, Cha-Cha, Hustle and in a matter of minutes.
Dance Lessons 101 features just over two hours of detailed dance instruction, picture-in-picture technology, optimum clarity, and multiple camera angles to ensure that you, the student, get the best view. Each step and move is taught for both the leader and the follower as well as together, allowing you the option of learning with or without a dance partner. Not too interested in the Cha-Cha but can't wait to learn the Swing, Salsa, or Hustle? DVD menu selections allow you the option of streamlining your lesson.
Owning this DVD is the equivalent of having your own private dance instruction for a fraction of the cost, and it's ideal whether you want to learn to dance for a special event or simply achieve better fitness. Feel good about your new hobby, and take your skills ever-further by choosing from more than two dozen other titles in Shawn Trautman's Dance Collection.
Dancing Success Starts with Dance Lessons 101. We'll see you out on the dance floor!
These are some of the many customer reviews submitted to us on Dance Lessons 101:
"Wish I'd started earlier. I appreciate the quality and breakdown of your instruction. I was enjoying a dance class at our local college, but conflicted with my work schedule, and unlike your DVDs, I could not always say 'Wait, I need to see that again!' I do wish you were local, you have an obvious love of dance, and it would be great to take a class from the two of you. Thanks." Tom H., Adelanto, CA
"I love dance and want to learn ballroom dance. Good instruction. Clear and easy to follow while moving alone. Basic steps with more advanced moves build upon this foundation in a clear manner. Helpful instructions and hints throughout dance sequences. Great job! Keep them coming!" Katie F., Washington, D.C.
"Good clear unintimidating instruction from a regular guy. Great product."Fraser M., Marlow, United Kingdom
"I bought this to make the wife very happy. With the DVD we had the ability to repeat a part very quickly. I loved the ease of observing everything I needed to do at a slower pace." Darrell B., Spring Hill, FL
"I loved the fact that I can do this at home when I want." Gerry G., Roseville, CA
"I bought this for exercise. I loved that it was easy to follow with good songs." Jana M., Darien, FL
"I'm a beginner dancer, and received these as gifts. I like the clear instruction and demonstration. Thanks for a quality instructional tool." Debra O., Danbury, CT
"We love to dance. We enjoyed the good preview presentation of dances." Jim and Katy E., Mount Dora, FL
"Dance Lessons 101 is easy to follow. The DVD allows you to stop, rewind, and pause." Lana B., Norfolk, VA
"Very clear instruction - good quality video. Articulate explanation. Good job! I'm a reasonably experienced ballroom dancer, east and west coast swing dancer (1.5 year Fred Astaire followed by independent WCS classes and lessons). I appreciat the clarity of your video and instruction." Chris G., Fox Poit, WI
"Very good DVD. I like the style and we learned a lot from the DVD. We really like the way the steps were broken down." Ron K., Hot Springs, AR
"Easy to follow." David A., Sawyer, MI
"Simple explanation and break down of dance steps." Robert T., Pueblo, CO
"Great method of teaching" William Z., Glendale, AZ
"Easy to follow and understand" Trudy R., Thornton, CO
"Gave clear instruction on several dances" Mary M., Vernon, AL
"Simple - easy to follow" Linda G., Selburne, VT
"Easy to understand, simple, I can replay it as many times as I need." Linda W., Franconia, VA
"Very detailed and easy to follow instructions with two different perspective views of the dance instructors." Christopher M., Burlington, MI
"Simple clear instruction for a beginner like me. This is my first DVD from Shawn Trautman, and I am going to buy a second one." Hak-Yam, T., Scottsdale, AZ
"Easy to follow instructions. Generally plenty of repetition to get the steps down." Debra H., San Diego, CA
"Easy to follow" Mark M., Valrico, FL
"Always wished I could dance, never took the time to learn... missed a lot! Wish I'd started earlier, appreicate the quality and breakdown of your instruction. Was enjoying a dance class at our local college, but conflicted with my work schedule, and unlike your dvds I could not always say wait I need to see that again. I do wish you were local, you have an obvious love of dance, and it would be great to take a class from the two of you. Thanks. PS - The breakdown of the steps is what I liked most. Bought both the Slow Dancing for Beginners DVD and Dance Lessons 101." Tom Hino., Adelanto, CA
"Easy to follow instruction! Logical Arrangement." Jenny Isk., Fairfax, VA
"Liked Most: Logical arrangement: sample of dance then step by step instruction then fuller demonstration. The time taken to explain lead/follow, touch points, etc. was also very helpful. Overall, I rally like the DVD; it meets my goal of practicing between actual dance classes. It has also given me a preview of other dances that I might like to learn." LeShelle W., Quincy, MA
"Easy to follow, slow pace. No suggested improvements." Linda C., Santa Ana, CA
"clear and simple. Just wanted to pass a quick note along to say how much we enjoyed your 101 dvd. It was just as clear and simple as you stated and we're glad we started with it. It's made for fun practicing and we've certainly learned a lot! " bob_allison, Unknown
"Great for Beginners! I bought Dance Lessons 101 and Line Dance 101 on Amazon.com because of their reviews and totally agree. My husband and I could not be happier with our purchase and we will definitely be back for more of the other titles. We love how you break down the steps for beginners and make it simple and non-intimidating. Many thanks Shawn!" L. Jackson, NV
"My husband and I wanted to dance at his best friend's wedding this last weekend and not make fools of ourselves. We practiced at home over the last month with Dance Lessons 101 and I told him that if it worked, I'd be the first to tell everyone I knew - so here goes. It worked!!! We had a blast at the reception and had 4, yes, 4!! compliments on how good we looked and how much fun we were having, this never happens to us. This was HUGE for my husband's confidence and I can tell you he was just soaking it up. We danced a good 10 dances that night, which is more than we've danced in the last 5 years. Oh, and Swing is now his "favorite dance". This video was our first time trying to dance together and we quickly saw how much we had to learn. We liked how it started out with a number of things that are important for all dances. It was a good way toget us started without the steps. We liked doing it on video, too, because we had to stop a few times and practice and talk through what we were learning. Overall, there were so many things we liked and only a few we thought could be improved. Here are my notes - Pros: excellent instruction; easy to see and follow; down to earth instructors; a lot less than private lessons; convenient; information that made sense; a good flow to the lessons; a lot of information; instruction was done in a small space similar to what we learned in; two hours of lessons; good variety of dances; the fact that we learned without anyone watching us! Cons: not enough practice time to music; there were a few times we had questions and couldn't ask anyone. Overall, we were thrilled with what we got out of this DVD and will definitely be buying more of Shawn's videos. If you're looking for a great value and easy dance lessons, give this one a try. I'm convinced that if it worked for us, it can work for anyone! " Rose Mary "fly girl", Chicago, IL
"We LOVE it! This is an excellent video that we'd absolutely recommend to anyone who's new to dancing. Shawn is very thorough in his teaching and does a great job of cueing throughout the DVD. We like the relaxed style and the helpful hints on leading and following. We're having a blast with this one. Thanks!!!" Cheryl H., NJ
"Exceptional! I now know why this one is so highly rated both here and on Amazon.com. Very easy to follow along with. What Shawn says about being able to follow along with the video as it's shown is exactly right. We enjoyed this video and look forward to the slow dance series that we just ordered. Shawn - you have true talent in breaking the dances down and making them seem attainable. You make it look so easy and effortless. We're working towards the same look. We've gone through each dance 2x and just about have em all. Joanna - you make us laugh! My wife says "thank you for being you!" She likes your take on the following bits and she's glad to see that you're a regular person, in a good way
"A true beginner's DVD. This is a true beginner's dvd and it's nice to include a taste of so many dances. The explanation of leading/following was especially helpful. Well done!" mandbc, Unknown
"easier than I thought. I've already learned a handful of dances- it was easier than I thought. For a beginner like me, Shawn doesn't skip anything and I'm not floundering." Annette, Unknown
"this dvd is great! The product itself arrived in a day! the dvd is great. Shawn and his wife demonstrate not only the man, lead
"very well shown. If you wished you danced, or did dance .... these are the folks that can show you the steps! Easy to follow and very well shown, even I can dance with my sweetheart! Thank you." Melvin K., Unknown
"Very impressed. I am very impressed with Shawn and the dance video instructions are so simple and easy to follow. I highly recommend this and other products from him. The customer service is excellent and exceeds my expectations. Anyone who purchase his dance videos will not be disappointed. I have a zero experience in dancing and I'm learning the steps quickly. Shawn thank you so much." tinkermoon, Unknown
"Useful for beginners. Very easy to follow instruction - provides lot of useful basics for the beginning dancer." Kim Y., Unknown
"Better than a class! The instruction on the DVD is better than a class, we can pratice when we have time!" Michelle B., Unknown
"very helpful dvd, we wont look silly at our wedding now!" Heather & Jason L. Hyattsville, WA, Unknown
"Perfect! Now I won't look like I have 2 left feet. Super Quick Shipping. Thank You!!" 4906jamie, Unknown
"Very good quality DVD. Good for learning dance, detail are clear. Bought some more dance DVD's already!" Andy S., Unknown
"Excellent DVD!! Super Fast Shipping! More than enough time to study the dances and be ready for the Wedding Shower! Excellent DVD!! Thanks so Much!!!" James Barton, Unknown
"Wonderful! The video is wonderful. I've been using it with my fiance to practice for our first dance in our upcoming wedding. So far, we've been taking things slow and have only made it through the first 45 minutes or so of the video. But, everything has been great thus far. Hi parents actually ordered a copy of it yesterday, through amazon because of our rave reviews. Thanks, Melissa" Anonymous, Unknown
Call our studio directly at 877-DANCE-01 or click the links below to read more on the following dance lesson videos:
Call our studio directly at 877-DANCE-01 or click the video links below to read more about the other dance videos from Shawn Trautman Instruction: