|
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 embarrased,
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 it's 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 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.
Return to Top
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."
Return to Top
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!
Return to Top
How do we find a song for our
first dance?
We have an entire database of Wedding dance songs
that we've just recently made available to the
public. Take a look at the link at the top of the
page to Dance Music and it'll take you to the list
where you can find your perfect First Dance song.
Return to Top
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.
Return to Top
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 eqiquette 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).
Return to Top
What are some of the benefits of
learning 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 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!
Return to Top
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.
Return to Top
|
