Frequently Asked Questions
The first hour on the Thursday Night class is devoted to one of the five International Standard dances, followed by one of the five International Latin dances the second hour. Please keep in mind that for instructional purposes social patterns or dances may be used in conjunction with the International Syllabus.
Is this class right for me...?
Q. Where can I find good Ballroom music for my own practice?
A. Here are two places where you can look for ballroom music:
- www.thedancestoreonline.com
- Dance Trax: 1.800.513.2623
Q. I've never done Ballroom dancing before...should I be in this class?
A. Absolutely! This class was designed for not only those wanting to strengthen their educations in ballroom dancing, but also for absolute beginners with ZERO experience.
Q. What does 'Standard' and 'Latin' mean? I thought Ballroom dancing was Ballroom dancing?
A. Well it IS true that Ballroom dancing is Ballroom dancing, however the 10 International style Ballroom dances are divided into two categories (Standard and Latin). The International Standard dances include the Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, Quickstep, and Viennese Waltz. The International Latin dances include the Rumba, Cha Cha, Samba, Paso Doble, and Jive. All together the 10 of them make Ballroom!
Q. Do I need a partner to come to the Thursday night class?
A. Not at all! Although you may choose to come with a date or in groups no partner is necessary , as you will be assigned various dance partners while learning the steps.
Q. More than one dance partner? Why do I have to dance with different people?
A. If new to dancing, one of the fastest and most efficient ways to improve one's own coordination and skill is to learn to effectively exercise one's own techniques while under the influence of respectively, different leads and follows. Simplified, this means that by focusing on what your own personal responsibilities are while dancing (be that you're the leader or follower), and learning to act and react to people of all different shapes and sizes, you personally will make much more rapid and dramatic improvements in your own dancing. And since our job is to teach you how to dance, we use a rotation method to ensure that all leaders dance with all followers and everyone grows in their skill!
Q. How should I dress and what shoes should I wear to the class?
A. The dress is nice casual with soft soled shoes that you can easily move in. Sandals are not advised. Later on you can purchase dance shoes at Movin Easy or Capezio's.
Q. Why do you teach 'International' style Ballroom dancing?
A. Although there is an American style of Ballroom dancing, the International style is much more widely taught worldwide, and more heavily danced competitively. There's a beauty being able to vacation in say...Japan, attend a ball, and take a partner and sweep the floor with them because, even though you may not be able to speak a lick of a word to one another, the language of your dance is the same. And so, we choose to teach the International style that is recognized worldwide.
Q. I've heard that this class sometimes incorporates social patterns into the curriculum. Will I be able to dance these? Will they interfere with my understanding the material? Are social patterns added to all dances?
A. Whether it is to better understand the characteristic of a dance through a social figure, to simplify a generally more complex pattern for educational purposes, or simply just to have fun, social patterns will sometimes be used in addition to the regular curriculum for a given series. We call them social because they do not appear as an actual figure in the ISTD Curriculum books, yet the figures may be commonly danced at social outings or generally known throughout the dancing world. If anything these figures will give you a better idea of the ways in which we can move with a partner and will help in your learning processes.
Q. Are we going to learn Salsa in the Thursday class?
A. Although Salsa is most widely considered a "Latin" dance, it is not however considered to be one of the five International Style Latin dances, therefore we will not be dancing Salsa Thursday nights. Due to the large popularity of Salsa however, our school instead has dedicated an entire night to Salsa on Tuesday evenings at the Hills!
| 
