Hello, I'm new to ballroom dancing - I started about two months ago, and last week I decided to get more ambitious with my dance partner.

Backstory:
We’re college students with very limited funds, so we can’t really afford to take private lessons regularly. I’ve done a lot of research and networking and managed to get us free access to a ballet room with parquet floors and mirrors for training. While looking for alternatives to private lessons, I also found out about “Technique books,” which, combined with the visual resources from YouTube, seem to offer huge knowledge (even beyond what an experienced instructor might provide) along with visual representation. That sounds great on paper! We also have sports cards that let us attend group lessons (of all kinds—including intermediate and advanced club lessons), which we obviously plan to take advantage of. The books I looked at are WDSF Technique books (50 EUR each, but I can sell them later or find them for a lower price, so they’re not a huge cost).

I’ve talked to many dance instructors, teachers, competitors, and adjudicators. They all said that to perform well in sports, private lessons are a necessity. However, I haven’t really heard of anyone trying a different approach (like mine) while still aiming to compete - not just doing it as a hobby. Don't get me wrong, I know that books won't replace a real teacher, but I believe they can still provide solid theoretical foundations, especially when combined with YouTube tutorials, group lessons, and occasional private lessons. And I suppose ultimately all that combined could provide similar value (tell me what you think about that). We’re very determined and ready to invest a lot of time - especially since we have the ballet room just for the two of us.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this plan, and I’d be grateful if you could answer the following:

Do you think it’s possible to achieve results using the approach I mentioned? Can you share more about these books or suggest any that might be better than the ones I’ve found? Are there similar resources that are more accessible online?

Also, if you have any other hints or advice that come to mind while reading my post, I’d love to hear them!

My university has a standard & latin class. It goes on for 3 months, but because of xmas, that are only 10 hours

since standard & latin are multiple dances, that looks like just one hour for each dance. can you actually learn each dance in that time? (it took me six months to learn the bachata basics)

Does it make sense to take such a class?

Hello, all! I'm really not sure what to think of my experience dancing with a ballroom instructor, and I'm hoping to get some constructive opinions from more experienced dancers. We're all human and no one is perfect; my hope is that we can avoid passing personal judgement based on my description of events (and I'm talking to myself as much as anyone else when I say that). Some brief background: I'm new to ballroom dancing in general, but I've been dancing latin styles for most of my teenage and adult life. I'm very familiar and generally very comfortable social dancing in closed position with leads. It's been a long time since I've taken a dance class but I'm so glad to be prioritizing dance education again in my life and I hope to continue to explore this new hobby.

The class I'm going to is a beginner level and there were multiple instructors. Overall they were all very professional and knowledgeable so I want to keep going to this studio. Unfortunately one of the instructors continues to make me uncomfortable and I actually feel that he treated me very rudely in class. He is a newer instructor, and my first impression of him is that he stood way too close to me when making small talk before the class began. We were not dancing... He also stepped forward several times during small talk when I was stepping backwards and speaking at a normal volume. Maybe he is hard of hearing, I'm not sure, but right from the start his lack of social awareness and/or basic social boundaries made me uncomfortable.

The class is for a latin style ballroom dance. The other instructors have not corrected my frame in general when we've danced closed position. The weird instructor immediately wanted my arm to be stiff on his shoulder without mention of my frame. Okay, I thought, he's a little picky (or maybe I'm a little light). As the class progressed over the weeks, the amount of eye contact and conversation he has attempted to make with me individually and not the rest of the group feels "off." I've started giving him short answers.

TLDR: So in the last beginner class as it was my turn to dance closed position with him, before we started dancing he decides to push my left shoulder. This was not during motion but as we stepped to start dancing in closed. He gave me no verbal warning, or verbal cue at all, and he didn't ask for my permission to try something new. He essentially just pushed my left shoulder backwards with more force than I've ever felt from a lead in my life. The push broke my frame and I think I actually stepped backwards. I was shocked, and I told him that he was way too forceful. I might have sounded like I scolded him because I was shocked. He didn't seem phased by it though, because didn't stop his basic. He seemed like he was in "teacher mode," and asked me to dance in open position (we were learning moves from closed...). I tried to be a good sport about it even though it upset me.

Anyway, I'm just feeling kind of bummed because I really got a good vibe from everyone else in this studio and I don't like making a "scene" during class (I'm not sure whether I did or not). I'm also hoping to get some tips for setting boundaries in ballroom social dancing and also with instructors. I'm going to need to be very clear with this instructor if I keep attending classes at this studio... but I also want to be polite and kind so leads in general don't feel guarded around me. Thoughts?? Thanks in advance for your honest feedback.

I'm going to start to compete in Ballroom(already do in Latin), but my practice ballroom shoes(pointed toes) hurt a lot(I've got wide and spread out toes, but narrow balls and then super narrow heel and ankle), I'm also very used to Latin shoes, is it against the rules to wear Smooth shoes(closed toe but opened sides) for Standard ballroom(fully closed)? Is it rare to see or not recommended?

Any recommendations for a nude bodysuit with cups and a low back to wear under a competition dress?

Apologies if this is a bit tmi, but I’m about to order a new pair of standard shoes, and I was curious to know how the you all keep the insides of your shoes clean. I don’t like to wear tights or socks or anything with my shoes, so I find that after hours upon hours of wearing them for competitions and practice, they get kinda gross. What do you all do to mitigate that?

Hi all! I’m getting married in about 5 months and I refuse to do the middle school shuffle at my wedding. I’ve done (some) research and it seems to me maybe the waltz is the best option for a beginner to try out? But I am having a hell of a time finding songs that go with that beat count. Looking for a first dance and father daughter dance song. OR if there are other suggestions for a dance, would appreciate that too :) and by beginner I mean absolutely no experience dancing

Does anyone know what kind of dance you could do to this? I’ve been thinking of trying a Tango?

I did my whole life ballet, now I am 21 and want to start ballroom dancing. I'm studying a very demanding subject. So my question would be, how far can I get with ballroom dancing? Is it possible to get into minor competitions with so little time at hand? Realistically I see myself train 3-4 hours a week.

Hello!

As I've gotten more serious about ballroom dancing, I'm finding that a lot of my existing dress & button up shirts don't work well. I either get super sweaty in them, or the design of the shoulder seams don't allow me to raise my arms up without yanking the entire shirt up. Sometimes both.

When shopping for shirts what should I know in order to avoid these problems?

I don't know much about clothing design, so advice tailored to a layman is appreciated.

Thanks!

We're having ballroom as our project in school and I had to buy a skirt for the performance, but there's a problem with the skirt I bought. IT IS NOT FLOWY :(((((((( I wanted to have a skirt that easily twirls but the thing is I think I bought the wrong one, can I still fix this or should I just buy another one?? pls help 😞😞

Hi, everyone. I have been taking beginners ballroom and latin classes with my husband for 4 weeks now and we love it so much I decided to purchase some shoes at my studio. I ended up with the supadance 1143. These are a 3 inch stiletto heel, I did abit of reading up on what shoes begginers should buy after this and now I'm a little worried as everything suggests a much smaller flare heel. It's worth noting I was wearing 3 inch dune marvella heels to previos classes and my instructor is aware that I also take ballet classes so this might have inlufenced the choice. Are these too advanced ?

The fit seems great and I didn't find them painful but there was a definite difference in weight placement between these and the lower pairs.im probably just overthinking but thought it was worth checking in before I can't return them.

Thanks in advance

I just wanted to say this! I (33f) know how to dance a bit, but I've been talking about ballroom lessons with my bf (33m) for the past couple of years as something that will increase our intimacy and would make us feel more confident with each other when we go out. At first, he was scared of trying because he didn't want to look silly. I have told him not to take himself so seriously and to give it a try. I've tried to teach him simple steps with Salsa and Merengue (because im latina and only know the basics.) But im just excited to learn with him.

Are there any tips we should have for our first lesson?

Hey y’all!

I’m (22M) currently looking for new hobbies to try. I don’t have any experience in dancing, and am frankly pretty bad at it due to no knowledge of it. Any time I’ve had an opportunity to dance I’ve felt awkward about it and would love to change that. So, my question is threefold:

1. Is ballroom dancing learnable as an adult?
2. Would taking classes be a good way to meet new people?
3. Is there any advice you’d give for someone starting that is completely green?

Edit: Thanks everyone so much for the responses! They have been very helpful and motivating. I was very much on the fence about it when I made the post, but y’all’s input has definitely been encouraging to give it a shot.

In some step charts I've seen the terminology "left side leading" and "right side leading". What do these mean exactly? For context I've added a photo of a step chart that contains this.

Hey!

I just started (again...) a dancing class. It is a lot of fun, but as the last time didn't work out soo well, i try to improve myself by using a more technical and theoretical approach this time. So after dealing with time signatures and counting in the music, i'm trying to go to the next level. I want to recognize by myself, what is the matching dance for a specific song.

In some cases it's obvious (3/4 will be a waltz for sure), but in other cases its not so easy. Especially the difference between Chacha, Discofox (i think it's Hustle in the US) and West Coast Swing is difficult for me. In general I feel like WCS can cover a very wide range of music.

Lets get to an example: Taylor Swift's "Paper Rings" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=a3FVEgsi5ag): For me, all three dance styles work here. How can I figure out, which one really fits? Or is the reality that really all of them are OK? Same question could be discussed for Abba's "Gimme Gimme"...

I think there must be subtle signs in rhythm or so to recognize it, but I'm just not able to get it. Thank you for helping me out ;-)

Visiting Boston this week. Where should I go dancing tomorrow night? So far I’m looking at the Halloween dance at Champions Dancesport Club or Dancesport Boston’s open house in Weymouth. Bronze level 30s, international styles and can do a little bit of american and various club styles.

Hello!

I am a collegiate ballroom dancer, and I am doing a research assignment for homework. I am looking to get collegiate ballroom dancers from all over the country to complete a quick 5 minute survey. If you can help, I would greatly appreciate it!
https://forms.gle/hjm27PMDBncHeeJ29

Hi everyone, I started competing in standard this summer and quickly realized my smile (or lack thereof) leaves much to be desired! I dance out of pure joy for the sport, but my resulting “serious face” looks more like a scowl or simply very determined, at best. I know it takes time and isn’t as important as technique, etc., but how did you develop both sufficient smile and maintaining throughout the dance? I’m a follow if it makes a difference.

Many smiles I see out on the floor (teeth, lots of them) feel artificial, but either way, when I do a smaller/more natural smile, I forget about it while dancing and slip into a tense look.

I’ve been told “you enjoy this, so just relax and let that enjoyment show.” Maybe this is the way to approach it (?) but any tips to reaching that are much appreciated.

Hi everyone!

I've been trying to find the title and artist of the song used in this dance competition video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TQxmmAssvY

Unfortunately, Shazam and other music recognition apps haven't been able to identify it.

Does anyone recognize this song or have any tips on where else I could search? It’s been stuck in my head for 10 y, and I’d really appreciate any help!

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

So, odd question, but ladies in particular keep having this embarrassed giggle whenever they go to do a sugar push or more advanced versions of the sugar push (apologies, I don’t know all the names, am still new) or other moves where the follow needs pushes hard against the lead to make it work. For whatever reason, the fallows act like I’m made of glass. I’m 5’7”, I *do* work out, though at 40 and after a number of injuries am not “swole” but certainly am not rail thin, I would say I look at “athletic” and weigh 152 lbs.

I’ve asked some why they’re so timid about pushing against me, and they’ve said lots of the leads fall over or act surprised if the follow puts their weight into the move. At the same time, the moves don’t work right unless the follows push *hard.* So anyhow, I keep saying things like “I work out, push hard!” And they get this embarrassed giggle like they can’t believe I said that and I’m being silly/ridiculous. What is going on?

Are they seriously remembering the line from LMFAO’s “Sexy and I know it” where the guy says “I work out” as part of the lyrics? That song is from 2011 and seems dated like a bit of a reach. But I’m not sure what else to guess at.

What would be the best for my wife and I to learn ballroom of any kind online? We live in the middle of nowhere so finding a studio is put of the question.

Hello!

I am in Ontario, Canada and have an interest in competing in American Smooth style ballroom dancing sometime down the road, but have no idea where to even begin.

For context, I've only been dancing for a bit over half a year and am currently working my way through Bronze. I have a passion for dance like nothing I've done before and am working my ass off to improve and reach Silver ASAP (practicing 15-20 hours a week, attending 2-3 lessons a week and constantly researching information about style and technique of the different dances I am working on). I know competing is something I'd like to do in the future, yet I don't know what's available or where to find out more information.

Can someone give me a rundown on how competition works? The major questions I have right now are:

● What is the entry level of skill required to compete?

● Who hosts competitions and where do they take place? (I'm located in Ontario, Canada but am open to traveling)

● Are most competitions focused on a single style of dance or multiple different styles?

● Am I even asking the right questions?

I've tried researching this on my own, but the sheer volume and variety of information is overwhelming. Especially when trying to parse what is relevant to my current situation.

Any guidance on this would be greatly appreciated as it will help give me a clearer picture of what I should be working towards as I pursue this new passion.

Thanks!

Before I spend the effort to make it myself, I'm wondering if anyone else has better resources. I have a slight musical background (played an instrument for several years, took music theory classes, used to be able to sightread quite well) and I'm now learning to dance and I find it very frustrating that no musical basics are taught.

Every video I look up on dance steps for beginners has people making up imaginary counting systems "to the beat" as if just saying "this dance is in 4/4 time at 120 BPM and has a rhythm structure of quarter note-quarter note-eighth-eighth-quarter" will cause the next zombie apocalypse.

Are there any "here's a flowchart for where you foot goes and here's the sheet music with the rhythm for all these steps" for people who don't know how to dance but aren't... idiots?

I'm taking dance lessons but it's hard to find them engaging when I have 60 or 90 minutes to watch other people struggle to learn what takes me 5 minutes.

I'd like to learn a dance's basic steps, and then say 10 other steps that go into the dance so I can actually practice at home. It feels unnecessary to take several weeks in lessons or spend several hours just trying to comb through youtube for instructions that I'll then have to translate from "instructions even an idiot can follow" to something genuinely useful that I can turn into a reference so I can work on memorizing them.

Hello all! Been dancing competitively for a year, and I’m at the point where I genuinely feel like my shoes are letting me down. I have bought cheap shoes, really expensive shoes (Ray Rose) and everything in between.

The issue is that I have high arches and ankles that naturally want to roll outwards. So no matter what I do, I feel like I am really struggling to keep my heels under me. It’s very frustrating!

I’ve been at the gym and am working hard on improving my ankle strength, but I have two comps left for the year and am desperate for something to support me!

Switched my expensive Ray Rose modern shoes for a $35 pair on Temu with a block heel which work brilliantly. Can anyone suggest something similar for Latin?

Thanks in advance!

I'm someone who's never been a 100 percent comfortable in their body, recently I've been getting better with body image and all that and I want to start exploring dance / sports because it's something I've always wanted to do but I felt I didn't have the body for it. As I've gotten older it doesn't bother me as much but I don't want to join another sport filled with other girls who are sticks compared to me so I have to ask

Is ballroom okay for people on the bigger side? I'm not exactly fat but I'm not exactly skinny Somehwere in betweeen the two really.

Edit: thanks for the comments i think i might actually sign up now, obviously not competively seeing as i have no experience but thanks for all the feedback!!

Hi! I ballroom danced in college and my my boyfriend there (we are now both 25 and out of school) and I LOVE ballroom dance. I have no issue with my boyfriend having female dance partners or dancing with women at all!! I understand that a dance is just a dance and it's not ever that deep.

My issue lies in that he works full time, 1-9pm Monday to Friday, then stays until 10-12am almost every night to hang out with his coworkers and "practice". They DO dance and practice, but also hang out, sometimes drink, do karaoke, generally hanging out and having fun. None of his coworkers who he hangs out with have partners and all are attractive and close to his age. He has told me that one of his coworkers had a crush on him when he first started a month ago. He has assured me she knows I exist and she hasn't made any moves.

I feel like I am missing out on time with him because he wants to hang out with the dance people which I normally wouldn't have an issue with, but the coworker with the crush and the fact NONE of them have partners.... I just feel weird about it. We talked and he said he's willing to do anything to make me comfortable but I don't want to control him or get in the way of his career? He makes it sound like practicing after work every day is how he is going to get really good... Even though he's already pretty good because he's danced before.

I want very badly to be okay with this because he loves this job and I love him, but he is spending upwards of 60 hours at work and only getting paid for 40 and I'm losing time with him to these ballroom women. I'm pretty secure and I just miss him. I've asked to maybe come hang out too but he says the studio is pretty adamant about no outsiders.

Anyone been here? Anyone partners of professional ballroom dancers know how to deal? Help, it's not ruining my life but I don't feel great about it :(

TLDR: boyfriend spends a lot of time after work practicing and hanging out with coworkers, I miss him, he says it is necessary for his career, I don't want to be controlling? What do I do?

My partner and I are currently working towards competing (closed) gold next year, and then hope to move to the open gold amateur level soon after. My goal is to aim for pro, but I dont have a proper understanding of what the difference between pro and amateur competition categories, since both are just open gold from what I understand. What is the difference? How do you know when you’re good enough to try for pro, and what is the goals I should set if i want to dance with the real pros in the future?