5 Common Mistakes Everyone Makes During Their First Ballroom Dance Lessons

You've been thinking about taking dance lessons, but you're afraid that you'll make a lot of mistakes? Don't worry. Everyone makes mistakes when they first start dancing. Even the most impressive dancer was once a beginner and made at least some of these five common beginner dance mistakes.

• Wide Steps- As a beginning dancer, you may find yourself taking wide steps. Unfortunately, wide steps can throw you off-balance, make it hard for you to stay on-beat, and make it hard for your dance partner to keep up with you. Take smaller steps.

• Losing the Tempo- Beginning dancers are sometimes so focused on getting the steps right that they lose the tempo. One good way to avoid this is to count the beats. While you can count in your head, counting aloud may help you as well as your partner stay on tempo.  

• Squishing Shoulders Up- As your shoulders start to squish up, you lose your frame, which makes you look stiff. Your movements will look and feel a bit robotic. Relax a little.

• Slouching- On the other hand, slouching or allowing your body to become too loose will also cause problems. Stand tall while also not allowing your body to become too stiff. When in doubt, look at your dance posture in a mirror, or have a friend watch you, letting you know what changes you need to make to your frame.

• Staring at Your Feet- Beginning dancers often stare at their feet for a variety of reasons. First, they aren't sure where to look. Second, they want to watch their feet, either to avoid stepping on their partner's feet or to avoid being stepped on by their partner. Third, they may look down because they lack self-confidence or because they feel self-conscious about looking directly at their partner. While some dance moves will have you looking at your partner, others will have you looking off to the side. One key is to look up. As you look up, you will find your overall posture and elegance on the dance floor improving.

Since you already know five of the most common beginning ballroom dancer mistakes, you've got a head start on many other beginners. It is important to remember that everyone makes these mistakes in the beginning. The good news is that with practice, you will quickly find yourself leaving many of these mistakes in the past after only a few lessons. If you are ready to get started on your journey to becoming a great dancer, contact us.