How to Dance The Basics

I have been running Rubies Dance Centre with my husband, the head coach, for almost four years. We spend a lot of time teaching people to dance the basics. He’s an ex-champion who loves teaching anyone to dance – all the way from beginners to competitors. When we go on holiday, my husband and I like to get up to dance in the evening. We always get people telling us how they wish they could dance but that they can’t…or won’t be good enough…or are too scared…

The secret it that learning how to dance the basics is much easier than you probably think. Most people just want to be able to get up on the floor at weddings, at parties and on holiday.

You might think that with your two left feet, it would take a ridiculous amount of time and money. The truth is that getting good enough to enjoy your time on the dance floor doesn’t take very much at all.

Most people think dancing is really complicated. They think you need to be super coordinated, slick and musical even to dance the basics. We have a motto here at Rubies Dance Centre: If you can walk, then you can dance. Dancing the basics is just learning how to walk in time to music with another person.

If you take a ten week beginners Ballroom and Latin course with us then we will have you dancing the basics of at least 5 Ballroom and Latin dances. We teach you how to use your skills to a variety of music so that you will never be stuck!

If you’re interested in trying a beginners’ class, then you can see our full timetable here.

If you’re not ready for a class yet, then we have some top tips that anyone can use:

How to dance the Basics – finding the beat!

Most people think that they don’t have any rhythm. Rubies Dance Centre has been open for almost 8 years. We have yet to find a single person with no rhythm.  If you have ever found yourself tapping your foot to music, or nodding your head, then you have rhythm.

How to dance the Basics – smile and enjoy yourself!

If you think that to be a dancer, you need to be supremely confident then you have been misled! Confidence comes from having fun. The same tricks apply whether you are one of our new beginners or one of our competitors. You’ll be surprised what a smile can do! Putting a smile on your face will make you look more confident to everyone around you. It will also make you feel much more relaxed inside.

How to dance the Basics – don’t be scared to move your body!

When people come to a class for the first time, they think that dancing is all about moving your feet. This is only half-true. You do need to move your feet to dance but it doesn’t stop there. Dancing is about movement. Ballroom and Latin dancing is just the natural movement of the human body to music. Don’t be scared to use the rest of your body – your arms, head and even hips can get involved too.

So you can see now that learning how to dance basics is probably much easier than you ever thought. We hope that these top tips will help you dance the basics. Next time you’re on holiday or at a friend’s wedding – give them a go!

If you’re tempted to learn some skills to keep in your back pocket, then get in touch. We can tell you all about the new beginners’ classes that we have coming up. We would love to help you learn to dance the basics!