How to Get Asked to Dance at a Ballroom Dance

One of the fun things about ballroom dances is that a lot of people like to mix with each other, changing partners and dancing with a lot of different people. It is normal practice to dance with a variety of partners, even if you brought your own. This keeps the dancing interesting and fresh, and keeps your leading and following skills sharp.

One thing that a lot of new people complain about when they start attending ballroom dances is that they do not get asked to dance. Act friendly. Smile, talk to people, and make sure your body language is open and inviting, not closed off—do not sit in a corner with a scowl on your face and your arms crossed. Act like you want to dance.

Stand by the floor, tap your foot, and give off an “I want to dance” vibe. Sometimes, people will ask the first person they come to rather than seek someone out who is sitting down, away from the floor. Attend the lesson before the dance, if there is one. You normally get to rotate through several different partners, so you will get a chance to meet some people. People are more likely to ask you to dance if they know you or have danced with you before.

Participate in the mixers. You will get a chance to dance with several different people, and again, they will be more likely to ask you to dance in the future.

Ask people to dance. If everyone waited for someone to ask them, no one would dance! It is quite acceptable in this day and age for women to ask men to dance. Look around for a likely candidate, maybe someone you have danced with before, and ask. This will encourage that person to ask you again later.

Get noticed and receive more invitations to dance by purchasing a flashy pair of ballroom dance shoes from The Dance Shoe Depot.com. We have a wide range of dance shoes for all your dancing needs. Men, we got what you need as well to feel confident and stylish while on the dance floor.





Happy Dancing!


via How to Get Asked to Dance at a Ballroom Dance.

Proper Dance Technique

Proper Dance Technique

Lots of dancers say to me when taking lessons, both group and private, that they just want to be good social dancers and not competitors, so why do they have to learn proper dance technique. I reply with this explanation, “without using good dance technique you dont become a great social dancer”. If your not using the correct foot positions, or the proper posture it causes balance problems and lead and follow problems as well. Usually when a move doesnt work, it is because of an incorrect body position or some other dance technique problem. I think that some people confuse technique with showmanship, that the competitors are trying to achieve. Learning proper technique makes you more enjoyable to dance with, whether you are a leader or a follower in couples dance.

Good technique makes a dancer look smoother and helps the general flow of the dance executed.

Get yourself a pair of quality, comfortable ballroom dance shoes from The Dance Shoe Depot.com, they’re sure to improve your technique and if for some reason they don’t…at least you’ll look good! Check us out at The Dance Shoe Depot.com for a great selection of mens, ladies and kids dance shoes. We also carry dance sneakers, indoor/outdoor shoes as well as the very popular dance boot.





Happy Dancing!



via Dance Tips.

Turning Tip

 Turning Tip

 Try using the “cup and pin” technique for the connection of hands while spinning or turning. This is done by the leader making a pin with his third and fourth fingers preferably and connecting the pads of those fingers to the followers hand which is cupped slightly with the thumb tucked to her forefinger out of the way of getting caught during the turns. It is important that the follower keep her palm and wrist facing away from her and to connect to the leaders hand gently. The leader can then easily rotate her because her fingers and palm cup will rotate with his fingers pin as she turns. In order for this to work, the follower has to have a soft tone in her arm, especially the shoulder and not push her hand above her head where she cant see it. If this happens, it is impossible for the leader to tell you how many spins he wants and makes it difficult to bring the followers hand down to stop the rotation. All of this is important for good lead and follow technique.


Help improve you turns with a pair of ballroom dance shoes from The Dance Shoe Depot.com. We also carry dance sneakers, dance boots, indoor/outdoor dance shoes and even kids ballroom dance shoes. Come see us, we’ve got what you want!





Happy Dancing!


via Dance Tips.

Tips for New Ballroom Dancers!

I am so happy you finally got into the studio to learn how to ballroom dance!

But if you are still a little apprehensive about ballroom here are some tips to calm those jitters:

Look for a good teacher who emphasizes what you can do, not your limits. A good teacher encourages. Believe it or not, you want to have chemistry with your instructor. Does he/she make you feel comfortable? Does he/she make you smile?

Don’t try to be a perfectionist. This I must admit is difficult, but allow yourself to make mistakes. Allow yourself to fumble over your feet.Don’t worry about your size-DANCE IS FOR
EVERYONE. One of the common objections I hear from female dancers is “I am not small enough to do that”. STOP that self defeating talk! I repeat dance IS for everyone.

Get INTO the music, as well as the MOVEMENT. Again, don’t worry about being PERFECT. It will hinder you from being that amazing dancer that I know that you are.

And don’t ever quit! If you feel like quitting, communicate your feelings with your instructor. They are there to help you be that dancer you always wanted to be.

We suggest that you also invest a little in some quality ballroom dance shoes. A new pair of shoes will not only improve your dancing but will make you feel better and more comfortable about your dancing. Come and see us at The Dance Shoe Depot.com so that we can hook you up with a comfortable, stylish pair of dance shoes that are guaranteed to turn heads!





 Happy Dancing!


via Tips for New Ballroom Dancers! : American Ballroom Clubs – Ballroom Dancing in Chattanooga – Learn to Dance.

Turning Tip

Turning Tip

Try using the “cup and pin” technique for the connection of hands while spinning or turning. This is done by the leader making a pin with his third and fourth fingers preferably and connecting the pads of those fingers to the followers hand which is cupped slightly with the thumb tucked to her forefinger out of the way of getting caught during the turns. It is important that the follower keep her palm and wrist facing away from her and to connect to the leaders hand gently.

The leader can then easily rotate her because her fingers and palm cup will rotate with his fingers pin as she turns. In order for this to work, the follower has to have a soft tone in her arm, especially the shoulder and not push her hand above her head where she cant see it. If this happens, it is impossible for the leader to tell you how many spins he wants and makes it difficult to bring the followers hand down to stop the rotation. All of this is important for good lead and follow technique.

To make this tip easier try picking up a pair of stylish, comfortable dance shoes or dance boots from The Dance Shoe Depot.com. We beleive that customer service should always come first and se we do all that we can to make sure you get what you want!




Happy Dancing!

via Dance Tips.

Warm up!!

Believe it or not, warming up and revving your brain into dance mode will make for a far more productive lesson.

Try to arrive at least half an hour before your class and take the time to review the concept you learned on your last lesson.  It’s not unusual for students to take a good 15 minutes before their brains seem to engage in “dance drive”.

It’s also a well-known fact that learning is boosted by taking notes.  Carry a small notebook with you and make notes after each lesson.  Review each set of notes before your lesson and aim to apply it’s principle.

Proper attire always makes a difference as well.  Find the right practice dance shoefor you at http://www.thedanceshoedepot.com and get started on the “right” foot. =-)

Happy Dancing!

So you typed in man dance shoes?

So you typed in man dance shoes?

That makes you one of 43,900,000 internet users to type it in just like that. Well you men do tend to get right to the point I suppose…=-)

The good news is that at http://www.thedanceshoedepot.com/, you’ve found the best selection of shoes to match your taste: whether you’re seeking simple and understated or wishing to make a bold statement about the kind of man you are.

Let us help you find the perfect shoe for you!




Happy Dancing!

Looking for the Perfect Wedding Shoes?

 

Your first dance as newlyweds should be a memorable experience that you can cherish for the rest of your lives. At Dance With Us Ottawa, we love creating astonishing wedding first dance routines that are as unique as you are. Our goal is to make sure that you not only mesmerize your audience with an unforgettable dance routine, but also enjoy every moment of your first dance without worrying about getting the steps right. Our Ottawa wedding dance lesson packages are designed to offer you maximum flexibility and amazing results.

You may already have a special song or an idea for your first dance, we would love to work with you to turn your idea into a personalized choreography that will be remembered by all your guests, and more importantly, by the two of you. Just bring your comfortable shoes and a recording of your special song and we will take care of the rest.

If you don’t have a song or an idea for your wedding first dance, we have a large collection of beautiful wedding songs that you can choose from and many dance ideas that can turn your first dance into a wonderful experience, both for you… and for your guests.

Looking for the Perfect Wedding Shoes?

Choose from our incredible selection of dance shoes. Go a step further by custom ordering any shoe of your liking, with any fabric and add our outdoor sole to it to make them indoor/outdoor friendly.

Follow the link below to check out how to convert your favorite dance shoe to a comfortable indoor outdoor wedding shoe.

http://www.thedanceshoedepot.com/indooroutdoorshoes




Happy Dancing!

2012 Dance Cruise was a sucess!

If you haven’t already heard, The Dance Shoe Depot.com has participated in a ballroom dance cruise for two years in a row now and have had so much fun! Stay tuned to our site for information on future dance cruises but for now enjoy some pictures below from this year cruise which has stops in Jamaica, Honduras, Grand Cayman, Grand Turks and Key West.

We had a lot of participants asking us about our stylish comfortable dance shoes and so we offered all 40 participants a huge discount on all dance shoes from our site and our manufactures site.

Did you like this?

How often should you replace dance shoes?

How often should you replace dance shoes?

Dancers don’t like to replace their shoes until they are absolutely falling apart. Broken-in shoes are more comfortable…

Dancers are athletes, so they don’t like to replace their shoes unless they are falling apart. It’s really up to the dancer when they want to replace them. Most dancers don’t replace them until they’re torn apart, because shoes that are broken-in are more comfortable. Dance is an expensive career, because you take classes constantly.
With classes and costumes, you definitely want your shoes to last. We recommend that if they’re falling apart, you should get a new pair, because they might cause injury. With a point shoe, when the shoe gets so soft that you can barely get on point, we recommend you get a new one. With jazz shoes it could be when the sole is starting to fall apart that you need new ones.

If you have a pair of ballroom dance shoes that are ready to be replaced then come see us for a pair of quality, comfortable, stylish ballroom dance shoes at The Dance Shoe Depot.com






Happy Dancing!

via How Often Should You Replace Dance Shoes?.

Tango – Getting In Touch with Your Inner Animal

Tango – Getting In Touch with Your Inner Animal

Picture a predator stalking its prey and you have captured the essence of American Style Tango.
Using the principle of staccato timing (moving quickly to arrive on the first beat of each slow and holding for the second beat) helps create this sense of movement.

The drama of facial expression and arm styling also adds to this effect. Even attire helps add to the effect by altering how you look – but more importantly – how you feel about how you look.

The style of a dance is achieved from movement, your mindset and how your actual look.
To personalize your look and find the “purrfect” fit , check out our selection of dance boots and women’s dance shoes at www.thedanceshoedepot.com





Happy Dancing!

A Comfortable Dance Shoe vs. Looking Great – Why Should You Have To Choose?

A Comfortable Dance Shoe vs. Looking Great – Why Should You Have To Choose?

Dancing is as much about aesthetics as it is about how it makes you feel. The lines you create and the grace with which you move make up a very large part of what makes the art of dance such a pleasure to watch and perform.

However, wearing the proper footwear (along with other dance attire) is key in achieving the aesthetics of all the social dances.

A comfortable dance shoe is key in making sure you are balanced and able to achieve the proper range of movement without any discomfort.

Visit http://www.thedanceshoedepot.com to find the perfect shoe for you. Be sure to refer to our guide to finding the right shoe in our Articles and Information tab:
http://www.thedanceshoedepot.com/choosingtherightdanceshoeforyou
Understanding how a shoe is designed to be used is key to finding the right fit for you.






Happy Dancing!