Tag Archives: waltz

Learn to dance

I learned dancing a few times before.  The first time I took dancing class was in university and failed miserably.   The second time I took dancing class was a few years ago.  I took the beginning class twice but still fail to dance.  This time, I am taking dancing lesson preparing for the first dance in my wedding.  Failure is not an option, I gotta look good on my big day.

Unlike previous classes, this time we took private lesson. The instructor arranged a dance for us, we just have to practice hard and memorize the steps.  I found learning dancing this way is much easier than in group class.  In group class, I have to follow the beats when learning the steps, so I have a hard time keeping up.  The steps taught in the group class are too general, so I still have to create my own dance out of the steps I learned, which is too advance for my level.  My brain can’t process the music and lead the steps at the same time.  The private class is totally different.  I learned the steps without music and I don’t have to think what to do next.  I just have to practice a lot and have perfect muscle memory of the steps.  Once I know how to dance smoothly, I can easily synchronize the steps with the music.  I will only able to dance one dance really well, but nothing else, yet that’s good enough for now.

Many people think dancing is a form of art to express yourself.  By associate dance with art will scary away many men, art is too feminine.  Dance doesn’t have to be an art, it can be just some motor skill of body co-ordination.  If you think dancing is about learn some programed steps, dancing is not that hard.  Forget about artistic sense or expression, dancing is all about timing and balance.   What’s important is that your move synchronize with the music and you make the right steps without falling down or stepping on your partner.  If you can dance in the perfect form, your dance ought to look good.  Dance the perfect form require only practice, no artistic talent is needed.  Given enough time and determination, anyone can achieve that.  Artistic whatever is just some optional decorations on top of a perfect dance, like icing on a cake, which not important at all.  Since dancing has certification, starting with the bronze level, then silver level and graduate with the gold level, it got me interested to get the dancing certifications.  It would be a nice addition to my list of qualifications.