What are some strategies for beginners to learn new styles from home/without a partner?
What are some tips and/or resources for beginner ballroom dancers to learn new styles/steps remotely during the pandemic? Particularly without having a partner?
To answer this question, you must be logged in.
Already have an account? Login.
By Signing up, you indicate that you have read and agree to Sage's Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
Answers ( 1 )
This is a rough one. Although the major studios in both international and american styles have published manuals on how to perform the basic steps of all the major competitive dances, actually learning how to dance from books is ... well, its a lot like learning about other partner-related activities (ahem). Without a partner to practice them with, and understand how each part relates to the other, its what you might call sub-optimal.
The advent of youtube and other video-based educational materials (ahem) has made things a little bit better, though as always be cautioned that watching trained professionals performing even the basics (AHEM) is a very different thing than doing them yourself. Years of practice, muscle memory, and a feel for how things fit together (ok I am abandoing all pretense here I'm talking about sex, apologies to anyone who might find the parallels disturbing) all contribute to a smoother, more professional demonstration than what you'll experience as you work your way through a new step - at first by yourself, and then eventually (hopefully) with a partner.
Consider a very basic step from international style Waltz:
MAN
Commence in Closed Position, facing DW
Step_# Steps Turn Alignment Moving
1 LF to side, wide step Body turns to R Facing DW DC
2 RF to side, wide step, then brush LF to RF Body turns to L Facing DW DW against LOD
3 LF fwd Facing DW DW
Step_# Timing Position Rise & Fall Sway Footwork
1 123 Closed i/e of foot to WF
2 12 Closed i/e of foot to WF
3 3 Closed Lower e/o 3 HT
1) Although it is possible to commence at other alignments, the alignment given in the charts is almost always used
As a former professional who passed exams in international style, I can read that, and I know what they mean when they say things like "i/e of foot to WF" - but good luck teaching yourself. I definitely had students who bought the manuals and took the time to learn how to read them, and they absolutely did show up to rehearsals and coachings better prepared than the students who had no idea. HOWEVER - they often had to take the time to UNLEARN things that they had mis-interpreted, misunderstood, or were simply not well-described in the manuals. YMMV.
There's a fascinating history about how dancing manuals came out of fencing manuals, from the Italian courts to the French courts, as people tried to pass on knowledge with books that had historically required studying exclusively with a master. You might recall the fencing scene in the Princess Bride, when Inigo talks about "You know your Cappo Ferro!" he's talkign about a style of fencing captured in a book! I wouldn't recommend learning how to swordfight from a book, but I would say that once you have a certain proficiency, that studying what people have written down can give you more insight or a different perspective into the skills you already have.
I hope that helps!