How to start dancing if you are a log and want to dance

There's nothing worse than advice that starts with the word "simple." “I don’t know how to dance at all, but I really want to, what should I do?!” - “Just get started!”, “Just sign up for a dance course!”, “Just forget it, there are more fun classes!”

Yeah, it’s only when you try to “just start” that your legs get tangled and your hands fuss about in space. And you tried to sign up for courses... But you couldn’t keep up with the others and all you could think about was – thank you, huge mirrors! - how terrible you look when you twitch so ridiculously. Unlike the teacher and the whole class.

First of all, let's say that taking courses is a very good idea. But things will go easier if you prepare a little in advance. Before you learn the movements directly, you need to get better accustomed to your body. It will be much easier to follow only the movements, having already mastered the science of following the rhythm and lifting the legs.

To start practicing, you will need: the very tunes that make you want to dance most often (with a pronounced rhythm, this is important!), sportswear, some free time and a deserted, relatively spacious room. And now

Do it once!

First, wake up your body to movement. Most city young ladies are actually not very ready for it. Take it and... stretch! Raising your hands up. Tastefully. With tension throughout the body - even standing on tiptoes. As it sometimes happened in childhood, when you slept for a long, long time and woke up on a wonderful golden summer day. Drop your hands quickly. And... stretch again. Only now – arms to the sides, so that the shoulder blades on the back move. And drop it sharply. Now stretch from the position that comes to mind. Yes, but what? This is your body, wherever you want, you are drawn there. And change your position again. Well, that’s it, do you feel how the blood is running completely differently? It's time to do something further.

Do two!

The main thing in dancing is to be able to relax and not tense up. Do you think you don’t need to be taught this? Yeah, yeah! Could you feel your neck and back muscles, one hundred percent there are clamps there. In an amicable way, they “simply” go to massage therapists, and we will also be amicable, but not simply. Do you remember how at school they clasped their bent arms behind their backs, one coming from below, the other from above? Try this. Then change hands. Even if you can’t clasp your fingers, then at least try, stretch your hands towards each other with all your might. If it’s easier in one position than in another, by the way, you have scoliosis. Now release your hands and move your shoulders vigorously in a circle. Repeat everything several times. You won’t be able to completely disassemble the clamps in one go, but it will be easier on your muscles.

Do three!

Rhythm. You definitely have it inside you, that’s why you react to music the way you do. But until now it might not have been possible to get it out. Start with the simplest thing. Make your dance... yes, dance!.. from the most basic movements. Put your hands on your hips and walk along the invisible path to the beat of the music. Twice as slow as music. Is it weak at twice the speed? How about changing the type of gait? Jump on two legs, for example, or rise on your toes every step and then fall back? Experiment, don't be afraid. How about being someone dangerous or, on the contrary, careful? What about your hands? We forgot about our hands. Stand still and raise and lower them to the beat of the music. By the way, your shoulders will soon get tired, then return to the steps, but then again your arms. Come up with a simple movement, from clapping to... to any, in general, and do it to the beat of the music.

Make it four!

One such training will not be enough. It must be repeated at least twice a week. But, again, this will not be enough. Look at the dancing! Play clips on YouTube with good dancers, choreographed numbers to your favorite songs and just follow the performers with your eyes. One day the movements will come naturally to you, although you can’t believe it yet. So for now, “just” enjoy, because dance, first of all, is pleasure, right? And it will be yours.

Usually repeating - sometimes by accident, in the heat of the moment - the first movements are achieved after two to four weeks of training. From now on (you can congratulate yourself!) you are dancing. And soon you can walk your new skill around everyone without hesitation. friendly parties and work corporate events.

Text: Lilith Mazikina
Photo: Shutterstock

If you're too shy to dance in public, you're really depriving yourself of a lot of positive emotions. It's not that difficult to learn basic moves and dance them on stage, even if it's a small sequence. Train at home, work on improving basic movements, develop self-confidence - this will help you dance calmly in public, without being embarrassed by anyone.

Steps

Dance with confidence

Smile and have fun. The best way to stop feeling shy about speaking in public is to become more confident, even if confidence isn't your thing. Straighten your back and lift your chin. This will give you a confident look. Smile all the time and enjoy your time on the dance floor. This will help you feel more confident when performing different dance moves.

• Don't look at the floor and don't look back. Otherwise, you will look like you are shy and not very comfortable.

1. Don't drink too much. A couple of sips will help you relax and give you the confidence to dance great. But if you drink too much, you'll likely end up feeling embarrassed again. When a person is drunk, his honed skills begin to dull. There is an increased risk that you will start performing some new dance moves right on stage. Plus, when you're drunk, you don't have as much control over your body, so you might accidentally bump into other people or just fall on the dance floor.

   Don't worry about what others think. Perhaps you're nervous because you're worried about how others will judge your dancing skills. You don't always have to be prepared to dance if you go somewhere to a bar or to some event. Just try to blend in with the crowd. Remember that most people are more worried about how they themselves look while dancing. Even though they are paying attention to you and your movements, they are more worried about their dancing.

   Avoid any awkward or too fast movements. If you're worried about being self-conscious about the way you dance, you should stick to more basic moves. Don't try to replicate some incredible move you only saw once at a dance show. Leave it to the professionals and include in your dance only those movements that are sure to look good. For example, you should not depict elements of breaking, krump and other styles that may attract undue attention.

   • Again, avoid sudden or sliding movements (such as the moonwalk). Agree, you are unlikely to be able to slide like Michael Jackson.

2. Dance with a partner or in a team with friends. You'll likely feel much more comfortable if you're surrounded by your friends. In this case, you will not have the feeling that the audience’s eyes are directed only at you. In addition, when dancing with a partner, you focus on him and on the interaction with him, and not on how the audience will evaluate you.

   • If you dance in a team, respect other people's personal space. Don't spread your arms too wide or step on other dancers' feet.

   Learn basic dance moves

   1. Understand the tempo and rhythm of the music. You need to move to the music, so it is very important to determine its rhythm. The tempo can be fast or slow (depending on the music track). Listen to the track and try clapping your hands or stomping your feet to the beat of the music. If this is your first time trying to determine the rhythm of a track, it is better to choose music with a well-defined musical rhythm. This will make it easier for you to hear him.

   2. Try using hand movements. Once you determine the rhythm of the music, you can start moving to it. If you are just learning to dance, it is better to learn different movements separately. Start by simply placing your feet straight and moving your arms in rhythm. To start, you can try moving your arms from side to side or from top to bottom.

      • Hands are in contact with shoulders and shoulder girdle, so be sure to include your shoulders and chest in your dance.
      • Try experimenting with soft, wave-like movements of your arms.

   3. Learn basic leg movements. Once you have learned to move your arms to the rhythm, add your legs to the dance. You can start with the simplest thing: lift one leg, then the other (the movements are roughly similar to marching in place). If you feel comfortable enough, you can try bending your knees a little and jumping a little to the rhythm of the music. Try bouncing slightly and adding side steps.

      • Try to include your hips and the entire lower half of your body in the dance.

   4. Take dance lessons. Search online for a dance school near your area and see what classes you would like to take. Choose a dance style that you would be interested in learning. For example, you can try hip-hop, jazz, contemporary, ballet dancing.

      • Alternatively, if you're looking for something more casual, you can sign up for dance lessons to some public cultural center.
      • You can watch video dance lessons on the Internet or on DVD.

   Practice your dance moves

   1. Try dancing for yourself. To get rid of complexes on this topic, try dancing for yourself in a secluded environment where there is no one to judge you. This method will help you completely get used to dance moves and will develop your confidence in these movements. Be sure to practice dancing to the music!

      • Lock yourself in your room, give yourself some space so you can dance freely without bumping into anything.
      • If you're worried about someone walking into your room while you're working out, choose a time to workout when you're alone at home.

Is it difficult to learn to dance?

It's really no more difficult than anything you're new to. Dance styles are very different from each other. Even if you have mastered one of them, it will be unusual for you to do the other.

However, all dances are associated with the ability to control your body. And if this is not new to you (for example, you have been involved in martial arts, gymnastics, swimming, and even more so dancing), it will be easier for you to adapt to new movements than for a beginner who is not friends with his body.

Even if you have a rather wooden body, you should not despair. The secret of success is constant practice.

Learning to dance from video lessons is more difficult than from courses. If your body is flexible and obedient, you can still do something similar to the movements of the instructor from the video. If not, you can quickly become disappointed in dancing: the difference between what is shown in the video and what you see in the mirror will be too strong.

Still, it's worth a try. At least in order to decide on the right one.

How many times a week do you dance?

At first, after exercising, your muscles may ache. But, unlike strength training or running, the body does not require a recovery period.

Therefore, you can safely practice dancing all the time. One of my teachers said that you need to dance 25 hours a day. In any case, the more you dance, the more noticeable your progress will be.

How to learn to dance modern dances

From this direction we have chosen three types that can often be found in the schedules of fitness clubs and dance schools. And the first is plastic and incredibly beautiful contemporary art.

Abel M/Flickr.com

Contemporary mixed elements of modern jazz, yoga and martial arts, seasoned with improvisation and attention to breathing. This is freedom and plasticity - the natural beauty of movement.

Here is a video with a combination in contemporary style. Give it a try, just be sure to warm up and stretch thoroughly before teaching.

And here is the second part:

By the way, about warming up. In the video below - full lesson with warm-up, stretching and combination analysis. In English, but everything is clear without translation.

If you don’t have time to repeat or consider how a certain movement is done, set the speed to 0.25.

If you liked the combinations, but you can’t repeat them yet, here are some more videos with routine contemporary exercises.

Most likely, you will have to do the same in dance school before you can perform beautiful combinations.

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Many people confuse pole exercises and strip exercises. The second one is simple sensual dance, which can be performed without a pole.

When doing strip plastic, you won’t have to stand at the machine and pull your toe. Everything here is based on natural sexuality female body. Of course, many teachers diversify strip plastic with contemporary or modern elements, Latin American dances and other directions, but here everything depends on the teacher.

How beautiful your dance will look depends again on how well you can control your body, how mobile your joints and muscles and tendons are.

The video below contains an analysis of the combination. Not too simple, but very sensual and beautiful. And you won't have to do any movements on the floor, so your knees won't get hurt.

And here is a playlist with strip dance lessons from different dance schools. There are both individual movements and combinations.

And one more, simpler combination. Try it if the first one didn't work out.

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It's sensual and beautiful dance, which, among other things, helps to develop plasticity and even get rid of some health problems.

There are a lot of belly dancing lessons on YouTube. Below are some of them.

The basic movements are explained very clearly here:

And the second part:

Below is a playlist with five lessons for beginners from another teacher.

How to learn to street dance

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Hip-hop has only been around for about 50 years. But during this time, many trends and styles have appeared, with different elements, plastics, and special features.

Besides, modern hip hop often complemented by movements from other dance styles, which provides even richer vocabulary and original combinations.

But before you come up with your own combinations, you need to master the basics. In the playlist below you will find basic movements, steps and many combinations. They explain everything clearly. If you can't keep up, reduce the video speed.

The videos in the next big playlist explain the concepts of inertia, manipulation, and isolation in hip-hop. There's also a story about improvisation, battle behavior if you're ready for that, and several options for ground hip-hop moves (on the floor) to diversify your combinations.

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Breakdancing consists of different elements: tricks and power movements on the floor, waves, fixations, as well as changing the levels at which the dance is performed.

Here on this channel there is training different styles: Waving, King Tut, Robot, - analysis of the technique of power elements and basic movements at different levels.

Below is a video with detailed analysis element "6 steps" from Footwork.

And here you can see how the “turtle” is performed.

Here is a voluminous playlist in which there are quite a lot of breakdancing elements with a detailed analysis of the technique of dance and strength elements.

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A sexy dance in which you need to actively work your buttocks, hips, stomach and arms. In this playlist you will find several lessons with analysis of twerk movements.

How to learn to dance ballroom dancing

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You will probably need a waltz at least once in your life. Moreover, dancing it at an amateur level is not so difficult.

Here are four good lesson, from which you will learn how to hold your hands and perform the basic steps of the waltz in pairs or separately.

How to learn to dance social dances

Social dancing is not created for competition, but for communication between partners and enjoyment. Improvisation is encouraged here, through which the dancer can express himself, his feelings and emotions.

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This dance comes from the Dominican Republic. He is very sensual and sometimes erotic. The basis of bachata is four steps with an emphasis on the last one. In the dance there are rotations and flips of the partner, small supports.

Despite the fact that bachata - couples dance, you can also learn solo combinations. For example, if you don’t have a partner yet.

The video below shows an analysis of the main steps. Where to shift your body weight, how to hold your hands, how to make an accent - everything is described in great detail.

And here is a variation of bachata from the same teacher.

Below is a playlist for those who want to dance bachata as a couple. These are Dominican bachata lessons from the Imagine dance school.

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This is a passionate couples dance originally from Africa, more precisely from Angola. It is now performed all over the world and is especially popular in France and Portugal.

Steps, a lot of hip work and close contact with your partner. Sometimes very cramped. For example, in the Tarraxinha style, a slower and more sensual version of this social dance.

Here is a playlist with kizomba lessons.

And another playlist with videos from another dance studio.

That's all. If you have favorite training videos, share them in the comments to the article.

Tell us about the dance direction you teach?

I teach Latin American dancing and salsa. Salsa is very positive and fiery dance. It's quite easy to learn if you have a good sense of rhythm. I am also a certified Zumba and Zumba Sentao fitness instructor.

What to do if you don't know how to dance?

Dance, of course! Anyone can learn to dance. My dance styles very fiery and rhythmic. By the way, you can study not only alone, but also with a partner. As for Zumba, it is a dance fitness program based on fiery rhythms. Today this movement is very popular all over the world because it is accessible to everyone: it doesn’t matter how old you are, whether you are a man or a woman, whether you can dance or not... Just come and start training. The beauty and precision of movements will come with experience.

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How much do you need to practice to get the first results?

If we are talking about the Zumba direction, then you will only need a few classes. Salsa takes a little longer because the moves are more complex. You need to exercise regularly, at least 2-3 times a week. It is enough to attend group classes where you will be taught the basic steps.

Is it possible to learn to dance on your own? For example, at home, repeating the movements of the instructor on the recording?

You can learn to dance on your own; there are many examples of this - famous dancers and choreographers who began to take their first steps with video lessons. It was with video lessons that the great King of Pop Michael Jackson began. Just set yourself a goal and go towards it. Play your favorite music and let your body catch the rhythm.

How to feel confident on the dance floor?

To feel more confident on the dance floor, you need to devote more time to group classes. Hang out with people who love dancing. And don’t be afraid to dance outside the walls of the hall or your apartment! Often we set barriers for ourselves, we think that we don’t know how to do something, we can’t... In fact, we are simply afraid of being worse than others, we are afraid of what people will think of us. Don't get hung up on this. Better concentrate on your emotions and have fun!

How to express yourself in dance?

Just be yourself and listen to your body. It will tell you the right movements!

How did your collaboration with dance clubs GallaDance?

Why did you join Activia's "Good mood starts from within" campaign?

I love Activia products. My day starts with them. When you experience heavy physical activity, it is very important to watch your diet. I'm for healthy image life, for movement, so it's nice to know that you are part of a company that fully matches your lifestyle. And, of course, this is connected with dancing: I would not have found the best way to show people that dancing is a great opportunity to feel good and infect others with your mood.