A sense of rhythm, smooth and graceful movements, and relaxedness are not given to all people. Many girls, coming to a club or finding themselves at a corporate party, are embarrassed to make an awkward step, seem clumsy, are afraid of looking stupid, so they huddle against the wall. At the same time, every representative of the fair sex wants to catch admiring glances and be successful with men. Without the opportunity to regularly attend specialized classes, many girls wonder how to learn to dance at home.
Experts advise, nevertheless, to seek help from professionals, but admit the possibility of mastering choreographic wisdom on your own. To do this, they give a number of tips to help prepare yourself for the process and comprehend the science of dance.
- Love the music. If you are learning choreography at home, you need to listen to the recordings everywhere: in the car or on public transport, at work or during breaks in your studies, when you return to your own home in the evening or wake up in it in the morning. Firstly, music imbues you with energy and rhythm from the inside, and secondly, it generates emotions necessary for beginners who comprehend the science of dance.
- Develop physical strength. Dancing and sports stand next to each other, and to practice you will need strong legs and toned muscles throughout the body. In the morning and immediately before independent exercise, a warm-up is necessary, which will warm up all the ligaments and avoid injuries.
- Work on your sense of rhythm. This quality can be developed even if you were not born with such talent. Move to the music, count to the music, cook, clean, get dressed and walk down the street, trying on the musical rhythm. Such skills are an excellent basis for dance skills.
- Overcome your laziness. Is it possible to learn to dance at home if a girl is lying on the couch? No, it won't work that way. Only your strong will, desire and ability to tune in to work determines the success of the event.
- Take care of free space. It is necessary for comfortable activities. If necessary, rearrange the furniture, remove everything unnecessary, and make sure the floor is not slippery. Try to practice in front of a mirror: this is one of the most important conditions for how a girl can learn to dance.
- Don't forget about clothes. Many people think that when it comes to learning how to dance at home, appearance doesn’t matter. This is wrong. If you make it a rule to change clothes before an impromptu lesson, this will become a certain disciplinary moment. Buy comfortable, breathable leggings (a tight style allows you to see your movements in the mirror), a T-shirt or tank top that does not restrict movement, and suitable shoes.
Instructions from professional choreographers
- Decide which direction you like. Even if you are delighted with all dances, from classical to breakdancing, you need to start with something specific. Set yourself a small challenge, such as club dancing. It will not be possible for beginners to cover several areas at once - you will simply get confused and quickly lose both interest and incentive. The decision to learn how to dance modern dances at home needs to be specified for yourself, and after mastering the basic skills, move on to something else.
- If you can’t sign up for courses with a professional, purchase a CD with a training video or find what you need on the Internet.
- Exercise regularly. It is not necessary to dance every day for two hours - make it a rule to do it three times a week. Big plans very often end in failure: a person cannot carry out his plans and loses interest in a new business.
- Start with a warm-up. Without it, you can damage ligaments or suffer other injuries.
- Divide the lesson into four parts: warm-up, review, new material, relaxation, or cool-down. This way you will organize your lessons and spend your time in the most optimal way.
- When talking about how to learn to dance beautifully, one cannot fail to mention overcoming embarrassment. Without this, all efforts will be in vain. We learn mainly right at the event, surrounded by the same dancing people. Convince yourself that there are girls like you around, they came to have fun and move to the music, and you are no worse than them. Liberation in dance is, first of all, the decision to follow one’s own desires without regard to the opinion of the crowd.
A few more nuances
A good experience for those who are wondering how to learn to dance is to read specialized forums. There you will be able to find advice from professionals, questions from beginners that may often come to your mind, ways to solve problems, a description of the results and efforts expended. In addition, on the forums it is easy to find like-minded people and new friends.
Don't neglect watching dance shows. Firstly, you can get new ideas for your own activities from these TV shows. Secondly, criticism of professional choreographers who sit on the jury can also be useful for television viewers.
If you have successfully mastered the basic skills, achieved your goal and want to move on, it is best to do this at a professional dance school. Only studying under the guidance of specialists, their example and constant practice in public will allow you to achieve significant results.
Sometimes self-training in dance is not intended for public performances. Some girls choose choreography as a way to gain a slim and fit figure, confidence and grace, and relieve stress. This is a great option for home fitness because it burns a lot of calories, strengthens muscles and energizes you with positivity and vigor.
You can learn to dance anywhere, including at home. There is nothing shameful or unnatural about acquiring this skill. It's really cool! All that matters is desire, the ability to overcome laziness and the love of beautiful movements to the beat of music.
We all want something. Some want to see Machu Picchu with their own eyes, some want to get a dog, and some want to learn to dance. Sometimes such dreams, due to lack of time, money or laziness, gradually become unrealistic. If your problem is: “I want to learn to dance, but I don’t know where to start,” then this article is just for you! So let's get straight to the point!
First, you should familiarize yourself with simple techniques on how to start dancing lessons from scratch.
Conquer your fears
“I’m too clumsy and fat to dance”, “I’m no longer young to be flexible”, “Everyone will watch me twitch ridiculously to the music”, “What a shame it would be if I pressed someone’s leg!” etc.
Sounds familiar? Then the first step towards a dance future is to write all your fears on a piece of paper and throw it in the trash!
Remember: There is no age, height or build that is unsuitable for dancing. You just need to choose a rhythm in which you will be comfortable moving - that is, choose a dance direction. And if you really need dance classes, let them bring you only confidence and joy.
And the risk of stepping on a foot is the same typical danger for a dancer as getting an electric shock for electricians. But the consequences are incomparable. It's okay if one day someone steps on your foot.
If this is no longer scary, move on to the next stage.
Start moving
To learn to dance, starting to move independently at the first stage will be quite enough.
If the beginning for you, as in the famous saying, is still “hard trouble,” you can master the style at home. A computer and a mirror will be your faithful assistants in this matter.
The algorithm is simple: we find a video lesson on the Internet in the chosen direction, turn it on and try to repeat it. The reflection will tell you what is already working and what still needs to be corrected.
It will also be useful to improvise. Turn on your favorite music and move the way you like. You don’t have to look in the mirror, because the process itself is important.
The advantages of home training: you train in your usual conditions at a comfortable pace of mastering the material. Whenever you want and as much as you want. No one is looking at you, which provides psychological comfort for the newcomer.
A significant disadvantage here is the lack of control from an experienced trainer. Difficulties in mastering complex movements and tricks (for example, during breakdancing lessons) often arise. also involves a lot of complex movements, which you are unlikely to be able to study on your own. Plus another minus - the possibility of harming your health by performing movements incorrectly on your own and incorrectly distributing the load on joints and muscles. But home dancing lessons for beginners in order to give themselves confidence are quite acceptable and will undoubtedly be useful.
Sign up for a dance school
Whether you like it or not, at some point you will exhaust the possibilities of independent learning. You will need the help of experienced choreographers or simply want new horizons. That’s when the question “Where can I learn to dance?” will become relevant.
After six years of dancing, Masha Botvinina found out whether it is possible to lose weight by dancing, and which part of the body usually hinders the dancer the most. Her advice to beginners is priceless.
A few years ago I enrolled in a dance school. Just. Quite by accident I saw an ad in the LiveJournal feed. I didn’t have global goals like “lose weight here” or “pump up there.” I needed non-boring physical activity - and I suddenly decided that dancing was what I needed.
And recently it suddenly dawned on me: I’ve been training for six years now. I mentally went over the last few years: I changed 3 jobs and 4 boyfriends, but dancing has not gone away!
Therefore, if you are also starting to dance or are thinking about it, here are some practical tips, tested from personal experience.
1. By working out 1-2 times a week, you can completely tone up your muscles, pump up some muscles, and even pump up some of them very well. But not all. Systems that are not used in dancing (for example, biceps-triceps) will stand out pitifully against the background of those that are involved.
2. Lose a little weight - yes, you can. But radically - it’s impossible. Dancing is not a gym, so, hurray, you will have excellent muscles, and on top, alas, your own fat. 
3. All beginners are usually worried about the question “will I be able to dance cool at a disco later?” It all depends on you and the dance. If you learn to dance hip-hop and go to a hip-hop club, yes. But my Irish dancing will only help in the pub)))
4. Anyone can learn to dance. You too. If your teacher says that dancing is not for you, you can safely glare at him: “This is not your teacher, and not a teacher at all.”
5. It's never too late to learn to dance. In modern schools there is no age limit. Even ballet schools have groups for adults. So what do you have to lose?
It's never too late to dance!
6. If you come to the first lesson and your group is full of people, do not be alarmed: a third will not come to the second lesson, because they will not like the unusually heavy workload. In a month, another third will not come, whose desire to practice will be broken by the realization that “like in Riverdance” something didn’t work out in a month... Then from those who remained, there will be another third left - the rest will stretch something, break something, they will move to another city or simply quit. This is how natural selection occurs and groups are brought to normal numbers.
7. You will probably have a part of your body that will constantly get in the way and strive to do the wrong thing. For example, in my Irish ones these are hands. Here they are needed to tie shoelaces, but the rest of the time they are not. You may sometimes want to tear them off. At such moments, remember that tying shoelaces with your teeth is not comme il faut. There's also a chance you'll get together for a group Irish dance. There are rumors that they move their arms there too.
It's me. I think how my hands get in the way)))
8. Most likely, you will need special shoes. If, again, you go to Irish dances, which I go to, you will need at least 2 pairs of shoes: step shoes and soft leather slippers. If you bought shoes and they feel comfortable, wear them to class. If you still think they are comfortable, these are not the shoes for you. When you look at your particular shoes, you should want to wrap your feet in adhesive tape up to the knee. If these sacrifices are not for you, try dances where you dance in sneakers or even barefoot.
Boots for step, they are also “hard”, they are also step shoes
9. After six months of training, you will learn how to jump over puddles in a pretentious manner. This is one of the most important bonuses. However, after a couple of years, you will carefully sidestep all the puddles, because to jump you need to warm up, be in the right shoes, and in general, this is a street, not a stage.
10. The subway is the best place to practice turning your toes. In addition, when they see your face during this activity, even pregnant grandmothers will give you their seat.
11. If you saw a colorful shiny dress at a competition and thought that you would never wear such bad taste in your life, just wait. In a year or two, you yourself will choose rhinestones for the same.
Irish dancing dresses are always "very": very bright, very shiny and very short.
Ballroom dancing also has its own fashion, very unique)
12. Dance competitions are practically the only place where adult aunts can wear crowns, tiaras and rhinestones, and also paint their faces so that mom won’t worry. After all, isn’t this a reason to participate?))
13. Judges at competitions are very insidious and can lower scores because of all sorts of bullshit. For example, if one of your socks has slipped down. Cunning Irish dancers even came up with glue for socks in order to win medals! Now you've seen everything)
Sock glue is not a fiction, but a harsh reality
14. No, that’s not all. The wig and bun are also an important detail of the costume. Have you ever wanted to dance on stage with a ponytail??
For Irish dancers there are special wigs with crazy curls
15. You will learn the taste of victories and defeats. Why not stand on the pedestal if possible? True, only you will know how hard it is to get these places.
By the way, if you one day decide to participate in competitions, you will most likely have to forget about regular rest - your entire travel schedule will be subordinated to the competition schedule. That’s why I’ve been going on vacation in April for the third year now, and I haven’t been to the warm sea for about the same amount of time! And all because in April my dance association - the World Irish Dance Association - holds a big event: the World Championships, the European Championships and the Grade Feis ("Great Competitions") - and all this pie with candles at once in 3-4 days somewhere in Europe. I’m not participating in championships yet, but with Grade Feis I have two silver medals :)
Due to scheduling conflicts, I didn’t make it to my own awards ceremony! I had to climb onto the pedestal when everyone had already left!
For all my achievements, many thanks to my teacher and founder of the “Moscow School of Irish Dance Maria Singal” - Masha Singal and all the other teachers, because over these 6 years I have managed to study with everyone, and I know for sure that they are wonderful :)
I'm sure there are many dancers among our readers. What are you dancing?
Of course, the first answer that comes to mind is: “Go to the dance studio.” They will teach you there." But it's not that simple. Before shelling out quite impressive sums of money in a dance studio, you need to decide which type of modern dance is closer to you, whether the energy of modern dance art suits you personally, or is it better to pay attention to classics, ballet and partner dances.
What do we have to do
- 1. First, decide on the direction. Rhythmic locking, popping, daring krump, spectacular hip-hop, seductive strip dance? – There are a lot of options. In order to find out where to choose, watch several videos on the Internet, you can visit offline hip-hop festivals to see with your own eyes dancers of different styles in action.
- 2. If the choice of modern dance style has already been decided, move on to the next point. Now you must decide how much time you can devote to your new hobby. And on the basis of these simple calculations, your next choice will be based - the choice of location of classes:
- a. At home.
- b. In a professional dance studio.
Rules that will help you master the art of modern dancing as quickly as possible
To prevent modern dance classes from turning into a waste of time, follow the rules described below. They are not at all complicated, but, nevertheless, very effective:
- Classes should be systematic and regular;
- Concentration is a delicate matter. When crossing the threshold of the hall (if you practice in a dance studio) or your own room, leave all problems behind this threshold. In the lessons, no matter where they take place, you should only worry about the connection you are learning, your plasticity and music. Everything else comes later. So try to plan your classes so that no unfinished business pushes you forward.
- Dress. Image in hip-hop culture is undoubtedly very important. But don't forget that you are still learning. Therefore, your workout uniform should be as comfortable and loose as possible. Work out the technical aspects first - you will shine with your style on stage.
- Warm-up is the holy of holies. Never, you hear, never start a lesson without warming up - we want to learn to dance, not get hurt!
Finally, I would like to encourage people who want to learn how to dance modern dances: guys, it’s not difficult. The main thing is perseverance and love for music. Do exercises to develop a sense of rhythm, listen to tracks, watch videos and very soon you will be dancing like gods.
I started dancing at the age of 11, having absolutely no inclination for it: a fat, sickly, pathologically shy child, completely devoid of physical training, but generously gifted with complexes and nervous tics. A couple of years later I took first place in the competition, and five years later I was performing on stage. I studied without fanaticism, and I didn’t discover any incredible talent - I just had great fun and easily overcame the fears that definitely stop many of you:
Fear #1: “I have no hearing or sense of rhythm.” If you cannot distinguish the note E of the first octave from F of the second, I really sympathize with you. You will never become an outstanding pianist. But as a dancer, it’s easy: hearing has little effect on the speed of learning. The sense of rhythm is indeed very important, but it develops perfectly with the help of dances, especially modern ones.
Fear #2: « I'm too old already." Again, age matters only if you want to become a professional ballet dancer, and you are 10 years old (you need to start at 5-6). An amusing study carried out a year ago by the University of Hertfordshire showed that dancers over 40 are much more relaxed and confident than twenty-year-olds, and therefore learn quickly and easily. “There is nothing worse than a very young group,” says Anna Moiseeva, a teacher of classical choreography at the Tais school. “Everyone evaluates each other, develops terrible complexes and, as a result, quickly leaves the race.”
Fear #3: « I’ll be the worst in the group.” I’ll tell you a terrible secret: adults with a similar lifestyle and without a sports and dance background have almost the same ability to dance. “After only five to seven lessons in a group, some students get ahead,” explains Maria Khmelnitskaya, a specialist in dance and movement therapy. — And everyone else continues to develop at approximately the same level. In short, someone always displays outstanding abilities, but very rarely is there a complete absence of them.”
Fear No. 4: “Dancing is very expensive and troublesome.” If you want to dance seriously and professionally, you will have to pay for master classes, concert costumes, and travel to foreign festivals. But if the goal is only pleasure, then dancing is a very low-cost activity. Sometimes you need expensive professional shoes, but they will last a long time.
So, we’ve dealt with our fears, now let’s act. The first point here is predictable: lift your butt off the couch. And then do five more easy things.
1. Choose a style. Play instant association (the exercise is described in the text). Write “dance” on a piece of paper, and then write five words that come to mind first. If it is, for example, “sea, skirt, guitar, sun, passion,” it will probably suit you. Be sure to read our program articles: , .
2. Don't delay because you can't find a school. You can start dancing at home and practice it fully. One of my friends, a star of the Moscow flamenco scene, has never been to a “live” lesson in her life: she only learned from video. , - choose and get started.
3. Be beautiful. Regardless of where you study, in the studio or at home, you need to come to your first classes very dressed. You are not moving very gracefully yet, so you need to create a beautiful affirming picture on your own. No old T-shirts or leggings! If you dance Latin, wear a skirt and wear makeup. For hip-hop - . I repeat: even at home, and especially at home.
4. Don't look for a partner. Even if you want to learn couples dancing. Many people do not dare to go to hustle or tango due to the lack of friends and husbands. Firstly, the school will help you with the pairing. Secondly, you can dance without it. An excellent example is ours, with which you can learn solo salsa (it would seem an oxymoron).
5. Dance for yourself. Almost any dance forces us to socialize: make new acquaintances, go to discos, communicate a lot and perform. On the one hand, this is wonderful. On the other hand, this is exactly what many are afraid of. Remember: you don’t have to go to clubs or drink tea with new acquaintances after each workout. Do not tell your friends that you went to the dance, otherwise they will torture you with requests to “show something.” Let dancing be your secret strength, like Superman! No clubs or stages are needed. Believe me, one fine evening you will start dancing on an empty street. And you will get almost the greatest pleasure in life.
