YOUR WEDDING FIRST DANCE. In the good old days most men and women preparing for thier wedding knew how to ballroom and swing dance by the time they got out of high school or college. Back then dancing was a natural and very romantic event couples were prepared for. Today however not many couples know how to dance the classic ballroom partner dances and surviving the first dance is not the natural event it used to be. Alas the art and joy of partner dancing is being revived. Thanks to Gap TV commercials that feature couples swing dancing and many public TV stations showing Ballroom dance competitions, couples are going retro and choosing to do ballroom dancing. Ballroom is a general term that covers the old classic dances like Waltz, Fox Trot and Tango, but also includes the Swing and Latin dances like Mambo, Salsa and Cha Cha Cha. If you want to be helped and do and really dance one of the ballroom dances the first thing you need to do is pick a song. For couples who want to dance what I describe as the "Penguin Waddle" choosing the right song is a no-brainer because they just pick a romantic song they associate with their meeting or relationship. But for couples who want to actually dance, it isn't so easy. Many of the popular songs heard on the radio too long or not the right tempo for dancing. If you want a good dance song try selecting from the many Big Band tunes, for example Frank Sonatra songs like "It Had To Be You," "Fly Me To The Moon," or "The Way You Look Tonight". Even a cool Barry White song like "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love". These songs have a good dance tempo. If you use songs with these tempos you can do a fox trot, swing or both for your first dance. For a popular romantic Waltz try Ann Murray's "Could I Have This Dance" (for the rest of my life). If your still in doubt about picking a song, ask your dance instructor. Yes, I said dance instructor. Unless you were born knowing how to do these dances and how to lead or follow them, you will need to learn to dance. Most woman like the idea of taking dance lessons and think of them as a fun filled bonding experience. Most men however initially think of taking dance lessons on a par with going to the dentist. That is until they discover that the dance floor is one of the very few places that a woman will smile and willingly follow to his every command...its called leading. Ladies once he realizes how much you enjoy it, and he feels in control, you will have no problem with him on the dance floor. Just get him to agree to take the first lesson, and your dance instructor will take it from there. If there is a dance studio in your area and your can afford the cost , ($45-$75 for private lessons), this is the best and fastest way to learn. Whether you decide to do a free style or full dance routine to your song, you will learn more and appreciate the individual attention only a live professional instructor can give you. Most couples take an average of ten private lessons to learn and master a full first dance routine. However the time can be shortened if you regularly practice your dance at least twice a week. If your find it difficult to practice at home most dance studios will allow you to practice either before or after your dance lessons. If private dance lessons are to much of a strain on your time or budget, Video dance instruction is the next best thing. however its best to pick a video that specializes in teaching couples. Here too practice is very important as well as giving yourself enough time before your event to learn and perfect your dancing. Below are five most important survival pointers to help you survive your first dance experience and dance happily ever after. 1. Select A Song - Pick a romantic first dance song with a good dance beat throughout the song. Also practice with other songs with a similar tempo. If your band is playing your song be sure they play it at the tempo you have practiced (on the CD). 2. Dance Lessons- Start your Private or Video lessons at least three month before your event if possible. Learning to dance can be a fun filled bonding experience if you don't make it stressful by trying to learn too fast . 3. Practice - To look and feel good when all eyes are upon you on that special night it is important to devote enough time and effort to practice your dance. If it feels uncomfortable or mechanical it usually means you have not practiced enough . Your goal is to dance as perfect partners at your event and forever after. 4. Lead/Follow - Dancing promotes communication and co-operation and togetherness. If you learn to Dance well together your will increases your chances of enjoying each others specialness on the dance floor and off. ****************************************************************************************** SWING-SALSA-BALLROOM DANCING- Learn to dance any partner dance at our modern dance studio in Santa Monica,CA.- We offer competative private dance lesson rates for singles and couples.Learn for fun,exercise and social security at parties,dance clubs,cruises and special events including Bas Mitvahs,School Proms and weddings.Add more fun to life -learn to dance !............................................................................................................................................................................. WEDDING DANCE LESSONS- Your first dance is a very special moment of joy and celebration that will become a happy lifetime memory. It is a time when you and your partner will be center stage and many expentant eyes will be on you.Next to your wedding vows,this will be one of the most important moments of your wedding day - your first dance as husband and wife. At Wedding2Dance we specialize in helping you dance the first dance of your dreams. our professional dance instructors know how to make your first dance a easy and fun learning experience. We offer beginner to advanced lessons in all Ballroom,Latin and Swing partner dances. We have over 15 years experience teaching brides and grooms dance their first dance. Don't settle for just getting by on your wedding day. We can help you dance the first dance of your dreams to your chosen song.Don't wait...wedding prep dance lessons are the perfect cure for pre-wedding jitters.To help reduce pre-wedding stress and have a fun filled wedding related experience togeather - we suggest you start your wedding dance lessons about three or more months before your wedding date. Call Jerry Neerin at Wedding2Dance for more details - take the first step now to an amazing first dance as husband and wife.Wedding2Dance offers the lowest private lesson package rates in the Los Angeles area. Ask Jerry about our FREE trial dance lesson and First Dance Song consultation. Wedding Dance Lessons are given at our modern dance studio in Santa Monica,CA. Call 310-828-7326. Get Happy - Get Healthy - Try Dancing DISCOVER PARTNER DANCING ! If you're looking for a new way to add fun, friends and exercise to your life...and reduce stress - try partner dancing. Partner dancing is one of the fastest growing social sports in the US. It is one of the few leisure time activities that gives you a fun way to socialize, exercise, express your creative side and have friendly contact with the opposite sex. Dancing is one of the few contact sports and social bonding activities that is both safe and fun for men and woman - single or married. Partner dancing is making a big comeback with all age groups. You can learn to dance and enjoy partner dancing at any age. If you are single partner dancing is a great way to make a male or female friend or meet a mate or a date. If married dancing is a great a social activity or hobby to share at home and on vacations. It is also a fun activity you ca enjoy and share at family gatherings or with your children. It is best to start your partner dancing experience by taking a few private dance lessons. Only through private lessons will you get the individual attention needed to properly learn the basic techniques of leading and following and to sample each dance style to find the dance or dances you enjoy the most. It's now time to do it ..... to add more fun to life...with partner dancing ! Call today for a dance lesson appointment so you can say YES the next time someone asks you...shall we dance ? Why Learn to Dance? (Girls Night Out - A Latin Dance Club Adventure) Here's how dancing changed my life. After breaking up with my boyfriend, who was an avid TV sports fan. I sat home for a few months waiting for the phone to ring, of course it didn't. So I decided it was time to to go out and have some fun with a girl friend. I was in a Latin mood, so we picked a local downtown LA Salsa dance club. I was not a dancer, but when we entered the club the rhythmic Latin Salsa music filled the air and my girl friend and I hopped onto the dance floor. I was mesmerized by the intoxicating pulsations of the salsa. Suddenly seeing the dancers around me, I realized that I didn't know how to salsa. So, we sat down, had a few drinks and together with a few other self-conscious and timid non-dancers, became captive spectators. In my seat my head and shoulders moved to the beat - involuntarily, as I marveled at the fluid synchronicity of the couples dancing. They all smiled a lot and moved with eyes half-closed, completely immersed in the spirit of the music. My friend Lea, was an avid ballroom and salsa dancer, was asked to dance. She held her partner like they were in love. I envied her sinuous moves and wished I were on the floor. I was inspired to want to take dance lessons. I remembered, I had once taken a few ballroom dancing lessons, about half a decade ago, when social dancing had just started making a comeback. My college friends, who had already contracted instructors for weekly sessions, succeeded in convincing me of the exercise and social benefits of dancing. My friends informed me that dancing was a great way to exercise and loose weight. Dances, like tango, mambo, Salsa and Cha-Cha can burn as much as 300 calories in an hour, while dances like the jitterbug, burns as much as 400 calories. Dancing they said, also improved their coordination, balance, flexibility and toning the leg and buttock muscles. What more could a girl ask for! They also said dancing was a much more fun way to exercise than doing repetitious and boring exercises, and dancing employs steps and rhythms and dance moves with male partners. That makes dancing as an exercise extremely motivating. I also realized that, for me, taking dance lessons would not only make my physique look better, it also make me feel good about myself - because I would move more gracefully, both alone and with a partner, and .....I would impress my friends with my new shape and social life. Also, I realized while sipping my 3rd drink, that since dancing is with a partner, it requires the two individuals of the opposite sex to focus on their partners, and to interact and communicate through touch and body signals, hmmmmm, and while dancing together concentrate on perfecting a harmonious flow of movement. That kind of bonding with a partner is what I now like most about dancing. and that's what convinced me to take dance lessons. Yes I did it , I have taken Ballroom and Salsa and Swing Dance Lessons for the last two years. And it has changed my life. I don't need a date when I want to have fun. In fact, when I go out dancing, for that short period of time when I'm with a partner in the middle of the dance floor, nothing else matters - not the problems at work, not the laundry, not the bills - just the dance, just the fluidity of music and motion with a partner. So, take my advice, girlfriend....learn to dance... grab the yellow pages or log onto the Internet and typed up a search for "ballroom dancing"! The interest in Ballroom, Salsa, Swing dancing had spread all over the world. Social dancing lessons are being offered in almost every major city in the USA; ballroom dancing experts are available for online consultation at AskMe.com; dancing apparel, supplies and paraphernalia are all available for online shoppers. The United States Amateur Ballroom Dancers Association, or USABDA, which was established in 1965 to promote the acceptance of ballroom dancing - also known as dancesport - into the Olympic Games, has organized chapters all over the nation to promote awareness in social dancing through low-cost lessons and workshops. Chapter members conduct dance demonstrations in public places to educate the people about the health benefits of ballroom dancing. BallroomDancers.com, is an extensive Web site dedicated to the promotion of ballroom dancing, social dance and dancesport, provides online information, through comprehensive tutorials and video clips, on various steps and innovative techniques. They also offer advice on where and how to find a teacher or a dance partner, and where to practice and perform. There's also SymphonyDancers.com, which provides tips on how to shop for the perfect dance teacher and studio, and YouShouldBeDancing.net, that offers professional lessons on practically all the typical ballroom and partner dances. Did I want to know what the various dances and find out where to dance and meet my Mr. Right-Dance partner... in the Los Angeles area... or Learn solo with a Dance Video? Of course, and the Internet had the answers at http://Learn2DanceUS.Com. If your getting married and want to impress your guests with a stylish and graceful first dance try http://www.weddingmusic2dance.com So, okay... there's about a dozen ballroom dancing studios here in Los Angeles, you should be able to find one close to your home or work. Take a trial lesson or two ,check to see if I like the dance teacher and his teaching style... and check the price of the dance packages he offered to oil your dancing skills. Should You bring a dance partner? Only if your engaged or married....If your Single I'm sure I'll find someone interesting at the dance studio. [Copyright 2005 J. Neerin.] Do you swing? Hey, guys. Here’s an activity guaranteed to give you more interaction with more women. In fact, if you’re looking to pull the male:female ratio decidedly in your favor, you could hardly choose a better hobby. And if you get really good at the moves, it’s a cinch that you’ll never be without a partner. I’m talking, of course, about dancing. Well, do you want to meet women, or not? Then quit groaning and pay attention. Men in dance classes are like women in sports bars. There just aren’t enough to go around. There’s a style of dance to match just about whatever style of music you prefer, so the women you take out for a spin are likely to share your musical tastes. And unlike grunting your way through an hour at the gym, dance gives you a way to get a good, hot, sweaty, cardiovascular and social workout. Dancing is a heck of a lot sexier and more enjoyable than your junior high school gym teachers ever let on. If you’re tempted to give it a whirl, the first thing you’ll need to decide is what style of music and dance suits you best. Here are a few of the options you can consider: Swing This style includes some of the most popular and high-energy dances around these days. There’s no room on this dance floor for fumbling, halting steps as you mentally count off ONE-two-three, ONE-two-three—this is the dance equivalent of an action movie. If you like fast, upbeat music, this is one you might want to check out. Dances include the Lindy and Lindy hop, the Jitterbug, the Savoy, and regional styles like West Coast and East Coast Swing. Salsa This gives you a chance to step onto the dance floor and into another culture—actually many different cultures, as the dances reflect styles popular in a wide variety of countries. Try moving your feet to the beat of the Merengue, Cha Cha or Mambo. Show off your romantic side with a bolero, or flaunt your sensuality tango style. Dance doesn’t get more caliente than this! Ballroom Sometimes, only a waltz will do—and when that time comes, you’ll be able to sweep your partner around the ballroom with a brand of style and sophistication the mosh pit will never muster. Top hat and tails optional. Cajun Ever been to New Orleans—or, failing that, heard any great Zydeco? It’s not sitting-still, just-listening music. It’s music that makes you want and even need to move. And it goes great with—and is a great way to work off—gumbo, jambalaya, barbequed ribs, blackened catfish, and, of course, Bananas Foster for dessert. Country/line dancing If you’re a cowboy boots and hat kind of guy, here’s where you’ll find your kind of gal. It’s also a great kind of dancing to learn as part of a large crowd, and if you don’t have the time or inclination to learn in a classroom, this is one you can pick up from instructions right in the middle of the action—at the bar where the party’s already in progress. Which one’s right for you? Whichever fits your personality and musical preferences. Somewhere out there, there’s a dance with your footprints on it. Oh—and did I mention that it’s a great way to meet women?