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The Gift of Dance Makes a Great Holiday Present!
Ballroom dance lessons make a perfect holiday gift because of the many benefits they can provide. Not only does dance help people to stay fit and healthy, but it also teaches them coordination, creativity and discipline. It’s a creative and out-of-the-box gift idea AND it’s a gift that keeps on giving. Dance can be a...
10 Tips to Improve Your Ballroom Technique
Any ballroom dancer can tell you, there is no easy way to get amazing at any particular ballroom style in a short period of time. However, there are certainly best practices that smart dancers will use to ensure they get the most out of every moment spent practicing, performing, and thinking about ballroom dance! Here...
What Heel is Best for You?
When it comes to shoes, comfort and performance go hand-in-hand. Possibly the most important component of a dancer’s outfit, the type of shoe and heel you choose is crucial. We’ve compiled a list of heels that suit different needs and dancer preferences. Traditional Heel The traditional dancing heel, known as the “Oxford” or the “Gibson,”...
A Brief History of Ballroom Dance
Ballroom dance is a broad term that encompasses a variety of dance styles that are performed in a ballroom setting. These styles include the Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, Quickstep, and Viennese Waltz. The history of ballroom dance can be traced back to the 16th century in Europe, where it was primarily a social activity for the...
How to Deal With Perfectionism
Perfectionism is a common trait among ballroom dancers. It can be helpful in driving you to improve your skills and become the best dancer you can be. However, perfectionism can also be harmful if it leads to excessive self-criticism or perfectionistic standards that are impossible to meet. There are some things you can do to...
What Type of Dress Should You Choose for Your Latin Dance?
Ballroom dance outfits, especially for the ladies, can range from flirty and fun to graceful and elegant. Latin dance in particular highlights the dancers’ legs and hips, making it more sexy and provocative. But what kind of dresses go well with each of the 5 Latin dances? Paso Doble This traditional Spanish is passionate and...
Fuel Your Body For Dance!
Eating right can help you make the most of your ballroom dancing lesson at Fred Astaire Dance Studios as you improve your dance moves! Ballroom dancing is a fun way to stay active and trim your waistline. Thirty minutes on the dance floor can burn at least 200 calories. That’s more than 30 minutes on...
What to Expect At Your First Dance Lesson!
Whether you’re learning some new moves for the first dance at your wedding or hoping to drop a few pounds before swimsuit season arrives, your first dance lesson can be a lot to handle. Knowing what to expect during your lesson will help you stay focused and be ready to hit the dance floor. At...
Relieve Daily Stress With Dance!
Fred Astaire Dance Studios urges people to cut loose on the dance floor to help reduce stress and alleviate anxiety during trying times. Watching Russia’s invasion of Ukraine unfold on national television and social media is mobilizing Americans to take action by providing humanitarian aid and support for the people of the democratic nation. At...
Find Your New Year’s Dance Resolution!
The new year is here, and that means it’s time for New Year’s resolutions, promises, and challenges to sweep across the world, and then be promptly forgotten by next month. At Fred Astaire Dance Studios, we believe in setting realistic, achievable goals that help you better yourself. To this end, we’ve compiled a short list...
Give the Gift of Dance This Holiday Season!
No matter what you’re celebrating this holiday season, give your friends and family a gift they’ll treasure! Dance lessons with Fred Astaire Dance Studios make for the perfect present, even if your loved ones don’t have any dance experience. Dance lessons are a fun and physical activity Does the gift recipient want to start...
Holiday Season Dance Gift Giving Guide!
Ballroom dancers are always looking for new ways to improve their skills and enhance their performances, so there are plenty of opportunities for great gifts out there to help them further their passions. Here are some great gift ideas for the ballroom dancer in your life! Dance Shoes A good pair of dance shoes is...
Dancing for your Health & Wellbeing
At Fred Astaire Dance Studios, we believe wholeheartedly in the power of dance as a social engagement and a form of personal improvement and expression! But arguably even more key in the appeal and value of Ballroom dance are the health benefits it can confer! Ballroom dancing and other forms of social dance are powerful...
5 Things You Should Know About the Father-Daughter Dance
The father-daughter dance is a staple at many weddings. It’s the moment when the bride honors their father, and represents the love and gratitude they have for the father or father figure in their life. If you decide to include the father-daughter dance in your own wedding, you might not know where to begin....
Wedding Dance Questions You’re Too Embarrassed to Ask!
So! Your wedding day is coming up, and you are now realizing that you have to DANCE! In front of CLOSE FRIENDS AND FAMILY! AAHHHHHH! Take a deep breath. You’ll get through this. To help assuage the fears and concerns of brides and grooms to-be who don’t have any dance experience or knowledge, we’ve compiled...
Famous Dance Moms That Make a Difference!
Mother’s Day is the most important day of the year to celebrate moms for all their support and love. However, once we recognize the sacrifices and the time moms dedicate to our success, we can’t help but ask: what would we do without them? Moms deserve more than flowers and brunch for their efforts, especially...
Calm Wedding Dance Jitters With Spotlight-Worthy Moves
Your wedding is a day you hope to remember fondly for the rest of your life, but if something goes wrong, it can easily mar your big day. Take it from the folks who’ve been there for countless couples — your wedding is not something you want to mess up. But many people might not...
Proper Footwear Improves Ballroom Dance Finesse
Students at Fred Astaire Dance Studios are dancing their way to good health by achieving fulfillment and fun on the dance floor. Taking care of your feet by picking proper dance shoes is an important step to take when learning how to salsa, cha-cha and swing. Pay Attention to Your Feet Taking care of your...
Rekindle Romance on the Dance Floor
Resist the temptation this Valentine’s Day to take the easy route and buy a box of chocolates or a bouquet of roses for your significant other. Rekindle romance with your loved one to an innovative alternative by gifting them a ballroom dance lesson at your local Fred Astaire Dance Studios. Ballroom dancing provides a romantic...
Take a Cue From The 1920’s and Learn to Tango
Heat up your summer evenings with your favorite partner by letting the professionals at Fred Astaire Dance Studios teach you the tango; a steamy dance that roared onto the dance scene in the 1920s. Holding a red rose between your teeth is optional. The tango has its roots in brothels and dance halls of the...
Dance Spotlight: The Jive!
One of the beauties of ballroom dance is that a once-popular style never needs to go away. It can continue in its original form, or it can grow and change and remain a fixture among savvy dancers. Which brings us to Jive. Once upon a time, this lively style of dance was known as the...
The Best Ballroom Dance Styles For Beginners
Learning to dance provides you with social skills that last a lifetime and allows you to feel at ease in any situation where there is music and dancing. Once you decide that now is the time to learn how to dance, you may wonder which style is best to start with and which style will...
4 Reasons to Love The Tango
Ah the Tango. Romantic, passionate, intense, sensual. There are so many reasons to love this Latin dance style. The Tango is one of the most highly stylized ballroom dances we teach. It is dramatic, with measured crossing and flexing steps to the front, the side and the back combined with turns. Of all the dances...
Top 10 Fred Astaire Dance Scenes (part 2)
(5) Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire make history again with Cheek to Cheek from the movie “Top Hat” in 1935. In this iconic dance scene Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers bring new meaning to elegance and style. The song Cheek to Cheek was nominated for the Best Song Academy Award in 1936.It stayed at the...
How To Make Your Ballroom Dancing Look Faster In 3 Easy Steps
Wish your ballroom dancing looked as effortless as the pros? Me too, lol! While it might take a little more effort than reading a short article to become the next Yulia Zagoruychenko, here’s a couple tips to get your dancing up to speed. Traveling: Proper use of your standing leg is the key to...
A Simple Guide to the 10 Traditional Dances of Ballroom Dance
If you are interested in ballroom dance but don’t know where to begin, then there’s only one place to start: beginner dance classes at Fred Astaire Dance Studios. Learning the most widely known partner dances can make you a star in any social gathering, and bring some fun and culture to your life at the...
Don’t Buy Ballroom Dance Shoes Until You Read This!
Ballroom Dance Shoes What is a dance shoe and do I really need to buy them? is a question I have been asked by many students over the years, some new and some not. Guys never understand why their dance teacher is making them buy shoes. And women are thinking of how many pairs they...
How To Tell The Difference Between Popular Types Of Latin Dances
Ballroom dance is enjoyed all over the world in a variety of forms, many having common roots. This is particularly true of the popular Latin dances. While we often think of them as South American specialties, their histories are more complicated than that. Many derive from African rhythms and patterns that were later adapted in...
Prom and Ballroom Dancing
Prom Dance and Ballroom Dancing, The Perfect Alternative to a Twerking Teen Suggesting Ballroom Dance to your teen before the prom could be the key to your sanity. We’ve all seen the videos by now. Posted on Youtube and shared across social media. The twerking pandemic strikes fear into the hearts of many parents sending...
Where To Take Your Dance Routine For Vacation
Fred Astaire Dance Studio students work diligently to perfect their steps on the dance floor, to master the dances they learn – and have fun along the way. They come to our partice parties and our outings, they dance, they meet others who share that passion for dancing. But there’s a big world out there, and...
Heat Up Your Valentines Day (or night)
On Valentines Day, Ballroom Dancing makes an extra special date for that extra special someone. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and if you’re like me. You’re probably still looking for something romantic to do with your significant other. If you’re tired of the old stand by of a swanky dinner or a movie....
6 Ballroom Dances Sure To Turn Up the Heat This Winter
Dancing is a great way to reignite the flame with your partner and these six styles of dance are sure to keep you warm this winter! Remember, ballroom dancing is a chance to do a little makeover on yourself. Feeling confident makes you feel more desirable – and frankly, how could you not be, with...
Date Night
Going out for a date night? Get off your phones and on the floor! A dance date night could be just what every couple needs. We’ve all read the articles about how our phones are going to take over our bodies, give us cancer and replace our social life. SO we’ve put together a great...
How Well Do You Know Ballroom Dance Trivia?
Test your knowledge and see how much you know about ballroom dance trivia, with this super-fun quiz, originally published on Discovery.com. 1. This early form of ballroom dominated the dance scene from the 17th century to the 19th century. A. Minuet B. Waltz C. Reel 2. Which 3/4 count ballroom dance style represented a transition...
Learning to Dance in the Rain
“Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass…it’s about learning how to dance in the rain!” – Vivian Greene At some time or another every ballroom dancer gets stuck in a dance rut. In my experience this happens right before a big break through. The road is the hardest right at the peak....
4 Reasons Why We Love to Salsa
It’s summer, and summer brings the heat. The same goes for one of our favorite dances – salsa. It’s hot, hot, hot. Salsa continues to grow in popularity because of its fast pace and the lively music that accompanies this Caribbean-based dance. Latin dances build to a crescendo, creating tension and release. That makes salsa a...
Gettin’ Hot and Steamy with the Tango
There is no question that Tango dancing is a pretty sexy ballroom dance to learn. Spinning and dipping and whisking your partner off her feet sounds pretty hot to me! So what does it look like to start learning a dance like the Tango? And can anyone just walk in off the street and start...
Dance Your Way to a Beach Bod! How Many Calories Are You Burning?
How Many Calories Are You Burning While Dancing? Ballroom Dance vs. Barre, Yoga and Running So let’s see how different fitness routines measure up. We’ve taken a look at some popular fitness fads and compared them to the fun, difficulty and overall calories burned. Take a closer look and you might be hitting the dance...
How to Be a Better Leader in 5 Simple Steps
Listen to your partner. That means the good and the bad. So often new dancers go into critique overload and overlook everything they’re doing right. Yes, you should listen if your partner says you’re knocking her off her balance or stepping on her toes. But you should also make a mental note of the things...
5 Must Know Dances for Every Occasion
We’ve all been caught unprepared at some time in our lives. Not knowing how to dance should not be on that list. If learning to dance in general seems like too big a task, we’ve put together a list of the must haves. Going to a wedding, have a work event or dinner date? We’ve...
History of the Cha Cha
Once upon a time, it was known as the Cha-Cha-Cha. Somewhere along the way, it lost a Cha. Now it’s just the Cha Cha, but it has lost none of its appeal! This dance is characterized by three quick steps (Cha-Cha-Cha!) followed by two slower steps. With American Style Cha Cha averaging 30 beats per minute,...
5 Benefits of Ballroom Dancing You Probably Did Not Know!
We all know physical activity of any kind is good for your body. Obviously we know dancers have pretty amazing physiques (we have seen dancing with the stars after all.) But do you know that dancing is actually more than just a healthy hobby for your body? We’ve been seeing reports being published almost weekly...
5 Reasons You NEED to Learn to Ballroom Dance
Every adult young or old will inevitably be put in the situation of needing to know how to dance. Don’t be caught unprepared. There are so many benefits to learning to ballroom dance. But today we’re going to talk about the necessary life events that require at least a working knowledge of how to dance....
How Ballroom Dancing Can Help Your Communication
“Communication is, above all, a skill — and very few people know how to communicate effectively, naturally. It takes thoughtfulness and a lot of practice.” – Carl Alasko, PhD Author of Say This Not That: A Foolproof Guide to Effective Intrapersonal Communication. In the age of information, we have become desensitized by our iPhones and...
Why Do You Think You Like To Dance?
We know that ballroom dance is beneficial physically, mentally and socially. But what is it, exactly, that makes us like to dance? Beyond the tangible physical, mental and social benefits, why does the movement and the expression of dance give us such pleasure? Now, here at Fred Astaire Dance Studios, we’d probably say we like...
What Does a First Dance Lesson Look Like?
As a professional Ballroom Dance Instructor, I see people of all ages and abilities that come to me for dance lessons. The one thing they all have in common is their first lesson. Everyone comes in for a first dance lesson and everyone has some sort of nerves associated with the first lesson. I get...
The History of the Foxtrot
When we discuss the basics of ballroom dancing, we often fall back on two of its staple styles – the foxtrot and the waltz. Today we are going to take a closer look at the foxtrot – a smooth, progressive dance characterized by its slow step, and long, sinuous movements. Named for its creator, vaudeville...
6 Reasons Everyone (including YOU) Should Compete in Ballroom Dancing
6 Reasons Everyone (including YOU) Should Compete in Ballroom Dancing Not many people start out Ballroom Dancing because they want to be competitive dancers. Most people start out seeing someone having a blast on the dance floor and begin to get inspired to learn themselves. Most folks want to learn to look comfortable and confident...
Why Your Sons and Daughters Should Be Ballroom Dancing
There are so many amazing benefits to learning a skill like ballroom dancing! There’s no doubt that we all admire the folks who get up on the dance floor first. So why is it that some of us shy away from ever taking the leap and getting into some dance lessons? Even more so why...
Pay Attention Fellas! Here’s The Reason Women Love Men That Can Dance
It’s no secret that chicks dig guys that can dance. So why is it that some men avoid the dance floor like the plague? Also, what is with the obsession with dancing in the first place? Couldn’t they pick something easier like fishing or watching football? That’s masculine enough isn’t it? Well, interestingly enough the...
Do You Know Your Learning Style?
Identify your individual learning style and see how easy it can be to learn something new like Ballroom or Latin dancing. Have you ever tried to learn something fairly simple, yet failed to grasp the key ideas? Or tried to teach people and found that some were overwhelmed or confused by something quite basic?...
7 Tips for The Best Wedding Dance Ever!
As a dance professional I see wedding couples and help them to put their first dance together on the reg. More often than not couples don’t have a clear idea of what they are looking for in a first dance or the words to use to communicate it. In my experience, I’ve learned the questions...
5 Exercises to Improve Your Dancing and Get in Shape
#1 Planks Using your core is key for all types of movement and core strength will help your balance as well. Get into pushup position on the floor. Now bend your elbows 90 degrees and rest your weight on your forearms. Your elbows should be directly beneath your shoulders, and your body should form a...
Dance Floor Etiquette
From Beginners to Advanced I have seen many great ballroom dancers on the floor. In my opinion what makes a good dancer is not how fancy your moves are but how well you understand dance floor etiquette. There are some basic, but not always spoken common practices when it comes to Ballroom Dancing. 1. Woman...
6 Important Life Skills I’ve Learned Ballroom Dancing
Hard work and Dedication. To be truly and completely dedicated to something takes determination. Pig headed, horse blinders type dedication. I have learned over the course of my years ballroom dancing that success in life or dancing takes just that. Those willing to put in the effort will reap the reward. Steve Jobs didn’t become...
8 Weird Things Your Dance Teacher Says
By Nichelle Suzanne September 1, 2015 12:11 PM SHARE FacebookGoogle+TwitterEmail Dance teachers say and do some crazy things (like tell you a few little white lies!), but even their strangest sayings are meant to help you become a better dancer. From using oxymorons to requests that seem impossible (“close your ribs” sound familiar?!), here are eight odd things you...