How To Partner Dance Socially

Discover the incredible world of social partner dancing. Complete beginners welcome. Learn in your living room or on an enormous dance floor. This is the second edition of a book previously called the Partner Dance Handbook. It teaches a “social” style of dancing common on dance floors around the world. This is different from the “formal” style seen in shows and on television. This social style is easier to learn for beginners, is arguably more musical and interpretative and can offer variations if you are already a formal dancer. Note that most other books and videos teach the formal style. The author’s experience is that at social dances this social style is far more common; obviously though this can vary from place to place. The author, Dr Duncan James, has taught thousands of people to dance in person at his classes and thousands more to dance via his YouTube channel. You can learn with Duncan for free on YouTube with his 44 free instructional videos. However, the videos and this book were created at the same time to work together; getting this book will give you a richer learning experience. Note that this book has no illustrations as it relies on the videos which are linked for free from the text. The particular benefit of this book is that it goes into much greater depth, appropriate for keener students. This book and the videos are designed to work even if you only have a small space available for dancing. How to Partner Dance Socially will guide you from complete beginner all the way to popular social dancer in the ballroom dances of foxtrot, quickstep and waltz and the latin dances of rumba, salsa and cha cha. A unique, practical approach means you will quickly learn to navigate a crowded dance floor, feel the music, improvise and enjoy dancing with your partner. A couple who have never danced before can realistically join a social dance (and not look out of place) after only an hour of practice with one of the complete beginner lessons. Advanced dancers can use some of the simple social moves as variations, work on the connection with their partner, learn to recycle moves between dances and discover ways to improvise to the music. If you are a teacher this book has detailed teaching advice and lesson plans. Remember this book is teaching a “social” style of dancing and not the “formal” style. The 44 companion videos can be watched on YouTube for free (via links in the text) or downloaded for free as a zip file (a link to this is also included in the text; the download is provided by the author and is limited by his internet host to a certain number of downloads every month). Buy How to Partner Dance Socially now to join in the fun on the dance floor!

Never feel bored, lonely, or out of shape again... Just say "YES" to social dance! Although the pandemic is not a good time to go out social dancing, it can be a great time to learn about it. ARE YOU and longing for a fun-filled and challenging activity to improve your health and social life? who just started taking couple dance classes and is feeling a little overwhelmed? who grabs every opportunity to learn more about your passion? eager to shift your mindset and enjoy the social aspect of partner dancing? who loves bringing joy to others through music and dance? If you answered "YES" to any one of these questions, then this book has been written Just For You! THIS INSPIRING BOOK WILL HELP YOU - Understand the essence & values of social partner dancing. - Learn about the benefits that this expressive and therapeutic art form has on your body, mind, and spirit. - Discover the origin and historical evolution of social dance. - Explore the world of salsa, bachata, kizomba, zouk, forro, tango, swing & ballroom. - Compare over 35 of the most popular partner dance styles and related music genres in the 21st century.. - Find the best partner dances for you depending on your physical needs and personal preferences. - Challenge common mainstream beliefs about social partner dance. - Get rid of any doubts, fears, concerns, misconceptions, or taboos, and just dance! THE BOOK INCLUDES ✓ A Mini Encyclopedia - covering five salsa styles, four bachata styles, five kizomba styles, four zouk styles, two forro styles, four tango styles, nine swing styles, various ballroom dancing categories, and more; as well as a timeline showing the history of social dance from the 16th to the 20th century with references to over 40 social dances. ✓ A Structured Framework - including eight comparison indicators (such as flexibility, proximity, sensuality) for selecting the most suitable partner dance styles for you. ✓ Inspiring Stories - addressing issues such as, "I need a dance partner," "I don't know how to dance," "I'm not beautiful enough to be a dancer," "Nobody will want to dance with me," "I'm too old now," "Dancing is not a manly thing," "My colleagues will laugh at me," "It's only for people looking to flirt and grind," "My boyfriend will be jealous!" ✓ Great Tips - for overcoming 15 self-limiting beliefs that will give you the motivation and encouragement you need to social dance and make the most of your experience. ✓ A 30-Day Challenge - to help you start or improve your experience as you take the next step on your social dance journey. "Yes To Social Dance" comes with a FREE set of video compilations to help you visualize the styles described! This book summarizes first-hand experience and research that can save you a lot of time and energy. Don' wait. Read the book and boost your knowledge today!

Social Partner Dance: Body, Sound, and Space is an ethnographic theory of social partner dancing built on participant observation and interviews with instructors of tango, lindy hop, salsa, blues, and various other forms. The work establishes a general analytical language for the study of these dances, based on the premise that a thorough understanding of any lead/follow form must consider in depth how it manages the four-part relationship between self, partner, music, and surroundings. Each chapter begins with a brief vignette on a distinct dance form and explores the focused worlds of partnered dancing done for the joy and entertainment of the dancers themselves. Grounded intellectually in embodiment studies and sensory ethnography, and empirically in ethnographic fieldwork, Social Partner Dance promotes scholarship that understands the social, cultural, and political functions of partner dance through its embodied practice.

A step-by-step guide to learning five different social dances including the swing, cha-cha, fox-trot, waltz, and polka, with illustrations that show proper technique, suggestions for detecting and correcting errors, practice drills, and checklists for evaluating progress; includes a music CD.

The Solution to Your Biggest Problem in Social Dancing "I just wanted to thank you again for your class tonight. You always get me to dance my best. You have built a simple, logical, understandable system, demonstrably superior to anything that this dancing mouse has seen." ~ Erin King, social dancer This book solves the biggest problem in social dancing. The problem is how to communicate unambiguously. Dance teachers have an enormous wealth of knowledge. However, when explaining how to communicate, they are surprisingly vague. This vagueness is not the fault of dance teachers. Until now, there was no clearly defined method for communicating. This is the most important advance since men and women started dancing together. Be the Smartest Dancer in Your Group "I have been a huge fan of your method. Thanks so much for early access several years ago." ~ Paul Hughes, ballroom dance instructor Learn the language for partner dancing. This book explains how to communicate every step in every social dance following the three laws of balance, connection, and direction. The method is so simple that the main rules fit on a single sheet of paper which you can learn in an afternoon. You learn to communicate as effortlessly in dancing as you do in speaking. For the first time, you have a clearly defined language so you know what to do without confusion. You only need to learn how to communicate once. You apply the same principles with every person in every dance. You understand more. You learn faster. Your dancing is easier. Learn To Dance Gently "We went somewhere else first, but they just tried to teach us a routine. We like what you are doing so much better. You are teaching us how to dance." ~ Tabitha and Don, new dancers You learn how to dance without the use of force. You learn to dance without pushing and pulling. You learn to dance without the use of tension and pressure. The benefits are transformative. You learn to dance safely. You learn to dance naturally. You learn to dance as one with your partner with more freedom to express yourself. You learn to dance as light as a feather.

The Partner Dance Handbook will guide you from complete beginner all the way to popular social dancer in the ballroom dances of foxtrot, quickstep and waltz and the latin dances of rumba, salsa and cha cha. A unique, practical approach means you can quickly learn how to navigate a crowded dance floor, interpret the music with a variety of moves, improvise and enjoy dancing with your partner. Content is included for all levels of dancer. A couple who have never danced before can realistically join a social dance with a few simple options that look authentic with only an hour of practice using one of the complete beginner lessons. Advanced dancers can work on the connection with their partner, recycle moves between dances and improvise to the music better. If you are a teacher this book has detailed teaching advice and lesson plans. A companion set of nearly 50 video lessons correspond to the lesson-style chapters of this book. The videos show you what the moves look like meaning this book can focus on giving detailed learning advice. Each chapter has a clear link to its video on YouTube. Additionally, a download link to a zip file of all the videos is included; This download is provided by the author and is limited by his internet host to a certain number every month and may not work if that limit has been reached. There are also chapters covering effective learning techniques, teaching skills, lead-follow techniques and other ways to accelarate and optimise how you learn or teach dance. The author, Dr Duncan James, has taught dance on average twice a week for over two decades. From his third class he began recording his experiences to compile extensive written notes about the questions students asked him, the different ways people learn and which methods were the most effective. These notes are the basis of this book with an additional two years spent working with volunteers to do final testing to make this book and the companion videos effective for independent learning. Duncan trained as a scientist and whilst learning from other teachers he also experimented with new ideas to find the best ways to teach. This means many of the learning techniques in this book are unique and were developed to be as simple as possible and yet still produce authentic ballroom and latin dancing. Buy the Partner Dance Handbook now to join in the fun on the dance floor!

Tea dance or Strictly? Your guide to successful partner dancing. - Learn how to be ready for social dances or more formal dances and classes. - Learn faster through clear diagrams and explanations. - Uncover secrets of each dance. - Social etiquette for success with a partner. This book is for beginners and experienced dancers. What you will find inside: - Quick wins to enhance your style and fluency. - Guidance on simple steps and timing that will polish your technique. - Easy to follow illustrations and travel directions for each dance move. - How to improve your visibility and confidence on the dance floor. - Considerations when looking for a dance partner such as learning styles. My book aims to be the key that unlocks your understanding and potential so you can get the most out of dance classes, private lessons, social dances and online presentations. Other books concentrate on the technical side of dancing. Whereas my book emphasises the pattern/spirit in easy-to-remember key steps.