Maybe you've seen too many opportunities pass you up, or you have decided to do something fun and spontaneous, well learning to dance in 2018 is a great idea.
But like so many other great ideas in the New Year, without action, it will be on next year's resolution list.
So here's how you, yes you, can take action to learn social dancing in 2018.
This might seem obvious, but that doesn't mean it isn't painless. There is a lot of online window shopping when it comes to signing up for a free dance lesson. Here are some frequently asked internal questions and comments your mind may be having.
So, let's address these.
Everyone that starts any hobby begins as a beginner. In fact, Arthur Murray Dance Studios have been teaching beginners for over 100 years, the company was founded by a guy who started out as a beginner, understood what that felt like, and created a program, and culture, to support future beginners.
Because this is an experience, and anything pro-Arthur Murray we write may just sound like self promoting marketing babble, we offer a free lesson. The goal is to give the prospective student a chance to see that they can learn, see how our teachers teach, and then make an informed decision. Programs after that do cost money, but you probably knew that already.
Maybe you've sent the form already, or perhaps you're still mulling it over, either way, make sure that you use an email address that you're likely to check, and it doesn't hurt to put a phone number there as a backup.
If you've sent your form already, check your spam folder just in case your email service provider robots consider the idea of you + dance lessons as a red flag.
You've submitted the form, congratulations. Someone from Arthur Murray should be in touch with you within one business day. Now it's time to shorten the window.
Meaning - a lot can happen to your inner motivational voice between now and your scheduled free lesson. In fact, our studies have shown that if you wait longer than 10 days for an appointment, you're more likely to miss it, postpone it, or cancel it altogether.
Resolution fail.
So get creative with your schedule, and try to take that first lesson within the next 72 hours. You may want to consider:
The sooner you come in, the less likely doubt will take over.
So you've set up your appointment, and have officially made contact with a member of the Arthur Murray team, congratulations! Now comes the tricky part... you've got to get out of your car.
Have work with you? Still finishing that sandwich? Wrapping up a conference call?
Bring it all inside.
Why?
Because the vehicle that brought you to your lesson could also be a getaway car from an activity that is clearly outside of your comfort zone. The sooner you get out of the car and into the studio, the less likely you'll take that getaway option.
Author's Note: This one is near and dear to my heart. Read how I used my getaway car on my first Arthur Murray interview.
You're out of your car... and reading this article. Awesome! Let's get you inside.
Your target is the front desk. In some studios that will probably mean you'll be walking across a pit of hot coals, cobras, and legos your kids have left on the floor.
Actually, it's a beautiful hardwood floor, but because it is used for dancing... we treat it like the aforementioned description.
Don't.
You can walk, skip, jog, or dance on it. You can wear sneakers, brogues, pumps, heels, or boots on it too. Just find the desk and don't look down. Eventually, you'll see it as your dance floor, but it's understandable if it feels a little different now.
A friendly administrative face will be your lighthouse at the front desk. Get there.
You made it. The Admin has handed you a clipboard, offered you some coffee, tea, or water, and a comfy seat while you're waiting. The page you see is actually the chart your New Student Specialist will be using.
In fact, if you continue dancing, and five years from now you're looking in your dance binder, this same piece of paper will be in it. Pretty cool right?
The bottom half of the page will be how the Specialist keeps track of their notes, and the back of it will have a quick rundown of what you'll be learning on the beginner's program if you choose to continue.
Go ahead, take a peek.
There are probably one or two people that look eager to meet you right now. This may seem odd in a business environment, but don't fight it, don't question it... this is just the product of people who love what they do, and are great at customer service.
The two people you're most likely meeting are the New Student Counselor and the New Student Specialist (aka Your Teacher).
Think of your Teacher as your trainer, and the Counselor as your coach.
This pair of professionals have successfully helped countless potential students, just like yourself, become great social dancers. So your feet are in good hands.
Note: Your teacher will ask you some questions to get a better idea of what your goals are for dancing. If you don't have any, no problem. As a teacher, they will help give you some ideas on the benefits of learning to dance, and how they might fit your lifestyle.
So, this is going to sound a little crazy, but this is the part where you will be dancing. In fact, you'll be dancing within the first five minutes of stepping foot on the dance floor.
Crazy.
But all the years of "I've got two left feet", "born with zero rhythm", and general disbelief will subside after a few minutes of the fun, quick, and easy teaching methods at Arthur Murray.
Truth: Anything your teachers suggests is something that they can help you do. No question. Like a singer, bartender, or babysitter - there's nothing to gain by suggesting something they are incapable of doing.
So go with it.
This is all new territory. You're doing great. So if they say, "and now let's try the...", and what follows is a dance you have never heard of, or something you never thought you'd do, go with it. The worst thing that will happen is you will become a better dancer.
Can you believe it? The time of your first lesson flew by, and now it's time for your Teacher to recommend the best next step for you.
Can you imagine making this decision without this appointment?
They will suggest a beginning dance program that fits your goals. You've made some brave choices to get to this point. In fact, Kathryn Murray (Arthur's wife) once said, "the hardest step you'll ever take is the first one through the door."
So paying for dance lessons may be another brave moment, but it's not nearly as brave a move as that first initial step.
Go for it.
You've started your new student program, and you're now on the fast track to achieving this important social dancing goal.
The New Student Counselor will help arrange your schedule, and judging from what you've already learned in this article, you may already know what the suggestion will be.
No more than 72 hours if possible.
In fact, why not ask if your teacher is available now for the first lesson on your new program? Why not? Things are different now. You're not the kind of person that takes goals casually any more... and that dance floor looks a whole lot more inviting now that you've spent some time on it.
Any new pursuit has to survive a gauntlet of challenges. If you think about it, there's an internal battle between the things you're already accomplished in, going up against something new like dance lessons.
It's easy for the status quo to take over, win, and kill off new ambitions before they can ever take hold.
Hopefully, this article, and the rest of the articles on our site can help even the odds for this new hobby. Here at Arthur Murray Live, our goal is to give your journey outside the comfort zone as much protection as possible, so learning to dance can have a seat at your table of accomplishments.
Ready to get started? Here's that form we mentioned
If you enjoyed this article, let us know by becoming an Arthur Murray Live subscriber! You'll get instant access to premium content, and one email, once a week, with all of our best articles.Image credit: Shall We Dance/Miramax