We're not talking about the next black friday sale, or creative excuses to have as many four day weekends before the end of the year. We're talking business, serious business. Professional business.
Holiday Parties.
With dance lessons your reputation can dramatically change for the better, but a couple of bad moves and you're out of the game.
Live band, Black Tie, and Spiked Egg Nog combine with your Boss, his Boss, and your co-workers.
The Instant Fail: Going heavy on the alcohol, anything involving excessive drinking and a copy machine, or any attempt at breakdancing.
Skip the egg nog, even if it isn't spiked.
Next, dance a Foxtrot with some of your co-workers. It's easy, conversational, and classy. Most Holiday music fits the big band/jazzy genre so it will work like a charm.
Next, shift into Swing to liven things up. This might give you a chance to teach the basic to some other co-workers.
If things speed up tempo-wise, it's not a bad idea to switch to some Merengue or Hustle. This covers anything the band might play to liven up the party. This is also a great opportunity to start a conga line, ask a co-worker or high level executive for a dance, and you'll have enough of a dance floor resume to have your invitation to be something any sane person should consider.
Pitching your next big product idea or accepting rides in the company limousine are completely up to you and should not be considered part of your to-do list of objectives, but instead, nice perks of a great night should it end up that way.
When Your Friends, Family, or Neighbors combine with your Bluetooth Speaker
The Instant Fail: You log more minutes cleaning, cooking, and watching bad Holiday specials that you fall into a long winter's nap.
You assemble a top notch Holiday playlist for dancers - like this one. Then, whether it's after appetizers or before dessert, you get things started with a Foxtrot. This is a great dance if you have a good sized living room or it's not too cold on your patio.
It's always a great gesture to ask the person with the most life experience to dance first - maybe the matriarch or patriarch of the family.
Next, a little Rumba can get people moving (and doesn't require a lot of space). Change up the tempo with something upbeat everyone can Swing to - like "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" or "Run, Run Rudolph".
Even if it's just a few dances in between good food and great conversation can make for a wonderful memory for years.
When co-workers, friends, or your significant other come together in an event reminiscent of your prom.
The Instant Fail:
An evening of "meh". Whether it's a dull night at an actual New Year's Eve party or an evening on the couch, it's hard to deliver a New Year's Eve celebration if you're not in the celebrating mood.
Dance Lessons for the Win:
Whether it's a local hotel or nightclub, find a venue that provides a live band with a decent sized dance floor. Get your tickets in advance - there's nothing worse than having the right idea but failing to secure your spot at the right time.
On that note, spring for valet parking and consider staying as near to the venue as possible to eliminate the worry of parking or driving home.
Make sure you have at least a few different dances for each tempo to keep things interesting:
Slow: Waltz, Bachata, or Rumba
Medium: Foxtrot, Swing, Cha-Cha
Fast: Salsa, Hustle, Merengue
For more specialized tempos or genres, you may want to have a few of these in your back pocket:
Tango, Nightclub 2 Step, West Coast Swing, Country 2 Step
Finally, to ensure that you have a long evening of dancing, go heavy on the water, light on the hard alcohol, and consistent on the dance floor to make this New Year's party one for the ages.
Getting started with Arthur Murray may take a little courage, but what doesn't kill you, and anything worth doing, blah, blah, blah. Actually, for most non-dancing humans - you just need the right reason:
You've got an office party, you want to make an impression = Ballroom dance lessons are an unlikely investment in your career.
Sitting around and listening to family complain over the holidays can be stressful = Ballroom dance lessons gives you a skill that can get everyone moving. When they're moving they are happy and get tired faster.
We sometimes stay resigned to working late, or binge-watching depressing TV shows because that seems like our only option = Ballroom dance lessons gives you more social opportunities.
Now you've got an event (or three), you've got a great reason, and now you just need to take the next step:
SCHEDULE A TEST DRIVE OF OUR DANCE PROGRAM
(It's free, normal people do it, and the worst thing that will happen is you'll dance better)