Dance Advice for Humans

5 Advantages to Learning How to Dance On Your Own

Written by Chris Lynam | Mar 7, 2017 2:23:00 PM

The 5 Advantages of Learning How to Dance On Your Own

There are times where patience is a virtue, and times when you've got to keep on truckin.  Whether you have been waiting for someone to learn with you, or you're just looking for your entry point into this fun and healthy hobby - it's time to make things abundantly clear. 

Learning to dance on your own has some great advantages.   Here are 5.  

1.  Your Own Pace

Imagine if you, and your entire office, hired one personal trainer.  As noble as it may seem to get you and your colleagues in shape, you'd be stuck working towards an average goal, instead of a specific one.  

Advantage:  Learning on your own allows you to work on your dance journey at a pace that is specific to you and your learning style.  

2.  Your Own Role

In social dancing, you are either focusing on being a Leader or a Follower.  Much like Offense and Defense in football, each role has its own, specific skills to make it work.  Adding another person/role to the lesson splits the focus on developing that role.  

Advantage:  Learning on your own allows you to focus in on your specific role in social dancing.

3.  Personal Hobby

Social Dancing can be enjoyed as a hobby, with or without a partner.  In some cases, there are those with spouses who don't like the idea of dancing, and may never will, but have plenty of hobbies of their own.  A hobby doesn't always have to be a shared activity, just like a favorite style of movie, or food.  It can be a personal preference, and should be something that is fulfilling.  

Advantage:  Hobbies don't have to be shared activities.  

4.  Exercise

The most physically active types of lessons are those where the teacher is dancing and teaching the student one on one.  There are fewer stops in the action, and the professional will ensure that the student is always pushing past their dancing, and fitness, comfort zone.  

Advantage:  Learning one on one delivers the best possible fitness results with dancing.

5.  Motivation

Let's say you are interested in learning, but your spouse isn't.   Nothing, and we mean nothing, will motivate a resistant spouse to dance more than if their other half starts taking lessons.  It's the ultimate way to call their bluff, to show them that it isn't just some whimsical idea, and that you're perfectly willing to go it alone if necessary.   

Advantage:  Starting on your own may be the best way to motivate a hesitant, and potential, dance partner.  

Final Thought

Ballroom Dancing can go by different names - social dancing, touch dancing, or dancesport - but the name that can throw many people off is "partner dancing".  

It's easy to assume that this requires someone to have a partner to begin dance lessons, and that couldn't be further from the truth.  

Athletes begin to learn their skill before they are ever on a team.

Most singers begin singing far before they join a band.

So why should dancing be any different?  A great dancer will learn how to dance, and then choose to have a dance partner.  No partner, no problem.  Your hobby is waiting for you, and you've waited long enough.  

Ready to make your move?  Try a free consultation, learn some basics, and see why Arthur Murray has been teaching people to dance since 1912.