DANCE LESSONS SAN DIEGO

"Selecting a dance studio in San Diego."

         In recent years, televised dancing on “Dancing with the Stars” and other television shows has popularized the world of ballroom dancing, aka, social partner dancing. This has led to a dramatic increase in interest for dancing and dance lessons. While TV shows portray the glamour and glitz of Hollywood stars and Dancesport, there are many people who would like to add dancing to their lives without having to do Olympic type training.

In 1997, the International Olympic Committee recognized the International DanceSport Federation as the sole body for dancesport. However, it has not been included in the Olympics to date. It is important to establish which arena of dance you are interested in before taking your first dance lesson in San Diego.

There are three arenas of dance lessons: social dance lessons, performance dance lessons or competition dance lessons, aka, dancesport. So first make a decision as to why you want to learn to dance. Social dancing is a good way to socialize, exercise and meet new friends. Some people prefer sports and the challege of dancesport, other prefer a more artistic endeavor as can be found in performance dancing. An important distinction to learn early is that dancesport is not social dancing. When you watch dancesport, remember it is NOT social dancing, it is a competitive sport.

Here are some tips for selecting a quality dance studio and/or dance instructor for social partner dance lessons in San Diego. There are several types of dance lessons including: private (individual) dance lessons, group class dance lessons, semi-private dance lessons, workshop dance lessons and warm up dance lessons (workshops) at dance parties.

There are several dance genres including American style rhythm and smooth dance, Nightclub dancing, International style Latin and standard dancing, Country Western dancing and even Cajun or Blues dancing.

American style dancing is done socially, competitively and for performances. It includes two divisions: rhythm and smooth dancing. The rhythm dances are rumba, cha cha, mambo, bolero, East Coast swing, samba and West Coast swing. These are the classifications used at competitions and by some dance organization. I like to separate the swing dances into their own category including Lindy hop, shag, West and East Coast swing and jive. The American style smooth dances include: foxtrot, waltz, tango and Viennese waltz.

The Nightclub dances include the Hustle and NightClub Two Step but other Latin and swinng dances are often included like salsa, bachata, merengue and the East Coast swing, West Coast swing, Lindy hop, Carolina shag, St. Louis shag and balboa. Argentine tango dancing is often included in the Nightclub dance category.

The International style dance lessons in San Diego are divided into two categories. Latin dance includes the rumba, cha cha, samba, jive and paso doble. The standard dances include the waltz, foxtrot, tango, quickstep and Viennese waltz.

Cajun dance lessons in San Diego include Cajun waltz, jig and zydeco.

After you have decided what type of dancing you are interested in, it is important to look for the right type of dance studio and/or professional dance instructor. The various dance studios in San Diego specialize in different areas of dance.

Some of the dance studios feature mostly dancesport with an emphasis on International Latin and standard dance lessons. There are a few San Diego dance studios and/or dance instructors that specialize in performance dancing with dance lessons, dance workshops and rehearsals geared toward a particular performance. A few dance studios in San Diego specialize in social dance lessons featuring American style rhythm and smooth dance lessons, nightclub dance lessons, swing dance lessons and country western dance lessons.

Once you have determined the right dance genre for yourself then it’s time to check out the dance lessons offered at the San Diego dance studios. The local dance studios are spread out across the county so you can find a dance studio in La Mesa, North County Inland and Coastal plus in the heart of San Diego including Kearny Mesa, Hillcrest and Baypark.

I recommend you choose a storefront dance studio and not a room in an apartment, converted garage or someone’s living room.  Check out the dance studio’s on the web, look at their websites and their online presence including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.  Look for a dance studio with a longstanding good reputation, ask your family, friends and co-workers for a recommendation. Some dance studios crop up when lease prices are low and vanish in a short period time. 

Go and check out the dance facility, do they have a floating hardwood floor that  provides the appropriate comfort for your feet and legs. Is there a professional sound system, good acoustics, a comfortable large space, a courteous office staff, greeters, adequate lighting and parking, reasonable fees, a professional dance staff, and are the policies fair and clear. Most independent dance studios do not use contracts for private or group class dance lessons. Remember to ask the studio their refund policy.

Here are some tips on selecting a professional dance instructor in San Diego. Check their website or ask for a resume or bio. Find out if they are associated with a professional association or dance studio. Ask them what they specialize in, for example, American or International dancing, social or competitive dance lessons, etc. 

Also, inquire where they learned to teach dancing and if they teach social dancing. Find out if they offer dance classes, individual lessons and semi-private lessons and how long they have been teaching including how many hours per week on average they teach dance. It is important to know if they have been trained to teach or are competitors turned teacher.

Many dance instructors teach part time, find out if they teach full-time or part time and who taught them to teach. Check out their dance classes, workshops and dance students. For social dance instruction, it is important to know if they teach lead/follow techniques rather than fancy dance sequences for dance couples or dance competitors.

It is important to determine if they use current teaching methods like conceptual learning and kinesiology or do they still use a rote dance pattern learning system.  Make sure to find out if their emphasis is dancesport or social dance, American or International style dance lessons. Can you find them in San Diego advertisements like Yellowpages.com, online newspapers, Google or PPC ads and do they offer online discounts.

Check to see if they have taught at the colleges and Universities, on the faculty in the dance and music departments or in the recreation departments or ballroom dance clubs. Find out if they have taught in the schools, community centers or private colleges.

        One of the important questions to ask, is do they continue to train and update their knowledge of dance instruction to stay current. Where or with what organizations do they continue to improve their dance teaching, revise their methods and update their dancing and dance teaching. 
        Most importantly, learning to dance should be a pleasurable experience that contributes to your fun, fitness and friendships. Find a dance community that fits your needs. Keep looking until you find the right fit for you. Live long and dance!

More info about dance at: https://www.dancetime.com/

About the Author

Pattie Wells hails from San Diego, California where she writes article and video blogs for her world dance resource website at DanceTime.com. Also, Pattie is working on several writing projects including her new website at PattieWells.com, a novel in linked stories and a poetry manuscript titled Fire In Rain.  In addition, she continues to teach a limited number of private dance lessons in San Diego including dance lessons for weddings.