Question:
Hey Aleks,
I’m going to my first Latin social, what are some tips you can give me?
Answer:
Hey Gang!
I have three pieces of advice to make your dance experience great!
- Do not sit down!
Don’t watch other people dance. Pay your fee, put your stuff down quickly and don’t sit down. Go ask someone to dance. Whether you are a leader or a follower, ask someone to dance. When I went to my first social, at this school, at Toronto Dance Salsa I made a mistake. I sat down and watched. All that happened is I got stuck in that seat and became more and more nervous. Dance is about energy and movement. If you are sitting down, you’re not moving. Plus it is difficult for others to notice you and ask you to dance when you are sitting down. I know I am always looking for the person who is engaged, who is moving, who is smiling. So please get moving and ask someone to dance. Also a shout out to followers – don’t wait for a leader to ask you to dance. I love it when a follower asks me to dance. It is such a big compliment! Being wanted is always great. So please don’t be embarrassed and ask someone to dance.
- Get some dance shoes.
You don’t need anything expensive but it will be easier on your body. When you are wearing shoes with a thick rubber sole you have too much friction and after an hour or two or three of dancing, your knees start to hurt, your ankles start to hurt, your hips start to hurt. You just need something basic that makes it easier to spin on smooth surfaces.
- Don’t fall into the comparison game.
It is a mistake I made a lot. I would go to socials and see leaders and followers moving in a way that I couldn’t yet. I just felt bad about myself. All I saw was a gap. Instead of comparing yourself to others, at the end of the night ask yourself; “Did I get 1% better? Did I get 1% smoother? Did I make one person smile?” Measure yourself against where you were an hour ago, a day ago. It is a much healthier way of looking at it and I’m telling you it will prevent a lot of heartache.
Thank you so much for reading this blog.There are so many more tips that I want to share with you! If you have a question, please message me on Instagram (torontodancesalsa), on Twitter (#torontodancesalsa), on Facebook (Toronto Dance Salsa) or email me at [email protected]. I am happy to share my 12 plus years of dance experience with you.