Good to know

What to wear, what to bring?
How long will it take? :: Practice :: Change partners!
When to take private lessons :: Location

What to wear, what to bring?

You can wear practically anything that is not too tight or too warm. We strongly suggest that the gentlemen bring a second set of shirts (especially if you tend to sweat much). Ladies should avoid pants that touch the ground and skirts that are too tight. Clothes made of thick or synthetic materials are very unhealthy for dancing. Please bring separate shoes for dancing. Make sure, that the shoe you dance in has a hard, non-ribbed sole. Shoes with a soft rubber sole or with a deeper sole pattern will stick to the floor therefore you will not be able to dance freely and it may seriously injure your joints. It is the best to use shoes with leather or hard and smooth plastic soles. Ladies should not wear stilettos unless they wear such a shoe every day. Elongated shoes (longer than your foot) should be avoided, your partner will most likely trip on it each step and will ruin the shoe as well. You may also wear general purpose dance sneakers (such as the ones made by Sansha, Capezio, Bloch et al.). We strongly suggest that the gentleman avoid fashion shoes with angular or thick lower rim. Avoid trainers. If you tend to sweat a lot, definitely bring a towel and extra deodorant. Gentlemen, if you are arriving directly from work consider showering prior to the class (available at the studio, you need to bring your own toiletries though).



How long will it take?

Every dance is different. Salsa is easy and fun to learn, you will find it easy to use what you've learnt only after a month. Ballroom dances are also easy to learn, after a few lessons you'll know the basics of several dances, however it will take a few months to learn more than just the basic step. Argentine tango is a complex dance, although not so hard to learn as many people think (it is based on simple everyday walking - so it is literally a walk in the park), nevertheless it will take at least three months to put together the basics in a relaxed way. Dancing is very similar to learning a language, which means there is no way to learn it "completely", only get better and better in it. Generally, after 3 months you will be considered to be "more than" compared to when you walked in, after a year you won't be a beginner anymore and it will take at least 3 to 5 years to be an advanced dancer. Of course if you put a lot of effort in it (this mainly means a lot of practice), you can progress several times faster.

Maybe except yourself (especially if you have corporate background...) nobody will expect you to be a Fred Astaire, so you should not do that either. Do not forget: the only thing you have to do to progress is to dance as often as possible.


Practice

During our courses we give you time for repetition and practice, but that doesn't replace individual practice. Obviously, you can try to learn without practice, but to what avail? Learning dancing - just like learning any movement - mainly dependent on the number of repetitions. Ten times, a hundres times, a thousand times. Many people aren't aware of the fact, that these dances can be danced in clubs - here in Hungary too. Our goal is to teach hobby dancers to manage well in these places, and love dancing for enjoyment's sake.


Change partners!

Many people from Western societies don't like it. These people are usually the first to give up dancing, because "changing partners doesn't work for them". As you will see learning how to dance is only a very little part actual learning of movement, and mostly it is psychology. Many people make dancing a "proof of attachment" to the partner they choose, especially if they are married or going out together. This appears right, but it is definitely not working. Changing partners is an essential pedagogical tool, which makes you aware of your own errors and helps you to understand the imperfections of the partner (which is unavoidable and is an integral part of couple dances!). Couples used to one another learn to compensate each other's errors to an extent where it is not possible to tell who made an error - and therefore the teacher will not be able to help in a group setting -, not to mention that these couples are also adept at the art of nagging each other to death.

Private lessons

There are people who want to learn their first steps at private lessons. This is most definitely not recommended. The group setting will help you through a lot of problems without tripping on any emotional triggers a one-on-one setting (whether with the teacher or with your partner) will almost invariably touch. Nevertheless, if you missed a lesson or you are already at a higher level, or if you are truly commited to learning dancing and you'd like to progress a lot faster than the average, private lessons are available on request. If you'd like to do a non-partner dance such as pilates or ballet, it may be more effective and easier to schedule than group lessons. For prices please check the pricelist.