Do you feel like learning to dance and don't have time to attend an academy to take dance classes, or are you ashamed to go to dance classes because you don't have a partner or for whatever reason, or maybe you want to learn with an artist you love but live far from home?
If one of these three things happens to you, you should know that you can learn to dance at home, doing online dance classes. But not everything that glitters is gold and it is convenient to follow a few guidelines to get the most out of it.
If you've considered learning to dance at home through online dancing classes, the first step is to choose the dance that sparks your passion, which you feel like dancing. This aspect is very important, so that you have the motivation you will need to dance on your own.
If the type of dance you choose seems very difficult, do not despair, little by little you will take the necessary steps. If there are many dances that you are passionate about, you should choose the one that you think is most accessible for your dancing courses, to learn to dance online.
Previous research to choose your online dance classes
You have to spend some time researching the type of dance you have chosen.
On the Internet you will get a lot of information. You can compare dance videos from professionals who seduce you, salsa videos and get samples of dance teachers who can teach you the dance in question online.
Your prospection can be continued by reading everything related to the history and evolution of the type of dance you have chosen, with books and articles included.
Or, if you know friends or family members who know how to dance that dance, it's best to talk to them, ask them for advice and ask them how they learned to dance.
Instructional material, online dance courses
With good instructional material you can learn to dance any kind of dance.
There are also books, tutorials, DVDs, etc. But the best thing to learn at home are online dance classes and lots of practice.
A lesson for each week is ideal, starting with the basics and going through each week the previous week. There are many options: salsa lessons online, bachata lessons online... etc.
Some tips for learning to dance at home
The first thing you should know is that freedom of schedule can lead to lack of discipline. You must be persistent in your commitment, dedicate one hour to each class, at least twice a week.
Although the ideal thing to learn to dance or learn any other activity is to do a little bit each day.
The space where you will dance at home will be the one that gives you comfort, where you can follow the video or screen of your computer, and that nobody interrupts you.
As for the space floor, don't use very hard floors. If you have a hardwood floor, it's ideal. You can always cover a hard floor with some specific material.
Dancing clothes must also be comfortable. In some cases, such as the assumption that you are going to dance flamenco, requires good shoes and a skirt if you are a woman.
Another way to motivate you is to listen to music of the genre you have chosen, in your everyday life, outside of your dance classes. You can also attend live shows or presentations, which will inspire you and help you find models to follow.
Now let's go deeper into the pros and cons of doing online dance classes.
Pros and cons of taking dance lessons online
Advantages of doing dance lessons online
Flexibility in schedules
You will be free to choose the schedule that best suits you. The online dance classes will give you the flexibility you need or prefer to complete what you have learned at any time, according to your pace.
No geographical limits
The distance will not be an obstacle for your online dance classes.
You will be able to choose the academy or online teachers you prefer, wherever you are, even internationally.
Especially if you want to learn with an international artist who lives thousands of miles from your home.
Low costs
Learning to dance at home by taking dance lessons online is cheaper than going to a dance academy. Because you will save yourself the tuition that would correspond to an academy or dance school, as well as the fees to be paid periodically. You will also avoid travel expenses, specific clothing, etc.
A shared loneliness
Even if you don't have physical partners, you can participate in online forums about learning the dance in question, as well as interact with teachers, consult doubts, etc.
Disadvantages of taking dance lessons online
Apart from those that we mentioned a few days ago in the inconveniences of learning to dance at home on your own we also add the following.
You may lose motivation and delay the progress of the dance course.
Being enrolled in an in-person dance class makes it compulsory, in some way, to attend even if there is not much time left.
On the other hand, dancing at home can be done post putting, after the first classes, from day to day, and even from week to week.
Therefore, a student who does online dance classes must be committed to himself, focused, disciplined and motivated to complete the full program of dance classes.
You will not meet like-minded people because you will have little interaction with classmates.
In face-to-face dance classes you learn from the mistakes of other classmates, some classmates correct others, etc.
The interaction between students is very positive. In online classes it is difficult not to say almost impossible to establish lasting relationships with other classmates.
Because either you don't have classmates, or the contact is totally impersonal through the Internet.
No one will correct you, as there is no direct contact with the dance teacher.
No matter how many tutorials or doubts are established online, there is no teacher in the home class who checks a figure, a movement, and that aspect is very important. One thing is how we think we make a figure, the dance steps, the salsa steps, how we move feet and hands, etc., depending on what we have seen in the images and videos online, and another thing is how we really do it.
The so-called "self-directed learning" can make a dance student evolve independently and correctly, but this may not be valid for everyone.
You will hardly know the collective activities and group dancing outings.
In a school or in-person dance classes there are activities outside of class time, going dancing after class to a dance hall or dance floor.
As well as excursions planned to attend shows, dance congresses, getaways, etc. The same integration of the student with other classmates facilitates these activities. The same is not true at home.
Conclusion on the pros and cons of doing online dance classes
First of all, whether you're taking online dance classes or face-to-face dance classes, my recommendation is that you don't stop dancing or going out to practice what you've learned. Without practice believe me, you won't get better.
Second, doing online and face-to-face dance classes does not imply that they are substitute classes, but in some cases they can be complementary dance classes.
Third, whether you learn to dance at home or at the dance academy, or learn to dance in any way you can. The important thing is your evolution, that you do it better and better and above all, that you enjoy doing it.
For me, this third point is the most important thing.
That you can enjoy all the good that dancing can give you, joy, sociability, well-being, fitness, balance, lasting friendships and much more....
And now it's your turn...
If you liked this article, leave your comment below and tell us in what cases would you do online dance classes or if you have ever had an experience in that sense?
