While even kids can dance, not everyone can dance well. If you want to learn how to dance, you first have to pick a style. Next, you can spend some time learning on your own. Alternatively, join a class at a local community college to improve your skills. Don't forget, you'll need to give your body some love by eating right and exercising to be a stellar dancer.
StepsEdit
Part One of Four:
Deciding What You LikeEdit
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1Know what styles to explore. Each style has a different feel. For instance, the quick beats of tap dancing are very different from the long graceful moves of ballet dancing or the edgy movements of hiphop. Perhaps you could try ballroom dancing with a partner or even Irish dancing.[1]
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2Watch dance videos online. Try watching different videos to understand the basics of different styles of dance. Maybe you don't have strong enough knees for tap dancing. Maybe you don't like how your feet need to bend in ballet dancing. See what draws you in.
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3Look at dance magazines and books. These books describe the basics of dancing, so they give you an idea of what you have ahead of you.
- Try checking out magazines from the library. It's a free way to explore your options.
- Dive into the history of dances. It may inspire you to choose one.
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4Watch professionals. Go see a live show in your local community. It doesn't have to be an expensive. Maybe your local college has a dance school. However, watching in person provides a different experience than watching a video. It sweeps you up in the performance.[2]
- If you watch someone dance, you'll get a better feel for dancing. You'll see some great moves and get ideas from the pros. If you can't afford a live performance, try checking out movies with dancing, such as musicals. Pay attention to the dancers to see what they are doing. Are they focused? What is their technique like? Do their emotions complement the music? If you notice what inspires you in their movement, it may help you decide what you want to do.
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5Join a community dance class. Many communities offer introductory dance classes. They can introduce you to variety of types at once. Check out your parks and recreation department or library.
- If your community doesn't offer them, check out your local community colleges. Classes at community colleges are cheap.
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6Know your limitations. If you have good posture and can stretch your legs and point your toes, try classical ballet, not hip hop. When you research dances, make sure you know the body placements. See which ones you think you can do well. Always bear in mind, though, that you are learning. You can and will develop greater flexibility.
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7Choose your favorite type of dance. While you can always branch out later, start with one type of dance first. Focus on learning that type of dancing before you move on to anything else.Advertisement
Part Two of Four:
Dancing to Your Own BeatEdit
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1Find an open space to practice. You need space to practice. Choose somewhere with a solid floor where you can make some noise.
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2Use music with a good beat. Many songs have dance remixes, but you can move to almost anything that has a steady beat.
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3Learn to hear the beat. Some people have trouble hearing the beat. If that's you, try listening to the music at the beginning of a song. Ask someone who knows music to help you count the beats, tapping your foot in time. Once you get the hang of it, you can do it on your own.[3]
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4Don't be afraid to move. Once you feel the beat, try moving your body to it. You can worry about technique later. At this point in time, you just want to learn to move your body in time to the beat.[4]
- You may want to start out by moving just your arms, then adding leg movements (or vice versa). It's easier to focus on one part. Really listen to the beat to be on time with the moves.
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5Dance at your own pace. Of course you want to immediately be an awesome dancer. However, dancing takes time to learn. If you try too much too soon, you could hurt yourself.
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6Learn the basics first. Starting at the beginning will help you avoid frustration. It will improve your technique for more complicated moves. Use online tutorials or books to help you learn the basics.
- For ballet, try the basic positions. For instance, begin in first position. First position is where your heels are together, but each foot points straight out to the side. It may take awhile to achieve this turnout, but use your hips to help you get into this position. Your arms should curve out from your shoulders in an arch.[5]
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7Go dancing at a club. Dance clubs are a great place to try out certain types of dance moves, such as hip hop, country, or swing dancing.Advertisement
Part Three of Four:
Taking Your Dancing to the Next LevelEdit
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1Join a local dance class. You may have taken a dance class to choose a genre, but now you should take one focused on the type of dance (or dances) you love. Once again, look for community classes or try your local community college. Pick a beginner class, since you're still learning.
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2Watch professionals. Watching professionals helps create a map in your brain. Essentially, by watching their movements, you are better able to make the movement yourself because your brain has already gone through the motions.[6]
- You can take in a local performance, as above. Also, pay close attention to your instructor as she shows you how to make the movements.
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3Practice with friends. If you get friends to take the class together with you, you can spend time outside of class practicing together. That way, you can also provide feedback for each other. You can work on improving together.[7]
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4Set aside time specifically for practice. The only way to train your body is to practice on a regular basis. It will help your body develop muscle memory, so you can dance without having to think through the motions.[8]
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5See how you're doing. Take a video of yourself, and watch it to see how you are moving. You can also try posting it on dancing sites to ask for tips from other dancers.[9]
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6Practice in front of a mirror. Practicing in front of a mirror will let you see what you're doing wrong in real time, so that you're not practicing a move that's wrong.[10]
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7Go out in the community. Check for local theater companies, and try out for one. You can also see if your community has any local dance groups you could join.
- One way to find these types of groups is to check event listings in your newspaper. You can see who's performing to find local groups.
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Part Four of Four:
Developing the Right BodyEdit
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1Eat your vegetables and fruits. These foods pack a punch when it comes to nutrients. Your body needs those vitamins and minerals to function properly, so eat your greens every day.[11]
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2Know the proportions. If you're dancing constantly, you should get about half of your calories from carbohydrates. The other 50 percent should be split, with about 35 percent going to fat and 15 percent going to protein.[12]
- The carbohydrates fuel your muscles for dancing, giving you energy.
- Protein helps rebuild your muscles. In intense dance sessions, your muscles are stressed and the fibers break, which protein helps fix.[13]
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3Avoid simple carbohydrates. Avoid white sugar, white bread, and white rice. Instead, choose whole grains and fruits for your carbohydrates.[14]
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4Hydrate your body. You need to replenish the fluids that your body is losing. In addition, being dehydrated can slow you down.[15]
- Aim for 8 glasses of water a day that are 8 ounces each.
- In an intense dance session, you should drink about 4 glasses of water per hour. to help make up for fluid loss.[16]
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5Choose lean proteins. Try fish or chicken as your protein, as they are lower in saturated fat than red meats. You can also enjoy proteins from plants, such as nuts and beans.[17]
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6Try cross-training or TRX. To help develop your body, try other exercises to increase your muscles and stamina.
- For instance, swimming is a great all-body workout that can improve your flexibility. It also takes the stress off your joints. The backstroke is especially good if you need to loosen your upper body.[18]
- To develop your leg muscles, try cycling. It's also a great way to increase your overall endurance. Make sure you sit up straight when riding because otherwise you can shorten muscles near the hips.[19]
- For flexibility and strength, take a yoga class. Yoga can help lengthen your muscles, as well as strengthen your core.[20]
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7Lift weights. Lifting weights helps you to develop your muscles. You'll be able to stay in certain dance positions for longer, or move in ways you didn't think you could. You can do standard weightlifting such as bicep curls or leg squats, but only do sets of three with six or eight repetitions with a slightly heavier weight than you would normally use. More weight (but not as many repetitions) will help strengthen your body without adding too much weight in muscles to your body.[21]
- For a bicep curl, hold a dumbbell in each hand. Your palm should be facing inwards towards your body. Lift both arms slightly so that your palms are facing upwards. Alternate lifting each arm to your shoulder.[22]
- For squats, stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Hold dumbbells in front of your body. Bend your knees at the same time, lowering yourself down, and then return to standing. Repeat the exercise.[23]
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Community Q&A
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Can you give me, someone who is bad at expression, tips on how to successfully use expression in dance?Answered by wikiHow Contributor
- Your face is the best way to express your feelings (since you can't talk in dance). If the dance is about something sad, show sadness on your face and look out into the audience with a desperate expression. Its amazing how a dancer's face can change the dance.
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How can I practice learning more difficult moves at home or on my own?Answered by wikiHow Contributor
- It depends on which steps you are trying to learn. Watching videos and practicing at home or in front of a mirror can be helpful. Trampolines can be a great place to practice acrobatic dance moves.
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What if you can't do the moves?Answered by Engineer Diep
- Keep practicing! Also, you must stretch your whole body out before dancing because if you're dancing with a tight body, your chances of injuring yourself from regular dance movement go up pretty high. I've found that playing some "Just Dance" can loosen my body up after about 2 songs, but you may need to do things like sit-ups, scissors, or even jumping jacks before you start dancing.
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How can I join a class when my mom works and I have school and no one would be able to pick me up?Answered by wikiHow Contributor
- You could find a way to get to the class by yourself or make arrangements with the family of a class member you know as a friend, neighbor or generally. You could also try to learn it on your own at home. With practice, even if you have never attended an actual dance class, you may still be able to dance like a professional.
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What dance moves should I do for dubstep music?Answered by wikiHow Contributor
- There is actually a dance style called dubstep dance. It's a mixture of tutting, robot, and (sometimes) bonebreaking. B-boying, jumpcore, and a few flow arts can work as well. Look for a variety of fast and slow moves, and/or ones that can be both.
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How can I learn about hip hop dance and basic hip hop moves?Answered by wikiHow Contributor
- You can learn about hip hop simply by attending parties and observing how people dance. You can also watch hip hop music videos and studying the dancers' moves. Check out How to Dance Hip Hop for more ideas.
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AM"I really like to dance when I'm happy. I can't dance very well, but this helped."
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"It helped me a lot because know I am a good dancer now."
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