FAQs:

“But I’ve never danced before. Can you really help even me?”

Grace and I really enjoy teaching the “unteachable.” Over the years, we have helped many people enjoy and make social dance an integral part of their lives. In our lessons, we keep things simple, easy to understand, and more importantly, fun!

“I have a few old injuries and some physical limitations.  Will I be able to do this?”

Surely! All skill levels and physical limitations are welcome. Simply talk to us in advance about your concerns. Blues dance is quite adaptable.

“How long will it take me to learn to be a good dancer?”

It depends on the commitment of each student. Our curriculum was designed for the new dancer. Over time we have been working on improving our teaching style to help the new dancer pick up on the aspects of blues dance (and social dance) rapidly. We believe that after taking the beginning and advanced-beginning lessons that the dancer will have enough teaching and experience to feel pretty competent on the dance floor.

“I took dance lessons years ago. I didn’t enjoy it. Why is this different?

Blues dancing is interpretive, and our classes are low-stress and fun. We’ve taken dozens of dance classes ourselves - of all types, and we know how nerve-wracking that can be, so we focus less on having perfect form or footwork and more on interpretive rhythm, creativeness, playfulness, and creating an enjoyable experience for you and your partner. Having said this, know that staying on the beat and a bit of practice will go a long way in creating an enjoyable dance experience for you.

“I don’t see a lot of lessons on your schedule. Why is this?”

We fill our teaching schedule by traveling between Boulder & Ft Collins (& are planning to add Denver and Cheyenne) - teaching our beginning, advanced beginning, and alternative lessons with minimum class sizes when possible. We want to keep the classes informal, small, and fun so that there is plenty of time for one-on-one interaction when needed. Our classes typically fill up quickly and generate a waiting list. We both have other jobs that we do as well, we do lots of dancing ourselves, and we try and interact with our (grown) kids as often as possible, so we teach blues dance as our schedules allow and as we get requests.

We are available to teach private lessons, one-hour intro to blues dance lessons for local blues events, as well as make your dance party unique - with a blues dance lesson at your home/venue before the party gets started. We bring our own music and sound equipment and can conduct a one-hour dance lesson for your group.

“Do I need dance shoes?”

Dance shoes are most appropriate for social dance and lessons but are not necessary or required. We suggest that you bring non-marring sneakers, street shoes, or dance in your socks. Bare feet dancing is not recommended due to your own body safety needs.

“Do I need a partner?”

A partner is not required for our lessons. We do our best to have an equal lead to follow balance in all of our group lessons. This is why we limit our class sizes.

“Who will I be dancing with?”

We teach lead-follow social dance, so this means that you will partner dance as a lead or a follow. Students are free to dance with their partner or significant other throughout the lessons, however, we recommend that our students dance in a partner rotation where you will be sharing dances with multiple partners, because that will make you a better dancer, faster.

“Do men always have to lead? Do women always have to follow? Who decides if I lead or follow?”

You do. Many of us are accustomed to a world where men lead and women follow. But in today’s world, anyone is allowed to lead, and anyone is allowed to follow. Some men learn to follow. Some women learn to lead. All are welcome in our classes. Make sure, when you register for a class, to let us know if you will be leading or following.