Q:
Do I have to be fit to start ballroom dancing lessons?
A: No - start at your own pace, fitness will develop.
Q: Do I have to sign a
contract if I want to learn to dance?
A: Not at BAGHEERA’S The Dance Place as we have no contracts
whatsoever.
Q: Do I have to pay in
advance for lessons?
A: No – all social classes and private lessons are on
a pay-as-you-go basis. Medal Classes require payment for the
term on enrolment.
Q: Do I require special
shoes?
A: You do not need special shoes to start with, but
as you advance you will appreciate that correct dance shoes
will be safer and beneficial to your dancing. If you do not
have the correct dance shoes it is important that you wear shoes
which will not be slippery on the timber floor. A hard-rubber
sole (viz. ‘Topy’) is a good compromise.
Q: Do I need special attire?
A: Special attire is not required. Dress standard is
neat casual.
Q: What is a Private Lesson
?
A: Private Lesson does not mean the lesson is conducted
in private. It means that the teacher will provide exclusive
tuition to the person or couple for the agreed period. Most
often there will be others on the ballroom floor receiving private
lessons from their teachers at the same time.
Q: What does ‘modern’
refer to in ballroom dancing?
A: ‘Modern’ is a term coined in England which embraces
the ballroom dances Slow Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, Viennese Waltz,
Quickstep. Internationally the term ‘Standard Ballroom’ is used
to describe these dances. You may find the terms interchanged
for the time being as ‘Modern’ has been used in the past but
the International term ‘Standard’ is supported by DanceSport
Australia.
Q:
Do you teach ‘Latin’ dancing?
A: Yes, we teach two forms of ‘Latin’.
-
|
Latin
American as danced internationally at both a social level
and in a competitive sense as DanceSport. This form covers
the dances Cha Cha Cha, Rumba, Samba, Paso Doble and Jive
(the American bit!). |
-
|
Street
Latin (or Club Latin)
Social Latin dancing moves with the times, and the favourite
dances at the moment are Salsa, Mambo, Merengue and Lambada.
Street Latin is fun. It’s expressive and it’s popular.
|
Q: What is New Vogue?
A: New Vogue is the name of a dance style that originated
in Australia. New Vogue is sequence dancing (ie. all couples
are dancing the same steps in the same sequence and direction)
performed to various ballroom rhythms.
Q: What does a ‘medal’
mean in dancing?
A: A medal is awarded to a candidate who has successfully
demonstrated to an examiner the ability to perform the dances
set for the style at the level being tested. It is evidence
that the person has attained that level of achievement in dancing.
Q: What are the medal
levels?
A: Essentially, the levels are Bronze, up to Silver
and Gold Medals and then Star, Premier Star and Oscar.
Q: Do I have to do medals?
A: No, doing medal examinations is a personal choice.
Q: Do I have to do competitions?
A: No, many people prefer and enjoy just dancing socially.
There are however those who choose to do dance as their sport,
’DanceSport’, which as for any sport requires a level of fitness
and discipline to be successful.
Q: Do I need a partner
to attend a social class?
A: No. Not having a partner is no obstacle to attending
dance classes. Many people come alone and are partnered within
the group each lesson.
Q: Do I need a partner
to attend a medal class?
A: No. In medal classes males and females are taught
separately. They practice with each other but most often are
partnered by the teacher or the teacher’s assistant in the examination.
