So the other day I was talking to my instructor, and he told me he rather dance only one style and dance it well, than several styles and only know some basic steps. I have to disagree. Im the type of person that likes knowing as much as I can about anything. Even in my career, I have to have a certain general knowledge about medicine, not just one specific field. I think the same thing applies to dancing. I like latin dancing (merengue, salsa and bachata), but Im not incredibly great at any of them, I just know enough to follow well and get through one song without messing it up. But, lately I also want to dance kizomba, zouk, tango, hip hop, guaguanco, etc. I just dont want to stick to one particular style and only dance that style. I do admit however, that people that are really good at salsa, bachata or kizomba, usually suck at the other two, so they stick to what theyre good at and develop a special skill to be great at only one dance style. So basically I dont know wether to stick to one thing or be as well rounded as possible.
Being a well rounded dancer??
- Thread starter Tina
- Start date
It's always better to be well rounded and know at least a few styles of dancing. But that doesn't mean you should run around from one dance to another like an ADD child 
If you just juggle between a ton of different dances, you'll never get proficient in any of them. It's best to have one core style that's your main style and then build around that.
If you just juggle between a ton of different dances, you'll never get proficient in any of them. It's best to have one core style that's your main style and then build around that.
Salsa Bear
Son
Seems like restricting yourself to one dance would be a great way to impair your social life. What do you do when you go out to a salsa club, and they play a bachata or merengue?
It's always better to be well rounded and know at least a few styles of dancing. But that doesn't mean you should run around from one dance to another like an ADD child
If you just juggle between a ton of different dances, you'll never get proficient in any of them. It's best to have one core style that's your main style and then build around that.
...Then I think you need to tell the World Champion " Nine dance " champions that, it aint possible !.
Adding to ones dance reportoire ,may be immensely helpfull, IF one has the time to dedicate.
I currently teach at least 4 dances ( in my BR ) to all beginners and so do 1000s of other teachers
DJ Ara
Son Montuno
That is when I take my bathroom break.....
I would say - it depends
Taking ballroom social dance classes for example - people usually learn say 10 various dances within several months (depending on the country), with one class per week. However, within that time, you can't learn even one dance to the level that you can enjoy it and use some musicality (assuming it's about people that didn't dance before). And I almost never see social ballroom dancers enjoying the dance. If you are learning one dance several months, you have some chances to start enjoying it - like some people in salsa. So I'm not sure that learning 2 moves from 10 dances within a year is a better option than trying to improve only one dance during the same time
However, if you take it more seriously, meaning dancing several times per week in a period of at several years, then I think it's a good idea to try different dances - which is also my goal
Taking ballroom social dance classes for example - people usually learn say 10 various dances within several months (depending on the country), with one class per week. However, within that time, you can't learn even one dance to the level that you can enjoy it and use some musicality (assuming it's about people that didn't dance before). And I almost never see social ballroom dancers enjoying the dance. If you are learning one dance several months, you have some chances to start enjoying it - like some people in salsa. So I'm not sure that learning 2 moves from 10 dances within a year is a better option than trying to improve only one dance during the same time
However, if you take it more seriously, meaning dancing several times per week in a period of at several years, then I think it's a good idea to try different dances - which is also my goal
First.. I do not teach the "Intern, " style social.. I use the American system ( the best there is ) and, I dont teach ten dances to beginners..4 Smooth and 2 rhythm. Within 3x 5 week courses ,they are able to dance a full song, with 4/5 variations in the smooth. The rhythm dances I add later .
As to having a good time, the last social BR class I taught ,lasted for THREE yrs with the same 7 couples. Ya see, its all down to experience .
I can assure you Im NOT unique. have had numerous teachers who worked for me who used to get similar results, not uncommon in the American social standard; it doesnt get bogged down in heavy technique like the International style. It was designed for a certain degree of expediency ( at Bronze level ).
We had students who took both Smooth and Rhythm ( 13 dances ), and generally, all were over 45 yrs of age and never previously danced .There becomes a time when, there are many variations that are " crossovers " so adaption becomes much easier to other dances One you are familar with.. CBL, danced in Rumba, Waltz, Cha Cha . Bolero,Mambo, WCS ( and even FT ) .
salsamarty
Son
I stick to one style, salsa, though I can dance a some cha cha. Anyone can dance merengue but I choose not to. I simply don't like bachata music so, so far, I've avoided bachata. I am a slow learner and I only go out a couple of nights per week so pursuing multiple dance styles is not productive for me. I have managed to continue learning within salsa so it isn't as if I am not still learning.
I admire people who can dance multiple styles like I admire people who can speak multiple languages (I can't do this either). I just need to stick to something I have time for and do it the way my brain is wired.
I admire people who can dance multiple styles like I admire people who can speak multiple languages (I can't do this either). I just need to stick to something I have time for and do it the way my brain is wired.
Salsa Bear
Son
Yes you can; you just don't have time. I LOVE languages, but there just isn't enough time in the day to work, sleep, indulge in your hobby and study a language. It would be nice to live in a country where people speak something other than English, so you're immersed in another language.
Exactly. Life is too short. If you map out how long it will likely take you to master each of, say, half a dozen different dances and how long it will take you to complete five websites, it's kind of scary. Before you know it, someone's gonna say "Time's up!"
So I guess everyone has to find the right balance between doing as many cool things as possible and mastering one or two cool things.
I take salsa 2 times per week, bachata 3 times per week, kizomba 1 per week, which are the most popular social dances where I live. I dont have kids or a boyfriend/husband, so I fill up my free time with dancing. I dont know If im in over my head, if one dance style might interfere with the learning process of another one, but Im not a performer/instructor, nor do I intend to be, I just want to be a very good social dancer, that can dance anything, since by my previous posts, Im not usually the first pick at a party because of my looks. Most of the people that are incredibly amazing in one style usually dont dance others style, or just know some basic steps, but they are either professionals/semi pros, that only stick to one style theyre good at. I dont have a core style either, some people say Im more bachatera than salsera, other people say Im really good at kizomba, but im so so at salsa; I just know cuban, and Im just learning the cross body on 1.
SnowDancer
Son Montuno
I like salsa best, but also cha-cha, bachata, and merengue. They all complement each other. Bachata helped me immensely with moving my hips, cha-cha is great for timing, and merengue gives one the chance to try out new patterns as slowly as you want!
But if you are a born salsero, the cuban, chacha, mambo, on 1, on 2, pachanga, etc, are all related. I dont consider myself a true salsera, since I only know cuban style and Im dying to learn guaguanco and timba. I wish I could make zouk and kizomba my core style. When im 50 ill take up ballroom or tango, and so on.
I dont know why so many women complain of neck pain and whiplash for almost anything (cuban, bachata, even waltz). Dancing is tough on the joints, and if you cant handle the heat get out of the kitchen or get into gardening or coin collecting. I have pain on my knees from bachata and lately my left toe is starting to go numb from my bunion and the pressure from the ballroom shoes, and I sweat it out. I dance through the pain. The great thing about zouk is that you can dance almost any slow song. The class I went to played some pop music with a zouk remix, like rude boy, usher songs, kizomba slow songs, etc.
So far girls in our zouk class didn't complain about neck pain, but our instructor was very careful to ensure they are doing these moves correctly, and also, warmup is relatively long. Those crazy movements of the head should actually be done using mostly the rib cage and not that much by tilting the head all over the place. It's partially an illusion of this dance (like many things in various dances are an illusion), enhanced by the long hair. And they singificantly improved flexibility of the spine during these several month we are attending the class. However, if done wrong, it's not very healthy, that's for sure
Similar illusion is position of ladies head in ballroom
Similar illusion is position of ladies head in ballroom
So, theres this guy in my bachata class, whos constantly correcting me, yet he doesnt say anything to the other girls, and Im sorry but theyre not that good and actually some of them lack style and rythm and they look either like dead fish or like jennifer grey in dirty dancing (im sorry but she looked ridiculous dancing the mambo, if youre going to do a dance movie, you should train a dancer to act, rather than an actress to dance). He tells me that im too dominant and that my grip is too tight and that I basically do whatever I want; So whats worse for the guys, a girl whos too dominant, who might have trouble with the weight shift, or a girl that lacks rythm, style and musical orientation and interpretation. Ive always been an advocate for rythm and style, theres nothing worse than someone who cannot feel and move to the music, even if they get the steps right (too prefabricated, they are constantly counting). I dont count, because all I can feel is the bass, the clave. All day long I listen to music, download the lastest songs, Ive studied piano and singing when I was a child, so I have a natural born ear. Having no style or rythm dancing (specially for the follows) Its like singing off key, even if you know the lyrics.