Private Lessons

Your place or mine!

Am I ready for private lessons? Considering private lessons is often met with doubt and trepidation. I frequently hear students say "I'm afraid I wouldn't be good enough yet for private lessons!" I hear you cry, for I, too, felt that when I was beginning. Yet today, even as an experienced dancer, I often take private lessons. It's the fastest and most cost-effective way to learn, whether advanced or beginner.

In private lessons, I devote myself to you alone, establishing proper posture and body line, phrasing, leading and following. These skills are hardly ever taught in group classes and yet they are so fundamental to executing any dance step, that, if not properly learned, one will never truly be able to dance well. As I explain to my students, one can either spend a modest amount of money up front for a few private lessons in establishing a proper dance foundation, or a great deal of money in small increments from group lessons, and never truly learn to dance! For the advanced dancer, I can offer polish, style, new steps, and embellishments. I am always learning new things and would love to pass them along to you!

My method.

Tango. In Tango, unlike any other dance, the distinction between leader and follower is more than fundamental--it is essential. Merely learning steps will not make you a Tango dancer. Zotto described it by saying "In Tango, the man proposes and the woman disposes."

Few teachers teach from a true leader-follower perspective. The method commonly employed is to teach a foot-steps requiring the dancer to memorize an often long, complicated series. To me, Tango is not steps, but a series of figures proposed by the leader and disposed by his or her partner. One can tell by watching dancers, how they learned the dance. Those who truly learned how to lead stand out!

Viennese Waltz. There are many forms of waltz, but my favorite is the Viennese. The foundation of Viennese Waltz is the characteristic pivot turn. Whether you know the basic box-step or not, I have had wonderful success in teaching the Viennese. Right from the start, I focus on posture, phrasing, leading and following. The step, as I have found in most dance, is not as important as these fundamentals.

I teach specific holds and arm positions so there is little doubt as to what it feels like to lead or be led. And, to make it interesting, I throw in some typically Austrian folk steps, such as the Pretzel and Windows (no relation to computers). If you really want to show off, you really must learn the Hambo and the Zwiefacher! Now, those will impress your friends!

Our metro area hosts wonderful opportunities to enjoy this most elegant dance. Dressed in my white tie and tails with my partner bedecked in her ball gown, I flew across the floor at Washington's Vienna Opera Ball to the full, rich music of Strauss performed by a twenty-four piece orchestra from Vienna. Surrounded by a veritable arboretum of long-stem red roses in full bloom, we turned and waltzed at the feet of a golden statue of Johann Strauss, Jr., presiding over the dancing with his violin in hand. And this is only one event! My calendar lists several spectacular waltzing events and would be a good place to begin your search. The grandeur of Dr. Zhivago and the elegance of My Fair Lady is here and is yours to experience!

Social Ballroom.
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers are the quintessential social ballroom dancers, yet the stylings we see in their wonderful movies would have ranked them poorly, if not altogether eliminated them from International Ballroom competition! Improvisation to the feeling of music as it is in progress is what social dance is about. Even as improvised and as spontaneous as this style may seem, I can offer you certain "standard" steps, postures, and moves, such as the dip and roll-away, that you will be able to combine and summon forth in your own particular idiom. I do not guarantee a Fred or Ginger, but I do guarantee you will enjoy foxtrots, cha-chas, rhumbas, and sambas, as you never have before!

The term "Ballroom" has gotten a bad rap of late. This possibly stems from the relatively structured appearance of competitive ballroom dancing. Although dance takes many forms, one could categorize dance as performance or social. Performance implies a practiced routine, fairly consistent with each iteration, primarily for the enjoyment of an audience. Social dance, in comparison, implies improvisation and spontaneity of movement, steps, and expression.

Social dance is primarily for the dancers. It is in this purpose that I distinguish between Social Ballroom and International or Competitive Ballroom. International Ballroom encompasses established steps, patterns, and physical and facial expressions. Comes to mind is the line from the delightful tongue-in-cheek movie about ballroom competition, Strictly Ballroom, in which the instructor exclaimed "No new steps!" Each form has its appeal.

I prefer a much freer approach to ballroom, which I call Social Ballroom. The steps and footwork are basically the same -- Cha-cha, Foxtrot, Rhumba, Quick-step, etc. But, it is in the free interpretation of the music and mood that makes the dance so enjoyable for me. How wonderful to see the variety of expressions on people's faces at Glen Echo and other venues. (For more on Glen Echo, visit their website.)

Swing.
I love to show off! What instructor doesn't? And Swing is the place! Though I do not teach West-coast or Lindy, I can teach you, and rather quickly, the basic six-count classic Swing -- the 1-and-2-and-rock-step. But, that's not all. I have in my repertoire a myriad of aerials and show-stoppers which I will be glad to teach you. Regardless of your size, shape, or disposition, there are a lot of cool moves you'll learn that will guarantee "oohs" and "aahs" at Glen Echo, Cherry Hill, or wherever you dance!

Reasonable Rates.
I will be glad to come to a venue of your choosing or you may wish to join me in my studio in my home. My private rates are a modest $40 per hour per individual or $60 per hour per couple. (I think you'll find my "hour" is often more than a 60 minutes.) Shop and compare! Then, give me a call. You will learn to dance!

Gift Certificates.
Consider the gift of dance! What better way to guarantee an enjoyable dance experience than to offer your partner a gift a dance instruction. Call or email me for more information.
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