Dancing Basics

Chowka is a square stance used by Odissi dancers. It denotes Lord Jagannath, the main deity of Odissi. Odissi is a 2000 year old mystical dance style from the eastern Indian state of Orissa. It is...

When you dance on stage, the same lights that make it easy for audience members to see you from midway back or farther in the theater can obscure your features. To combat this, apply stage makeup...

A cute guy walks up to you and asks you to dance. You really want to, but you are scared because you don’t know how. Don’t worry; it’s not as hard as you think. The key things to remember are to...

You see a beautiful girl you would like to ask to slow dance with you—but you don’t know how to slow dance! Don’t worry; it’s not as hard as you think. The key things to remember are to be a...

From weddings to birthdays to proms, the cha cha slide dance has become a favorite for getting even the most timid person on his feet. An updated version of the electric slide, the cha cha slide...

Cobra stretches are great flixibility exercises that can help loosen the muscles and joints in your body before dancing. Learn a few Latin dance cobra stretches from a choreographer in this free...

Pointing your toes and opening your legs is a good way to warm up your lower body before dancing. Learn a Latin dance open leg stretch from a choreographer in this free video.

Contractions are important flexibility exercises that help stretch out your ligaments. Learn a few Latin dance contractions to perform before dancing from a choreographer in this free video.

Thigh contractions are great exercises for strengthening your stomach muscles. Learn a few Latin dance thigh contractions to perform before dancing from a choreographer in this free video.

Relaxing is an important part of recuperating after performing a lot of stretching exercises. Learn to relax your body after stretching Learn a few Latin dance contractions to perform before...

The forward bend stretch is a good way to alleviate stiffness and improve Latin dance flexibility. Learn the forward bend stretch from a choreographer in this free video.

Latin dance knee bend stretches are great for strengthening the stomach and leg muscles. Learn a few knee bend stretches from a choreographer in this free video.

Stretching out the torso is important if you want to improve your flexibility for Latin dance. Learn a few torso stretches from a choreographer in this free video.

It's important to breathe and not to twist when performing Latin dance lunges. Learn some Latin dance lunges from a choreographer in this free video.

Stretching out your spine, before Latin dancing, is a good way to help prevent and avoid injury. Learn a few spine stretches from a choreographer in this free video.

Performing a few leg extensions can be useful for stretching out your ligaments. Learn a few Latin dance leg extensions from a choreographer in this free video.

The butterfly stretch is great for relaxing your spine, neck, ribs and even your knees. Learn the Latin dance butterfly stretch from a choreographer in this free video.

The parallel leg stretch is an important stretch to utilize if you want to improve your Latin dance flexibility. Learn the parallel leg stretch from a choreographer in this free video.

Abdominal stretches are great for strengthening the stomach and improving flexibility. Learn the Latin dance abdominal stretch from a choreographer in this free video.

Snake arms are one of the most basic moves in the art of belly dancing, but also one of the more challenging moves to perfect. With practice, though, you can master this beautiful and exotic move.

The first step to starting a dance studio is to draw up a good business plan in order to get the necessary financial help, and the next step involves finding a location for the studio. Make the...

To dance the Charleston, break the dance down into a few simple steps, practice each step until it is mastered, and combine all the steps to form the completed dance. Practice dancing the...

Choosing a theme for a dance recital sometimes starts with the costumes that are available, but inspiration for a theme can come from music, movies or the seasons of the year. Choose a unique...

Contemporary dance is a compilation of different styles of dance, including lyrical, classical ballet and modern dance. Understand the definition of contemporary dance with helpful information...

Lyrical dance fuses modern ballet and jazz techniques together to create a very unique performance, and it is often narrative in nature. Find out more about this emotional type of dance with...

Dancing is an art form that everyone does naturally as children, so dancing as an adult, whether in a club or on Broadway, is something anyone can strive to do. Find out how to learn dancing with...

Creating a dance routine is best done in pieces, as inspiration for the next piece of choreography can come from the experiences of learning the first part. Come up with a dance routine based on...

Becoming an excellent dancer takes years and years of practice and constant study and research. Study the work of famous dancers, watch old movies, and become extremely familiar with the style of...

Becoming a ballroom dancer begins by choosing a genre of dance, whether it be tango, waltz, swing or salsa, taking classes in that genre and participating in ballroom dancing competitions. Find...

Becoming a contemporary dancer in the U.S. requires vast knowledge of a variety of dance forms, such as ballet, jazz and modern, as contemporary dance is a compilation of many different styles of...

Becoming a male dancer usually requires studying under a male instructor, as the male body works differently than the female body as far as jumping and turning. Become a male dancer, which is a...

Becoming a more flexible dancer requires stretching consistently, as the muscles only become more tense with age. Use stretching as an essential warm up for each day with helpful information from...

Learning jazz moves usually begins at the age of 8 or 9, as jazz dancing requires a great deal of strength and flexibility to master most of the moves. Learn a few jazz moves, which incorporates a...

In preparation for taking swing dance lessons, research the different dance studios in the area to find one with available classes and find someone to be a suitable dance partner. Make the...

To take dance lessons as an adult, first decide what style of dance is desired, whether it be classical ballet, jazz, tap, modern, lyrical or contemporary, before finding a studio that offers...

Learning the basic tap dance steps builds up a foundation for more complicated moves, and the most basic steps include the shuffle, the shim sham, the shuffle ball change and the stomp. Practice a...

Head spotting originated in ballet, though it has made its way as a basic technique in all dance forms from hip hop to ballroom. It is a very important technique to learn early on and can make any...

You have been invited to a Ceili and you don't know how to dance. Well, it's not that hard. If you can count to 3, 4, 7 and 8, you can participate in an Irish or Scottish Ceili.

The cross body lead in Cha Cha is a fantastic step to add to your repertoire early on. It will be an "evergreen" pattern that you can utilize for the rest of your dancing career,...

Being able to count music is not just for musicians--dancers, too, require the same ear to be able to fully utilize a piece of music or song to their advantage. Counting rhythm can vary in...

Hips are one of the defining features of a woman in dance, and it is a crucial element in dancing a good Cha Cha. The Cha Cha is a cheeky, fun dance and the Lady should know how to play off of her...

The three step turn can be a fun turn for both male and female dancers above the Bronze level. It is a simple and effective method to add some speed and directional change in your routine. Yes,...

The three step turn is a necessary basic move. It exists in any routine above the Bronze level. Although most people think of the turn in its footwork configuration, there are body action...

The three-step turn to the right is less commonly seen than its sister to the left, yet it is still an important component of good dancing. You must be able to turn equally well on both sides, and...

The three-step turn to the left is the more popular out of the two three-step turns that are possible to perform, and can be accomplished at many different levels. Once you have mastered the...

Arm styling is crucial to spice up your dancing once you have gotten the footwork under control. Although it is not as emphasized for men as it is for ladies, arm styling can still be a...

Arm styling is crucial to any routine once you have the feet figured out, and nowhere is it more important than the lady's part. Below is a description of arm styling for the lady in the following...

Bronze level American Cha Cha is a great level for both social and competitive dancing. Not having too many complex patterns, most steps are much easier to lead and follow, as well as perfect and...

The cross body lead is one of the most popular patterns in all Latin dances. It is a favorite in any social club or venue, as it is relatively simple in figure and accomplishes a direction change....

The alemana is a very popular basic technique utilized in International Latin dancing and can be seen in the Rhumba and Cha Cha, with most frequency being exhibited in the former. Overall it is a...