Benefits of Dancing

Arthur Murray students gain many benefits through becoming better dancers. Listed below are the most frequently listed of these benefits. In order to assist your instructor in personalizing your foundation program and future lessons, please think about the five most important to you.

• More fun and enjoyment out of social life…

• Increased self-confidence…

• Meeting people and making new friends...

• Better health and physical benefits…

• Social ease...

• Exercise...

• Making a special person happy...

• Enjoying and attending more parties.

• Business reasons…

• Acquiring more grace and poise…

• Overcoming shyness…

• Relieving stress...

• Standing out on the dance floor...

• Never again saying no to a dance invitation...

• Recreation or entertainment...

• Relaxation...

Hints for couples learning to dance:

• Here at Arthur Murray we specialize in teaching couples to dance. Teaching couples is different from teaching individuals and requires special care. Teachers are trained to make learning fun and easy, and you can help by remembering the following:

• Let your teacher do the teaching. This means avoid finding fault with each other which can be distracting.

• It's not how many steps you know; it's how you execute them. You always notice good dancers by how they move, not by how many patterns they do. Learning too many steps too soon results in bad habits and frustration at not executing them properly.

• In teaching couples, we have learned that men typically progress slower because they have more to do and tend to be more analytical or mechanical. Women, on the other hand, feel movement quicker and therefore, THE LADY MUST TO BE PATIENT AND NOT EXPECT TOO MUCH TOO SOON.

• It's important to keep your lessons close together, and more importantly to use them in close conjunction with group lessons and practice lessons. Ideally, each visit should be scheduled to include more than one activity. This will aid you in making speedy progress and gaining confidence in your dancing in a shorter period of time.

• Communicate with your teacher so that he or she will know what to teach you and the way you like to be taught. The more we know about your dance needs the better we can plan your lessons now and prepare your future program.

• Learning to dance is an investment that keeps on paying back. Of all the hobbies you may have, dancing is one which goes with you wherever you go in years to come.

Stages of Learning

4. THE NATURAL USE STAGE

This skill or step is done with ease and is spontaneous, comfortable and creative. This level is reached only after a period of time in which the student has continued to use and practice the skill.

3. THE CONSCIOUS USE STAGE

The student is able to do the skill or step more effectively and easily; however, even though the task may look good, it must still be thought through when performed.

2. THE AWKWARD USE STAGE

The student has an increased awareness, but feels awkward and frequently experiences difficulty.

1. THE INITIAL LEARNING STAGE

The student is introduced to the skill or step.