Before You Take a Dance Lesson, Follow These 6 Steps

Whether your goal is recreation or competition, learning to dance requires both a mental and physical commitment. Unlike learning through mental memory, dance follows an inverse order because it involves learning through muscle memory. In other words, instead of learning something first and then putting it into action, with dance you only learn something after you've put it into action over and over. This can make dance lessons a challenge for new students, which is why it's important to approach your lessons with the right attitude and the right preparation. Here are six things you can do to make sure that you get the most from your dance lessons every time:

1) Set Realistic Goals for Yourself. No one goes from Fred Flintstone to Fred Astaire overnight. Talk with your teacher and set a realistic goal for yourself. For a beginner, a good goal may be to master the basics of the waltz, foxtrot and swing. For more ambitious and younger dancers with an eye toward competitive dancing, the goal may be to perform the Internal Latin syllabus in an amateur event. By setting goals, you can measure your success and take encouragement along the way as you reach significant milestones.

2) Have the Right Attitude. Dancing should be fun, yes, but remember why you're taking lessons in the first place: to learn. Get in the right frame of mind before each lesson and follow your teacher's instructions. A positive and patient attitude is the best foundation for education.

3) Be in the Moment. Focus on the lesson of today, not the lessons of yesterday or tomorrow. If you didn't master a move from an earlier lesson, don't worry; there will be ample time to integrate and refine all of the moves down the road.

4) Let the Teacher Teach. In the beginning, it's important that you share your goals and expectations with your teacher. Once you both agree on a destination, however, let your teacher decide the best route to get there. Even if you feel your weakness in one area requires additional study during your lesson, chances are your teacher has a more experienced and objective picture of your true strengths and weaknesses as a dancer and will focus your lesson accordingly.

5) Practice, Practice and Practice. More than anything else, practice is the best advice for dance students. Only through repetition can students develop the necessary muscle memory to perform complex dance moves. But remember: if you're constantly repeating moves incorrectly, your body will learn that wrong feels right, and that's the wrong way to learn.

6) Be consistent. The longer the gap between lessons, the more likely that students will have to take a half-step back for every step they learn. If cost is a factor, be creative: mix private lessons with group lessons, supplement your training with video guides and books, or dance with a more experienced partner.

There you have it: six steps that will help you maximize your dance instruction and put you on a faster path to the dance floor. And one final tip: don't delay your dreams of being a better dancer. There will never a better day than today to start taking dance lessons!