Helpful Hints:

Starting Class: You may begin on the 2nd day of class if you miss the first, but after the second class I recommend waiting until the next session or taking a private lesson to catch up. This is only fair to the rest of the class.

However, if you already have some basics in the dance offered in the class and want to refresh your skills, which many people find necessary to get a solid foundation, please speak with Laura about joining the class!

Please realize that learning a new skill takes PRACTICE! Unless you have been dancing all your life and pick up very quickly, you will need to practice!  Everyone will be learning their footwork and until our bodies "remember" (muscle memory) that particular rhythm and it becomes natural, you may struggle with moving your feet and arms at the same time. No, you don't have 2 left feet-you are normal! The best answer to this possible problem is to work on the feet in class until the lead and follow portion is being taught. Then switch your focus to the upper body and allow the feet to catch up on their own-which will happen even faster with practice at home! It is best to practice the footwork by yourself before putting it with a partner. Please feel free to email me with any questions you have about what you have learned in class and I will be happy to contact you back with an appropriate answer so that you can practice correctly.

No Partner Needed: You do not need a partner to take any group class because everyone is rotated.  If you learn to lead or follow different people, your skills will increase much quicker than if you stay with just one partner with whom you could lapse into bad habits. Although, if you have a partner and do not want to rotate, please just let me know in advance.

In Private lessons, no partner is needed either since Laura is able to do both the leader and follower's part.

Attitude: It helps to have the right attitude for class. Learning to dance should be fun. Have patience with yourself and other classmates-you are learning a new sport and mistakes are how we all learn and can be fun to make-progress, not perfection!

What to wear:  Please do not wear hand lotions or too much cologne or perfume. This offends many scent sensitive people.

Wear comfortable clothes that you can move and dance in.

Dance shoes or street shoes with leather or suede soled shoes are suggested as rubber soles, slides and sneakers are difficult to dance and turn in. Until you are ready to purchase dance shoes, another option is to get a comfortable pair of shoes and have Mole?s Shoe Repair (Metro Plaza-192 & Wickham Rd.) put dance suede on the bottom. (very reasonable!) A shoe with some kind of heel is preferred for the best body alignment. It is common practice to change shoes before class or at a dance, so feel free to carry them and put them on in class so that the bottoms are not ruined in the street. Once you have fallen in love with dance as most people do, it is totally worth the investment in your feet and body to have the proper dance shoes. See Dance Shoes under Links in the main menu.

Ladies: It is helpful to avoid shoes that "flip flop" such as sandals and slides as they can be dangerous, will interfere with your rhythm and will impede your ability to dance well. A pump or other shoe with good support is best.