A student commented to me that they’ve lost 8 pounds since they started dancing. It got me remembering about my own weight issues.
When I was in grade school, I was a fat kid. I would tell you the amount I weighed in first grade, but you wouldn’t believe me. I WAS the heaviest kid in class. (What’s funny is that at the time, I was really proud of it.)
In high school I was about 215 pounds. I’m 5’10″ and thin-boned, but I looked heavy. I grew up shy and a lot of that was because I was self-conscious about the way I looked.
People look back at their high-school years as a benchmark of what good shape they were in. I was in terrible shape in high school. In PE the teacher made us run a mile, but I walked it. Because of the dancing, I’m in the best shape of my life. New me could beat up old me!
I don’t workout. My diet at this point is mostly fast food. I should be a fat dude! The fat me is waiting to get out too, because if I stop dancing, I start gaining weight quickly. If I dance, I lose the weight, it’s easy! Reminds me of this video:
I can’t see my abs, and I’ve got jiggle, so keep your workout. I’m just saying that “moving more” is a great side benefit that I’ve gotten from my dancing.
Maybe I’ll do some research into weight loss because I’ve been wanting to have a build like a superhero since I was six. If I find something good I’ll let you know, or if you have some suggestions for me let me know at eddie@thedanceshack.com
The first question people usually ask when they hear about our group classes is, “Do I need a partner?”
The answer of course is no, after all, that’s our tag line, No Partner Needed. But if we teach partner dancing, then how do you not need a partner?
Simple, we switch partners in the classes! The men and women each form their own line, facing each other. The instructor teaches everybody their part. Then everyone gets to practice it with the person across from them. If there’s no one across from them, they practice on their own. Not for long though, because when the instructor calls out for you to switch partners, you will have a partner, even if you came alone. So – no partner needed.
On a private lesson, your instructor will be your partner. We will of course pair you up with a partner of the opposite sex. After a few classes you’ll feel comfortable enough to attend our practice parties. At the practice parties everyone will be dancing with everyone. And we ask that you dance often and with everybody, it will make everyone feel good, and will get you used to asking people to dance when you are outside the studio.
Even away from the studio, once you’re able to dance, it’s pretty easy to find partners. We have Nights Out, where we all meet at a selected location and time to go dancing. When people see that you can dance, they will approach you to dance with you. This is a great thing about dancing, it’s very social. It’s a great ice-breaker, and a great way to keep the interaction going even if you run out of things to say.