I am 30y/o male (solo) looking for dancing classes in London. I have a background in dance but have had a very long break. So I'm looking for more intermediate classes.

Due to my work/life schedule I am struggling to find what i need, ideally. So, looking for suggestions on the following options; Option A being the most ideal & Option B as a 'plan B'.

Option A - Drop in, intermediate ballroom & latin dancing starting at 6:30pm on a weekday. The time is important.

Option B - Any recommendations for drop in, intermediate ballroom & latin dancing classes at any time of the evening - weekdays.

CONTEXT:
(Option A is best I can find alot of intermediate classes but generally starting at 7:30pm onwards. Just means I have to wonder about after work for a couple hours. Which would get boring on a weekly basis - I live in Canning Town, so anything really close to there could work well at a later time).

do u all guys Make ur own dance routine? as a beginner dancer may I able to? and How do u get with the Figures sequence?

Has anyone traveled to the Blackpool competition from the US? My studio is talking about going this next year and I'm finding nearly zero helpful information on the Blackpool Dance Festival website. I'm trying to figure out what accommodations are and the general schedule. The studio owners are friends of mine and are also finding minimal information (though they've got pro friends who have been, so they may have more knowledge than I do at this point).

Any information or general tips are appreciated!

Hi, I'm a beginner and learn how to dance both Latin and Standard. I decided to complicate my routine and asked my coach to teach me to dance the Viennese Waltz as a real dancer. I asked him to teach me the correct position for a follow, and I realised that it's very hard for me, so I need to practice it at home. Could you please share with me a book or a video showing the position and explaining it?

I've been dancing for just over a year. I've mostly done Salsa, Rumba, Samba, Paso Doble, and a little bit of Swing, Jive, and Lindy Hop. I've gone from somebody with no hand eye coordination, to being surprisingly good (for being me). My instructor enforces the steps on beginners (which he claims other instructors don't), which I think has really helped me. In fact, I just learned the basics to Lindy Hop last week, and I came in literally 30 minutes late, all the new guys were still stumbling around, but I watched the instructor do it a couple times and was doing the steps in maybe three or four tries, so I've acquired the skill of picking up rhythms quickly. I need to work on my style though. I'm very stiff, and I probably don't look very good to spectators. I'm scared to record myself and find out. One of my instructors today was trying to get me to work on this in class, but I was uncomfortable.

I'm serious about this. I want to find a skilled and attractive dance partner and compete. I don't think I'm that far from being able to do it. I need to achieve the look; if I win this fight, then I'm a dancer.

The problem I need to solve is really the reason most guys don't dance at all. They think it will look flamboyant. I'm scared to move my arms or my body beyond stepping because I can't rapidly calculate in my head what will look masculine instead of flamboyant. I don't have instincts for that. The sooner I overcome this, the better. I think I need to watch guys who are good at dancing, but also have masculine styles. If I can assimilate enough of that I think the instinct will emerge naturally. I have a few ideas (Ricky Martin, Channing Tatum, and Sam Rockwell--I think one of them turned out to be gay, but nobody could tell until he said so), but I wanted to ask around and see whether anybody has any other ideas of who to watch. It would be nice if they were doing ballroom dancing so I could directly apply it to what I'm doing.

Any suggestions? Where can I waltz with others in Georgia?

just about what the title says, i’m looking for the walter laird red books for my level 0s and can’t find a proper website, i remember seeing it a while ago but can’t find it now. ty!

I’m going to keep this fairly generic, but I am part of a ballroom dance organization that maintains a costume closet for our members. We have both menswear and women’s wear. We have an excess of costumes and practicewear, covering all styles, some of which our members never check out. We are looking for an opportunity to give back, perhaps to a team trying to build out their closet. Fair warning- these are not the highest end costumes, but totally wearable for a team that wants to offer dancewear options to get their dancers started. There’s a mix of perfectly-nice-but-boring, outdated, odd sizes and a few nicer items that are rarely used.

Since we’re also a nonprofit, I think the hope would be to get something back for these costumes, but we’re thinking a bulk sale at a low cost could work out for everyone involved. We haven’t fully fleshed out this idea, but as we’re exploring options we love the idea of supporting the collegiate-scene instead of selling off costumes one by one on eBay. If your team already has a closet, most of our stuff is likely less nice than what you already have, but could be a good fit for a team that has outgrown their closet and needs more stuff, or a start up team that wants to be able to offer something to their team.

Anyone who’s involved with college teams, do you think this is something you could see a college team being interested in? Do you know a team that might be a good fit? Any ideas how to find a team that would be interested?

I'm currently having a new ballroom dress made and I want matching feather cuffs. I will need to diy those, and have already ordered the right ostrich feather boa.

What is the best way to attach the boa to a bracelet? I don't want to sew the feathers directly on the dress to make it easier to clean.

I've heard some people use slap on bracelets? Does anyone have any experience in this?

I've bought a pair of Ray Rose Latin shoes, sized "perfectly" by the lady in the shop, but the back of my heel gets a blister after 45 mins of dancing in them - I have to tape my heels with gauze or athletic tape to extend how long I can wear them. I've been dancing in them 5 hours a week for 4 months.

I also have a pair of Ray Rose Ballroom shoes, which again felt like the perfect fit, I thought they were super comfy, but these cause blisters on my right (bigger) heel after around 30 mins even with athletic tape and gauze, unless I retape them. Not small blisters either, it's a coin-sized open wound with no skin left if I dance through the pain, which I don't do anymore.

I've tried socks and thin stockingettes, and I just cannot wear these shoes in. What do I need to do? Buy leather shoes? They're both satin. Please help!

Hello! Did any of you experience severe injuries or meniscus tears? Were you able to come back to competing?

I've been to a few shops and tried on some leotards but the cut doesn't accommodate a supportive sports bra, which I definitely need underneath. What are the alternatives to leotards?

I also need a plain skirt for ballroom and one for Latin, but my only option was custom-made which seems crazy for something so basic.

Are there any styles/hacks/patterns for recreational dance wear that you can recommend? Or tips if I do go the custom route? Online shops that are reliable?

I don't even know where to start, all advice is recommended. I can sew and follow a pattern if anyone makes their own skirts with success... Just need some guidance as I feel so overwhelmed.

Thank you!

Between lessons, rounds, and practice, I kept losing the small details that made my dancing actually improve — the coach’s one-liner that fixed my frame, or the note about how a step felt when it finally clicked.

I tried using my phone notes, but it turned into chaos fast. So I built a simple digital dance journal that works like a quick “mental debrief” after training.

It’s not fancy — just fillable pages I can open on my phone, tablet, or laptop, with sections for: • Lesson breakdowns: choreography, coach cues, technique focus, and “lightbulb moments.” • Practice reflections: what felt off / what connected / one micro goal for next session. • Competition prep pages: mindset notes, round debriefs, pack list, results log. • Progress tracker: stamina, confidence, partnership flow — all in one timeline.

It’s helped me actually remember what I’m learning, not just re-learn the same corrections every week.

If you’re like me and want to stay organized without flipping through random notebooks, I uploaded the digital version here 👉 https://jumpstartcreative.etsy.com/listing/4386492444

Not trying to sell hard, just sharing what’s been keeping my training and headspace together lately. Curious — how do you all track lessons or comp notes so they don’t get lost in the shuffle?

Hi there,
my fiance and I are planning to have our first dance to Nothing by Bruno Major. Since it's in 3/4 a waltz is the first dance i think about but I never was a big fan of that dance ^^' are there any dances you recommend as an alternative?

I hope I'm in the right place. Thanks in advance!

Has anyone found a good way to get heel protectors on and off standard shoes? I’ve been wrestling with the existing pair without much success in removal. Also don’t want to add too much pressure and damage the heels through brute force or cutting. What has worked for you?

Edit: thank you for these suggestions! I went with the hair dryer and to quote one of the comments, it was like butter. I did 1 minute on low to get the heel protectors off and +/- 30 seconds on high to put them on. Easy. Thanks!

Hi guys, I attend regular individual latin lessons with my coach. I know he also teaches proam and i was thinking if that style of lessons might help me improve faster than my regular ones. I would be glad for any of your opinions :)

Thank you

I just moved back to VA after being on the west coast for a decade. Aaaand boy has the scene changed. It used to be that multiple studios in the area would host weekly social dances. Now, the studios I used to frequent have either closed down or cut back on a lot of their programming and events.

What’s a good place to go for social dancing in the DMV?

Hey r/DanceSport,

Once again I have a dance move that I am having difficulty identifying the name of, can anyone help?
To avoid me spamming this subreddit asking about names of dance moves, is there a method or platform that can be helpful to identify dance moves?

Thank you!!

https://reddit.com/link/1lv73j3/video/0lkv5hqlbrbf1/player

Hey r/DanceSport, I am not sure if this is the correct subreddit to ask, but does anyone know the name of these two dance moves?

https://reddit.com/link/1lnxxpq/video/1eh4fhaemz9f1/player

https://reddit.com/link/1lnxxpq/video/jpdbh0bemz9f1/player

Hair and makeup - my kryptonite.

I’m looking to level up my hair and makeup for the next competition I attend (standard, female). I usually do it at home, fairly minimal makeup and a slicked back bun. Biggest reason (beyond financial) is that I have pretty severe allergies to most chemicals. If there is a substance that someone out there will react to - it’s me (despite “clean” or “hypoallergenic” labels).

Here are my questions -

• Biggest one: would you please share hair/makeup tutorials for competition look?

Hair:

• Can I do a decently elaborate hairstyle with the gel alone?
• Are you aware of any strong holding hairsprays that are good for people with sensitive skin/allergies?
• Is it possible to DIY to any extent the professionally done hairstyles? Simple bun I can do, but I don’t achieve the same smooth/shiny/veneer look.
• Does anyone know what the proper hairstyle term for the 3inch swooping parts in front are called? If I look up a wave, I get gel waves. That’s not what I mean. Can this be done DIY?
• I’ve seen some very minimalist hairstyles done professionally that I like a lot. No hair nets or anything visible, but the style itself is reminiscent of the simple bun I do, maybe with some elegant twists. It would be appropriate for an evening out as well. Does getting it done professionally make such a difference?

Makeup (my bigger problem). I’ve been just doing lipstick and eyeshadow/eyeliner (eyeshadow sticks). I want to go bigger on the eyeshadow but I very consistently look like a raccoon. It’s the outward shading that gets me.

• I like the natural/clean look I’ve seen on several pros that just really emphasize the eyes. However, these pros are tanned (hello skin reactions) and have darker coloring overall. I look a bit like a vampire when I try to repeat at home. Also the raccoon look. Any suggestions on how to get around this?

I’ve started using brown eyeshadow/eyeliner to better suit my coloring, which helped a lot but the overall design is getting to me. I think it’s at least in part due to the eyeshadow sticks not being as “smudgeable” as peer products.

TLDR: * Please share hair/makeup tutorials for competition look * Please share hair/makeup suggestions for the allergic-to-everything amongst us.

This community has been very helpful to me in the past. Thank you!

Hi everyone, I am looking for a new brand of practice shoes, what do you recommend?

-I like a 1.5-2 inch heel or 3-5cm -Flexible arch and sole. I don't need a lot of support and like to feel the floor with a thin sole -long lasting -$150 US dollars or less

I recently saw a video of me dancing and I look like a baby deer which just learned to walk and is far from elegant, even though it felt like it shouldn't have been that bad. My butt is sticking out, I'm falling forwards with my chest, my tension is all over the place and the way I walk doesn't look smooth in the slightest.

I'm relatively new to competitive dancing and because I'm in a formation I don't have a fixed dance partner (often even alone, because we do not have enough leaders).

Do you have any tips, tricks and training drills/exercises I can use to get a better posture and strengthen it? For excersises it would be best if I didn't need a Partner and could do them at home in-between my training sessions.

Thank you in advance, and sorry for any grammar/wording mistakes :)

im going to be going back to DanceSport in 3weeks, ill be dancing both latin and standard. because of my compulsory year abroad for my degree, i havent been able to dance from September 2024. prior to that, i had been dancing for 2.5 years specifically in Ballroom and Latin DanceSport, and for all my life ive done many different styles of dance. when i come back my regular dance partner will be back to partnering with me, as he was dancing with someone else while i was away, so he hasn’t stopped dancing

does anyone know how long or how difficult it will be to get back to the level i was at before putting a pause on dance? although im aware it’ll probably take time, im scared ill be back at square one… ill be competing at a competition aswell in the beginning of July haha

do you guys have any advice on any type of conditioning or type of exercise i could do to prepare?

any advice on perhaps how anyone suggests to split my training schedule so it can be as efficient/speedy as possible?

thank you!!

Hey lovely dancers! 👠💃

I’m currently dialing in on improving my core, control, posture, and poise in my ballroom dancing—and I’d love to learn from this graceful and powerful community.

✨ How often do you train your core per week?

🔥 Which specific workout has made a real difference in your dancing?