Dancing Styles & Dance Moves for Beginners by Ant Onaf

There are so many different genres of dance that one can feel overwhelmed when he or she thinks of learning to dance. However it is not as complicated as it seems.
Firstly, to excel at a certain style it may take years of practice, to be able to cope with several types of dancing is not quite as hard. For many people who enjoy a range of activities, it is much more beneficial to learn a little about each style and not a lot about just one. This is because the usual person in today's world will be exposed and often "pressured" into dancing at a variety of events. Therefore someone may encounter hip-hop, ballroom, and break dancing styles all in a very short period of time.

The purpose of this article is to give an overview of the main types of dance and some of the moves needed for each.

Hip-hop is a great dance style to be familiar with as it can be used whenever there is a faster beat. Also, don't think that hip-hop is just for those with baggy pants and lots of neck chains, anyone can benefit from acquiring this skill.

The most basic element of this genre is time-steps, a name also used for ballet moves. These require that you step in certain directions in time with the beat that is playing. "Step-tap" is one of these moves where you step to one side and then follow with your other foot and tapping it as it lands, continue this left and right.

A variation of this is "tap-step" where you tap with your first foot. You can experiment with many variations of these time-steps and maybe even create some of your own.

Another basic movement which looks great with a fast beat is isolations, where you separate movement in the upper body from the lower body. This can mean moving your shoulders back and forward while the rest of your body is still or swiveling your ankles creating movement while the rest of your body is still. These moves are the basics of hip-hop dance and should help in any club or dance party.

Ballroom dances can be some of the most difficult to perform perfectly due to the high levels of coordination required. However with some very handy tips, you should be able to impress, even if it's only at your next wedding.

Firstly, always move in a counterclockwise direction and the closer you are to the middle of the dance floor, the slower you should go. This is a helpful tip to remember as it gives direction and purpose which will affect the rest of your dancing. Another easy tip is that if you are a woman, you should start with your right foot as opposed to a man, who should lead with his left.

If you want to impress your dancing partner, try this one technique. Just before you launch off, lean into the direction you will go and lean according to how far you will step. This tells your partner you are ready to go and does not jerk them roughly. These tips will hopefully save you from embarrassment on the slower dance floors where everything is under scrutiny.

Although break dancing may sound like something you would never want to do let alone try doing, break dancing for beginners can give you a few simple moves that will help keep you in time with the beat while helping you relax and enjoy your time spent dancing.

These moves are for the club or disco although you are free to show them off at the next ball or wedding you attend. The first move is the hand glide and just requires you to put one hand on the floor and tuck the other into your chest, then use your free hand to push yourself around until you are spinning on your hand. You can go as fast as you can manage. A head spin is a great looking move which isn't as hard as it seems, place your head and hands on the floor and spin around. Much practice may be needed!

Not only are these moves fun, but they are great at building muscle strength.

So don't worry if you can't master all of these techniques, as long as you got some handy tips then you are already much better off. You are probably now a much better dancer than the average person. If you were very intrigued by one or more of these styles then maybe you should take up a course in your local town or city in order to really improve your skills. You may not have seen yourself as a dancer but it is something that with a little practice, anyone can impress with.