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Check the local YMCA or YWCA.

Latin dancing is fun even if you are a klutz (= me). Plus there's the tequila, rum, etc etc.

Trust me, when you are out dancing at a club, no one cares how well you are dancing except the dance nazis, and who cares what they think? At dance classes, no one cares how well you are dancing because they are so focused on how badly THEY are doing.

Go for it, dude.

I wonder if private lessons make sense. Or is that just being a chicken shit?

I see it as sort of like going to the tanning salon before you go to the beach.

I'm with ya, OIAL. Trouble is, there is no place near enough to where I am to make it feasible, at least during summer months. When I head back to my second home for winter, I intend to find a place for lessons. I want to do it for myself, too.

I once got xpos to agree to ballroom dance lessons maybe close to 20 years ago. It lasted maybe 3or 4 lessons out of the 8 or 10 I paid up front for. He REFUSED practice at home and acted very frustrated during the lessons, even though we were far from the worst there. As everyone knows, you don't ever get it or get better at it without practice!

Whenever anyone asked, he would blame me. Said I wouldn't dance. Partly true, because he would only dance slow dances. Well, at least until more recent years and I think he already had different partners for that.... and other things by that time.

Every studio I've danced at has basic, beginner lessons. I mean, zero experience. They teach in a group, and generally, you switch partners every couple minutes. The pro is that you learn to dance with a variety of people (dancing styles, heights, etc.), but the con is that sometimes the partners aren't very good either.

I actually met some really great girl friends through my group lessons, but I had to actively seek them out. I've avoided meeting guys that way, because I've mostly done swing, and guys who are really into swing tend to be a little too out there for me.

So I need some help. I've googled a bit and there are 6 billion and one different dance styles to choose from.

Try something like swing or an english waltz. Waltz might actually be your friend, since you're supposed to have a strong frame.

I think private lessons are perfect for me. The ballroom lessons were only for couples, so that would be out for me anyway.

With private lessons, you will learn your moves and how to hold and lead a partner. Just think how impressed a woman would be to go out there and be led confidently by you! In that way, it's better to be a man taking private lessons.

Just think how impressed a woman would be to go out there and be led confidently by you!

This is fun and when you can lead well you can lead a novice to do stuff they don't know that's when they get giddy.

Swing is a genre of dancing. There are many forms under it. A jitterbug and a east coast (triple step) are similar you can easily learn both as the moves carry over. Jitterbug is for the faster tempos and East coast for the medium. Then there is West Coast Swing one of my favorites used in the slower stuff.

On the latin side, Merengue and salsa are very common and used in many clubs. Bachata is also finding it's way into the same clubs.

But you can branch out. If you want. I've taking private and group lessons for almost 2 years now. I've learned moves in over a dozen dances. I've been able to use this knowledge to dance while traveling to SI g2gs.

I understand your concern about being stiff. When I first started I was doing the waltz like frankenstein. Now my waltz is so much smoother. Private lessons can be pricy which is why I suggested looking for a dance lesson/"party" event because then it would be cheap. You'd get to try out the dance and it would be a dance that gets used in clubs.

If you have any questions, PM me. I'd be happy to go on and on about my experience.

BTW the toughest thing I had to do about learning to dance was entering the studio doors for the 1st time. That was the worst.

Brilliant idea OIAL!! Dancing makes you aware of your body and absolutely present in your own skin.

It is one of my greatest joys - I'm more into 80's than ballroom but its the same connectedness and... freedom?

Getting comfortable in your own skin is absolutely the right thing to do at any age.

Ballroom dancing is on my bucket list.

I think dancing is sexy and romantic...and I mean real dancing, not the dry humping that happens on the dance floor these days.

In the town over from me they offer group classes where they claim you do not need a partner. I think it would be sort of fun to go be bad at it with a group of folks. But I'm sympathetic to why you might prefer to get your feet wet in private lessons.

In any case - do it!!!