Dance Lessons - Better Than Counseling

Being a dance instructor is honestly one of the most rewarding careers a person can have. I'm not even exaggerating. At Dance FX Studios, we help people grow both in dance and in themselves. Don't believe me? Here's a post I read today that another instructor friend* wrote:

"Best private lesson ever! I had a couple I hadn't seen in 2 years ask me yesterday out of the blue for a private. After an hour of Bachata they decided this was a better investment than their marriage counseling! You can learn a lot about how to treat your partner if you pay attention ;) All 3 of us left happy."

*The instructor's identity is being kept anonymous for privacy purposes.

The best part about that story is that it is nowhere near the first time this has happened. I think every instructor I know has at least one (usually many more) stories of marriages that have been helped by dance lessons. Although it isn't as mainstream as counseling, private ballroom or social dance lessons have a reputation for bringing people together. Even one of the couples on "Married at First Sight" decided to give dance lessons a try!

No matter what style you decide to go for, be it Country Dancing or Swing Dancing, you can expect to grow closer in your relationship. Any type of partner dance requires an incredible amount of trust and respect for your partner. If this is missing in your day-to-day life, private dance lessons allow you to slowly build that with each lesson. This is especially true if you venture into a dance studio that focuses on true lead and follow, like Dance FX Studios. By focusing on the communication aspect of dance, instead of just learning routines, you learn to truly listen to one another!

Dance lessons are also great for bonding because you are working together to reach a goal. That is the definition of partnership... and marriage. By coming together to learn a new skill, you can support one another while working and growing together. Not only do you come out with a fun new hobby, but you come out with a renewed sense of respect for your partner's hard work. Learning to dance is a challenge, but it's a worthwhile challenge, no doubt.

Last but not least, dancing together is known to spark chemistry back into a romance that may have faded. There are a few sensual dances, such as Bachata and Argentine Tango, that are known for bringing a little fire back in your eyes. There's nothing quite like a man really taking charge on the dance floor, while allowing the woman to feel sexy, feminine, and graceful. If the passion has waned, these dances definitely bring some spark.

We love helping people grow together. Not only have we helped couples reconnect, but we've helped newer couples grow in their young love. Whether you're a seasoned veteran, or just getting started in the world of dance, partner dancing is an incredible tool to have in your back pocket. Join us at Dance FX Studios in Mesa, AZ for a little dance therapy. We're located just minutes away from Tempe, Scottsdale, Phoenix, Chandler, and Gilbert, ready to bring love back into your lives! Call us at 480-968-6177 and set up your introductory lesson today. Let's share the love!

Real Men Two-Step

We at Dance FX Studios in Mesa, Arizona are avid Country dance fans! Anything from the AZ Two-Step to Country Swing, we just love the fun, energetic dances that come along with Country music. So let's talk about a few of the different boot-scootin' dances that you can whip out at your favorite Country dance bar!

AZ Two-Step

Arizona Two-Step is a great dance for your mid to fast-tempo songs. Think along the lines of "Wagon Wheel," "How Bout Them Cowgirls," or "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy", to name a few popular Country dance songs out today. These songs keep a comfortable walking pace and are fantastic for the relaxed, but fun feel of  the Country Two-Step. This is a dance that can look and feel effortless while still keeping your partner entertained!

Country Swing

Country Swing is a super exciting dance for your uptempo songs! With lots of turns and pivoting around your partner, the Country Swing is the perfect choice for crowded dance floor and fast beats. Songs like "Guitars and Tiki Bars," "Knee Deep," and "She's Country" are a few examples of the tempo you want to look for. Just be sure to take your Cowboy hat off before you try all those spins and twirls!

Country Nite Club

Country Nite Club is our (and your!) go-to slow dance. It's a romantic, smooth dance that can be simple and beautiful, or a bit showier, depending on your personal style. It matches just about any genre, but fits incredibly well with songs like "Bless the Broken Road," "I Do (Cherish You)," and "Desperately". With smooth gliding steps and a nice closed embrace, Nite Club 2 Step is basically a grown up version of what we like to call "the 8th grade sway."

Country dancing is pretty much a staple in the greater Phoenix area. The best way to hone your skills and gain confidence on the dance floor is through private dance lessons here at Dance FX Studios in Arizona. We can even introduce you to other country dances like the Country Waltz and West Coast Swing if you want to become a Country dance superstar! We are just minutes away from Scottsdale, Tempe, and Chandler,AZ but anyone from Queen Creek to Flagstaff is welcome to come try out lessons with us. Country isn't your thing? We also teach Latin, Swing, Ballroom, and Argentine Tango, so anyone can find the dance that's right for them.

Looking for a place to practice your new skills? Check out our Country Dance Party on Saturday, April 12, 2014. Live music, a Country Swing Lesson, treats, and a night full of dance si what you can expect! Get your tickets today for just $15 per person and enjoy an evening of fun with us!

Why Everyone Should Partner Dance

Social ballroom dancing is just the best. Everything about it is simply great. Of course, dancing by yourself can be a blast, but nothing quite matches the intimacy and creativity of partner dancing. Here at Dance FX Studios in Mesa, AZ, we see dance transform lives daily. Whether it's a single guy learning to  Country dance, a couple trying their hand at Argentine Tango, or a single lady who is learning to get her hips moving with some Latin dancing, the end result is the same - happier, healthier people! Everyone has something to gain from partner dancing, they just may not know it yet. Social partner dancing helps you...

Look Better

Dancing is incredibly active - especially dances like Salsa and Jitterbug. Swing dancing can burn as much as 550 calories an hour (or more if you get really into it). That's a pretty sweet, not to mention a fun, cardio workout. Salsa lessons burns around 405 an hour, and even slower ballroom dances can burn between 150 and 320 calories an hour.

Even if you aren't in it for the athletic side of things, private dance lessons can help improve posture, balance, coordination, and even add a bit of grace.

Feel Better

Did you know dancing triggers the release of endorphins? Just like any other exercise, dancing helps your brain release those feel-good chemicals to brighten your mood. Dance also has the added bonus of music, which already tends to lift spirits on its own. It's like the perfect dose of endorphins and sometimes adrenaline (if you are actively trying to impress someone). We also gain a lot of confidence through partner dancing.  Not only do we have a super fun skill, but we are constantly affirmed by the dancers around us. There's nothing quite like hearing "yes" from everyone (or just about everyone) you ask to dance. Knowing how to Country Two Step or Foxtrot is quite the confidence booster!

Communicate Better

Have you ever heard someone say that dancing is like another language? Because it is! Dancing is a great way to express yourself, but on a whole new level with ballroom dancing. You are no longer just expressing yourself, but you are communicating physically as a leader and a follower. By honing in on these nonverbal skills, we learn to truly listen to our partner.  We also create a much deeper sense of trust between leader and follower - he IS telling her where to go and what to do, after all.

As much as I love talking about how great partner dancing is, it's not the same as finding out for yourself. Come visit us in Mesa, Arizona just off the 60 and the 101 freeways. If private dance lessons aren't for you, we also have awesome group dance classes as well as Zumba fitness classes with incredible certified instructors. Call us at 480.968.6177 or email us at info@dancefxstudios.com to see what we're all about. Already know how to dance? Join us for a Country Dance Party on April 12, 2014!

Men: It's Time to Dance!

Most men think they don’t like to dance. They might think it isn’t masculine or that they would be terrible at it and it would be too hard to learn. The reality is that dancing is FUN and we can make it easier for you! It provides an outlet for self-expression, boosts confidence, and gets them close to a woman on the dance floor. Even better, the man is in control on the dance floor! That’s right, the man is the leader and the woman follows his cues as he guides her and sweeps her off her feet. Dance FX Studios in Mesa, Arizona has been putting men in control and in tune with themselves for twelve years. Twelve years of experience making dance lessons a great experience for thousands of men, single and taken, makes us a leading social ballroom dance studio in Arizona. Teaching everything from the playful West Coast Swing to the sultry Argentine Tango, we are the studio that will make you feel right at home.

As a man, you should learn to dance because it’s a fun and exciting form of exercise. It raises your heart rate, works off extra body fat, and builds muscle. It uses a wide variety of motions to engage multiple muscle groups in an effective, dynamic way.  Because it is enjoyable, it is a much easier form of exercise to stick to and keep up your fitness with. It’s also very good for coordination and balance because it engages so many muscles and requires multiple body parts to work together. It can definitely prove as a nice mental and physical break from hitting the gym or running laps! 

Second to the dance skills you will obtain, perhaps one of the most important things you will gain from dancing is the confidence and sense of accomplishment you will find through lessons. Your newfound ability to lead your partner will give you confidence on the dance floor and off. Mastering the moves and dance styles you are learning will make you feel accomplished and give you assurance that you can truly dance the night away. You will be able to take what you learn and improvise on a dance floor outside of a lesson, impressing you partner and making her smile (and you, too!). This confidence boost will manifest in other areas of your life as well; you will walk taller and more proud with your shoulders back. Using body language and trust to communicate on the dance floor will improve your communication skills and bond and provide a new aspect of intimacy for you and your partner. This proves to be a great thing whether you have been married for thirty years or you just met someone new.

Having dance skills is undeniably a social asset. At Dance FX Studios, we teach you social dancing skills, not competitive dancing techniques. Not only will you gain knowledge of moves and styles, we also teach you proper dance form and how to lead and connect with your partner.  Knowing how to dance is very useful at weddings, parties, nightclubs, bars, and other social settings. Having fun is much easier when you know what you’re doing and can lead a lady around the dance floor. Your partner will also have more fun if they can follow your lead and trust your moves. Improved communicative abilities with your partner and increased self-confidence will  make it so much easier to just let go and enjoy yourself.

All of these perks are beneficial for men whether they are single or not. For single men, learning to dance will help tremendously on the dating scene. Most women love to dance and they love a guy who knows how to dance; her toes go unsquished and she doesn’t have to bear through awkward, jerky dances with the same repetitive moves over and over again.   A man who is willing to lead her on the dance floor is attractive, but a lot of men aren’t inclined to do so. If you learn to dance and become one of those men who can dance and lead her, that sets you apart from the crowd! 

For those men who are not single, chances are your wife or girlfriend loves to dance and wishes you would dance with her more often. When you discover the benefits of dance, you will be able and willing to take your lady out dancing. If you are married, you know that a happy wife is a happy life! Make her smile by taking time to learn something for her – and with her! As a couple, you will turn heads when you go to weddings or when you go out on date nights. Who doesn’t love looking talented and connected as a pair? Remember, she wants you to dance with her. Dance lessons are a great couple’s activity and you will earn major brownie points if you take regular lessons with her. Learning to dance takes time, so recurrent lessons will give you the ability to take your wife or girlfriend out and dance the night away regularly.

No matter what type of dance lessons you want to take, the sexy Salsa, intimate Tango, or honky tonkin’ Country Two Step,– we can equip you to go out into the social dancing world with the confidence and ability to show someone a great time, while enjoying yourself thoroughly! Just an hour of our time is all we need to show you how fun and rewarding learning to dance can be for you, men. Our $40 Introductory Offer is an excellent way to test the waters – you will discuss what types of dances you are interested in with your instructor and get out on the floor and start learning. Call us or visit us today and we can get you started!

Top 3 Ways Ballroom Dancing Will Enhance Your Relationship

Valentine's Day 2014 is tomorrow for all of those last-minute shoppers who are looking for the the perfect gift for their sweethearts. If you haven't an idea of something fun, creative and original for your special someone, do we have the perfect Valentine's Day gift idea for you: Private dance lessons with us at Dance FX Studios in Mesa, Arizona, of course! Come in to explore to fun and excitement of Country dancing, Latin, or Tango dancing and see for yourself why dance lessons for couples make for the BEST gift of the season! Dance lessons for two are special on so many levels. Why, you may be wondering. Let me explain:

1. Time to re-connect: When you are enjoying a new and romantic hobby together, how can you help but fall back in love with each other again? Ballroom dance lessons in popular dances like the Swing provide the perfect balance of fun and relaxation. When you make time to give to each other without distractions, we have found that couples have reignited the passion that they once had. Reconnecting is key to a long-lasting, happy relationship. How is that even possible with kids, work and life? Just making the time by setting up a private dance lesson is the start. From there, you will see how important it is to set those date nights aside just for the two of you.

2. Dancing affects the mind, body and spirit: Dancing is powerful in so many ways. From gaining more confidence to shedding unwanted weight to learning a hobby that you can share forever with your loved one, Salsa or Two Step lessons gives you these benefits and so much more! While it may be out of your comfort zone to try something as unique as dance lessons, you will be forever changed by the positive aspects of learning to dance.

3. You can dance anywhere!: From a beach club resort to a company holiday party to a Country bar, couples that can social dance have a hobby that they can use anywhere! Heck, some people don't even need to leave their living room to enjoy spending time with each other dancing to their favorite tunes. How cool is that! Rain or shine, social dancing is something that you can enjoy anywhere. Hey, with more practice, you even get better as you are having fun!

Arizona couples, give each other the gift of dance for this Valentine's Day and beyond. Contact us at info@dancefxstudios.com for details or check out our website to see what makes us unique in the Phoenix Valley. Enhancing lives through dance is what we love to do so let us help you to grow closer together right here at Dance FX Studios.