Free Dance Lessons Online

Free dance lessons online, while easy enough to find, may be worth exactly what you pay for them. The fact is that there is no way that online lessons or DVDs can be a better teacher than an individual trained instructor (maybe even certified by Arthur Murray or Fred Astaire). Dance classes, whether individual or in groups, are very easy to find in the local phone book or with a google search for "local dance classes." There are also many social clubs and community centers which offer dance classes – and often these do not charge. Begin your search for these kinds of in-person free dance lessons online.

If for some reason you can't find a dance lesson that fits your needs in person, there is almost certainly some dance web site online that will help get you started in the form you are looking for. The trick is first to identify what you need, and second to make sure that the site is reputable and actually offers valuable information.

Dance is the oldest form of physical art known to man, and as such there are thousands, if not millions, of different ways to do it. While you may know exactly what type of dance you'd like to learn, keep in mind some factors that may narrow the field:

• Physical Ability – Having a realistic view of your own physical capabilities is important when starting to identify your dance goals. A forty-year old office worker will be sorely disappointed if he thinks that starting ballet will land him a spot in American Ballet Theatre. However, it is just as certain that even a beginning ballet class would benefit posture, balance, muscle tone, flexibility – so personal improvement may be a better goal for the aspiring dancer. On the other hand, the history of dance is filled with unlikely stars who have, through determination and persistence, managed to find their way to fame and fortune. One should never let reality do more than temper one's dreams.
• Choosing the Dance – With so many types of dance to choose from, picking out just one may seem daunting. A great place to start researching is right here at LoveToKnow Dance. With many articles on the history of dance, the steps to particular dance forms such as hip-hop and country, as well as many articles about online dance resources, one page can get even the most novice dancer started.
• Don't Forget the Music – While there are forms of dance that don't have any music at all, most do, and often the easiest way to find a type of dance that you like is simply to see what form is associated with the tunes you love. It may be classical ballets by Tchaikovsky or group line dances by Billy Ray Cyrus. Whatever it is, moving with music you like is the best way to find a dance form you will stick with in the long term.

Determining the validity of an online dance lesson site can be done using the following criteria:

• Author – Most sites will list the credentials of the author, whether that be experience in performance or teaching or both.
• Quality of Materials – A site should be updated frequently with fresh material. The videos should be well produced, the graphics load easily, the text be well-written and clear.
• Reviews – Possibly the most useful tool in evaluating the usefulness of an online dance lesson site is the reviews of other people who have used the site. Reputable sites will have these reviews on the site itself – otherwise Google can be used to find out what people think of a given site.

As mentioned earlier, the LoveToKnow Dance site has many articles about finding various forms of dance online. However, there are a couple of other aggregate sites that lead to many forms of dance online:

• LearnToDance.com showcases many types of dance in a no-frills site that introduces you to basic steps to get you started.
• Learning2Dance.com has somewhat better graphics and starts with videos right away, but also requires a signup in order to fully use the site.

• Photos of Ballet Dancers
• Dance Studio Equipment
• Pictures of Limbo Dancing

• Dance Steps to Thriller
• Popular Line Dances
• Famous Choreographers
• Country Line Dance Steps
• Famous Ballet Dancers

• Free Dance Moves
• Free Dance Graphics
• Free Ballroom Dance Instruction Videos
• Free Dance Routines Online
• Online Ballroom Dance Lessons