Don’t have a regular dance partner? Not a problem! Our instructors are great at changing partners often during a class, so you won’t be solo for long. You’ll still have a great time and learn a whole lot about different leads and follows. Further, we work hard to balance the classes, by either bringing in volunteers, or asking our teaching assistants to step in (briefly) during instruction to make sure everyone gets a chance to learn and dance. Finally, we’ve also added a Line Dances class where we teach all the foundational elements of many dances.

We get it. Sometimes dance class is the only way you and your significant other can spend time together, and you would rather not be separated. You do not have to change partners. At the same time, we do find that changing partners helps everyone learn, so that if you’re struggling with a new step with one person, chances are that you will each get it sorted out with other dancers, and come back to your significant other having learned the step, leaving the two of you to enjoy your newly developed skills together.

When the outdoors are clear and dry, street shoes are fine to dance in, but you’ll have an easier time if your shoes have these qualities:

(1) Closed heels, which helps with spins and turns. We’ve seen what happens when people wear flip-flops or open-back shoes, and it isn’t pretty.

(2) Non-grip soles, which helps prevent knee injuries. No one wants to go into a fast spin and leave their knees behind.

(3) Dry soles. Many dancers have shoes specifically designed for dancing with suede or leather soles. If these soles get wet or too dirty, the shoe loses its effectiveness at allowing turns and slides. Your classmates will appreciate it if your shoes are at least dry before stepping onto the dance floor.

(4) Thin soles. Many dances look and work best when technique is followed, which is easier to do with a thin sole. Thick soles can obscure the difference between the inside-edge of your foot and the outside edge, making it difficult for you to master the techniques taught in class.

Dance shoes are specially built for optimal traction and contact with the dance floor, breathability, elegance, and sole thickness. Walking shoes will do until you are ready to invest in dancing shoes, however we encourage all dancers to invest in good dance shoes, which can be bought at a variety of specialized stores in Calgary:

Classique Dance and Activewear
http://www.classiquedancewear.ca
North Location
5270 Silver Spring Blvd NW
Calgary, AB, T3B 4N7
Tel: 587-354-2675
Email: classiquenw@gmail.com
South Location
6624 Centre St South
Calgary, AB, T2H 0C6
Tel: 403-263-4828
Email: classique@telus.net

The Masque
http://www.themasque.ca
9250 Macleod Trail S.E.
Tel: 403-230-3306

Muge Dance Shoes
http://www.mugewear.com
#202 3132 26th St NE
Calgary, AB, T1Y 6Z1
Tel: 403-263-9500
Email: calgary@mugewear.com

For our dance classes, workshops, and practices, we want everyone to feel comfortable. So, if that means dressing up a bit to make you feel good, or jeans and a t-shirt after a long day at the office, either is great!

Our monthly dances are a great opportunity to dress it up if you like, and our bi-annual galas (Christmas and Primavera) are definitely an occasion to dress up a bit.

REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!
One of the best ways to retain material learned in class is to go over it all again at least once when you get home after class. Practicing your steps (even if that is just in your head) in the elevator, at the bus stop, c-train station, or while waiting for your morning coffee to brew – these are all great ways to review what you’ve learned.

UNEXPECTED OPPORTUNITIES
Stuck at a long traffic light? Work on your core isolations and posture! On hold while on the phone or adverts are on the TV? Practice your steps.

LISTEN TO MUSIC!
One of the best ways to learn a new beat or rhythm is to listen to music for that dance. Your mind and body will get used to finding the beat, making it easier for you to stay in time during class and at our dances.

The Calgary Dance Club strives to ensure that everyone is in the class that’s most appropriate for their skill level, and our instructors carefully fine-tune their lessons to suit the majority of learners in a given class. If you find that you are really struggling, speak to the administrative assistant at the front desk and they will help you transfer to a more appropriate class at no extra cost to you.

We normally run several Dance level 1 classes in a week. The schedule is intended to allow people who are not able to make it for a specific day to select another day. Unfortunately, this is not intended for students to attend a class other than the one where they registered. Nevertheless, you are able to drop in on any other class of the same level that you registered in by paying the applicable drop-in fee.

Don’t know what songs will work for each dance? Each week our social media team posts Practice Tune Tuesday songs in The Calgary Dance Club Online Community Facebook Group for each of your classes for you to practice and review with.

We have also launched our own Spotify series of playlists, which we’ll be using at our Monthly Theme Dances, Workshops, and more! To find these playlists, please search for yycdanceclub in playlists on Spotify. 

Need more? Ask your instructor for suggestions, and they’ll be more than happy to point you in the right direction.

There’s also a wealth of information and song lists online. Three of our favorite resources are (1) Promote Dancing (http://promotedancing.com/), (2) Spotify playlists for each dance, and (3) our own Don Grout has put together a collection of songs for his West Coast Swing classes as well on his website (http://dongrout.000webhostapp.com/wcsmusic.htm).