Private lessons offer the chance to learn dances that are not taught in regular classes. Group classes are fine for learning figures in the standard dances: Waltz, Tango, Quickstep, Slow Foxtrot, Cha Cha, Rumba, Samba, Jive, and the regular New Vogue dances, but to learn other dances and genres such as the Argentine Tango , Classical Ballet , Contemporary , English Old Time , Lambada , Lindy Hop , Lyrical , Mambo , the Paso Doble , Reggaeton , Rock'n'Roll , Viennese Waltz , and West Coast Swing, private lessons are necessary.

For two people to move together, it is necessary for both to agree on a vocabulary of movements. This requires some discipline and practice, both of which often appear to be anathemas to a younger generation who think that if it doesn't happen now with no effort, then it is not worthy of thought.

However attending weekly dance classes soon converts the four left feet of you and your partner into a coordinated locomotion machine, and you can both start thinking about matching the character of your movements to the mood of the music.

Also, whilst group classes are an excellent way of learning new figures and basic figures in new dances, every person is different in how they interpret these, and lead and follow them while dancing them with a partner, and how their lifetime habits limit the ease of performing them.

Many of the problems that people have in trying learn to dance or to improve their dancing, stem from habits of movement acquired over many years of ordinary living. They are often so ingrained as to be totally subconscious. Only by asking the help of someone trained to observe and identify these problems can these habits be brought to a student's awareness and rectified.

Private lessons allow the teacher to work directly with an individual or couple on such problems at their own level and pace.

Dancing is a pleasure, and it also is very good for one's general fitness. At social dances, one may choose dances through an evening that are of a speed and duration that accommodate one's own fitness level, and keep all the joints moving that otherwise are inclined to seize up somewhat in older folk.

Many people think that wriggling like a frightened worm is dancing, but others know that holding a partner, and moving together is quite blissful.

Partner dancing comes in several genres, for example Ballroom, Latin, and Sequence dancing. These are all done to music of various tempos and rhythms. Every different dance has its own character, such as the seductive Rumba, the cheerful Quickstep, and the romantic Waltz.

The Standard Ballroom dances consist of the Waltzes (fast and slow), the Tango, the Slow Foxtrot and the Quickstep. These have evolved over several hundred years from the dancing done originally in the royal courts of Europe, and still to this day have a regal upright deportment. These dances progress around the room anticlockwise.

The Latin dances consist of the Samba, Rumba, ChaCha, Jive, Salsa, Paso Doble, and a number of other dances from the Caribbean and South America. They generally have sinuous hip movements that are syncronised with the half beats between the steps. Indeed, the dances are generally non-progressive, and the whole emphasis is on the hip movements rather on the steps themselves. The syncopated action takes some practice to accomplish, and is a considerable challenge for people with a European or Asiatic background. Needless to say, it is very good exercise for the lower back and tummy muscles.

There are two curious paradoxical facts about dancing. One is that this real dancing feels great even if it looks rather ordinary to an onlooker. The other is curiously that the better it looks then the better it feels.

This latter fact is why couples enter DanceSport competitions, to give themselves the incentive to make their dancing look good. It is not for showing off. It really just enhances the feelings. And these are the most wonderful thing about dancing.

The movements of each of the dances are broken down, for teaching, into named figures, each consisting of a few actual steps. For example a figure called the "Reverse Turn" exists in different forms in many dances, and usually has 6 steps. Roughly 200 figures exist for each of the Ballroom and Latin dances, and each figure takes about an hour of instruction and practice to master. For social dancing, learning the half a dozen or so basic figures in each dance is sufficient.

Partner dancing is one of the most intimate activities a person can do in a social environment, and much of a dancer's personality is revealed to an audience and especially to their partner by their dancing.

Neale and Nicole and their staff are fully qualified to teach these dances to singles, couples, wedding groups, social groups, debutantes, and DanceSport competitors.

Private lessons are normally 45 mins in duration, by appointment only. Please allow 24 hours notice of any change to an appointment.

Studio Hours (provided appointments are made):