Stepping onto the floor at your first practice party, you may feel the nerves start to kick in. You feel relatively confident with what you have been practicing in class and private lessons, but to dance with other people? Stepping that far out of your comfort zone for the first time requires a large dose of confidence.
Oh no. The music has begun! Someone is walking up to you and offering their hand to dance! What do you do?
Take a chance.
Practice parties are held twice per month on a Friday.
The majority of these parties are exclusively for students of the studio. Some nights, we have special themed parties. For example, this year we have already had a New Year’s celebration, a Valentine’s Day party, and a St. Patrick’s Day party.
Why should you attend?
These parties are a great way to build your endurance because you will be dancing to entire songs instead of short bursts meant for practicing a few skills during group classes or personal lessons.
Practice parties are also a great opportunity to build your confidence by dancing with people other than your instructor or partner. Everyone is here to have fun, so step out of your comfort zone and ask someone else to dance!
It’s been a couple of months since you started coming to practice parties. You’re taking a short break to catch your breath and catch up with some fellow students, when your favorite song comes on. You look excitedly around for that gesture to dance, but see nothing. On the other side of the ballroom, your eyes fall upon an opportunity. Someone stuck without a partner.
Suddenly, your feet are moving across the room… towards that person! You’ve never done this before, what do you say? What do you do?
Offer your hand. Shall we dance?
What to expect at an Arthur Murray practice party:
They typically start at 8:15pm on Friday night. You will see familiar faces all around you, from instructors to fellow students! The environment is safer and more intimate than you would find at a club or bar. Everyone is here to practice what they have been working on in their lessons, and the instructors are there to help you if you get stuck.
At a loss for how to move to the music that’s playing?
Have no fear! There will be an instructor calling out specific dances every time a new song comes on. Also, if you don’t know where to begin with the dances that were called out, there will be an instructor on the floor to teach you on the spot.
You have been coming to practice parties for over a year. Every experience offers familiar faces, music and moves. But, with these comforts come new situations and opportunities to learn and expand your horizons. Maybe it’s a new dance that a teacher shows you on the spot or the chance to showcase what you’ve been working on in your lessons.
