This class is intended for people new to partner dancing and will move at an appropriate pace.

In this 75-minute class meeting each week for ten weeks, you will learn to skillfully and confidently execute the fundamentals of ballroom dance. Good leading, good following, personal balance, shared weight, partnering, creativity and personal style are all covered in this class.

We will apply these skills in the popular and energeic Merengue and Salsa, the steamy Argentine Tango, and the classic Foxtrot and Waltz.

Learn to move well and dance well, not just how to reproduce the patterns found in ballroom dancing. Learn the efficient, purposeful movement needed for generating energy and excitement in your dancing. Great skills for every dancer!

In ballroom dancing, there are leads and follows. However, neither person is in control. Instead, mutual awareness of space and balance form the basis of leading and following well.

Improve your own balance and learn to recognize how each partner influences the balance of the other. Develop an understanding of how you move your own body and how those movements are felt and interpreted by your partner. (Applies to leads and follows alike.)

The class will attempt to maintain a balanced number of leads and follows (ten leads and ten follows). You do not need to enroll with a partner. Expect frequent partner changes and numerous group activities and exercises.

When enrolling, preference is given to undergraduate college students, uwmbda members, new dancers, and students just beginning their college years. (These are socially participating dancers with more time at the UW to influence the local scene!) Others are welcome pending available space.