Every Man’s Survival Guide to Ballroom Dancing

I’m Jim, a writer and a guy who hates to dance.

I was the only guy in my 7th grade class who refused to take social dance lessons. At parties and celebrations, I was the guy in the back, in the shadow, with my arms crossed. A man confronts his fears, right? James Bond can dance, why can’t I?

I went on a mission with a simple goal:

To be able to walk onto any dance floor, from a wedding to a nightclub to a New Year’s Eve ball to a cruise to a concert, and perform an admirable dance, with any partner, to any music, with confidence and grace.

I took my first beginner’s class in 1984 and I may hold the record for the most beginner’s classes ever taken. For many years I danced ballroom oblivious to the beat. Like a broken clock being right twice a day, I often stepped on the beat by accident so I thought I knew the beat. I was in denial about my lack of rhythm.

Eventually, I realized that all of the dance instruction I received was lacking some critical elements, like how to hear the beat and understanding music and rhythm. Turns out I’m not rhythmically challenged (but I don’t have talent either). I’m averge, probably like you.

This is the information I wish I had known before I stepped into my first dance class and to guide me through the first year. Think of this blog and the free web book as the “missing manual.” If you’re considering taking classes, think of this website as a “pre-dance” lesson.

Since 1996 I have trained under Skippy Blair, who is considered by many the “teacher of teachers.” Now, I can dance comfortably with anyone, anywhere, to any music, under the most adverse conditions imaginable. So can you.