Dancer Guy: Videos

In addition to public classes, custom classes, and private lessons, Dancer Guy offers web-based instructional videos. For $29.95 for the first month, and $9.95 per month thereafter, you can access any or all of the videos below as often as you like, and you can cancel your account at any time. Whether you live too far away from Dancer Guy‘s studio to attend personally, or you want to review and practice instruction previously received from Dancer Guy, or you simply prefer to learn dance in the privacy of your own home, these videos are for you.

Note that if you plan on subscribing to these videos someday, sooner might be better than later, because as the number of videos increases and the value of the available instructional content grows, the monthly subscription price for new subscribers will occasionally increase. However, current subscribers will be grandfathered in, so their monthly subscripton cost will never increase.

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Introduction: Dave "DancerGuy" Arns introduces himself and gives a quick description of the purpose of the videos on this site.

Audience: Describes the intended audience for these videos; those kinds of people for whom the videos were created and who would most greatly benefit from them.

Competition Style vs. Social Style: There are two main uses of dance: competing in contests, and simply for enjoyment. This video discusses differences between these two main uses, and the implications on how you do the dances.

Instructors' Teaching Styles: Every dance instructor has his/her own style of teaching, and body of information and experience from which they teach. So what gives when instructors say different things?

Students' Learning Styles: People learn in different ways, so how can one set of videos be useful to the greatest number of people?

Regional Dance Dialects: Discusses the implications of regional variations in dance styles, even when supposedly doing the "same" dance.

Couples' Dancing vs. Choreography: What is the difference between couples' dances and choreography? What are the pros and cons for each?

The Myth of the "Effortless" Dance: Good dancers make dancing look effortless. But what does that really mean?

Dance Shoes: What are good dance shoes like? What kinds of shoes should you stay away from? Can you turn non-dance shoes into dance shoes? If you don't have "official" dance shoes, what can you do?

Counts and Beats: Discusses what counts and beats are, their attributes, and why you'll need to understand them in order to dance.

Music Measures vs Dance Measures: Describes how music measures differ from dance measures, and why it's important to know the difference, and when to use them.

Labeling the Counts: There are various ways of referring to the counts; we'll the pros and cons of the various methods, and specify a consistent terminology in order to converse about them.

Finding the Downbeat: Describes the fine main musical cues to listen for, so you can find the downbeats of the dance measures by listening to the music.

Counts vs Steps: Discusses the difference between counts and steps, and why mixing them up will cause problems for your dance.

Counting In: Why do people often say "five, six, seven, eight" before they start dancing? There are two very important pieces of information imparted by such "counting in," and doing it correctly will help the lady follow the gentleman's lead much better.

Steps vs Taps: Defines steps and taps, discusses the difference between them, and illustrates how interchanging them will cause problems with your dancing.

Balance in Dance: Shows how to place your feet in order to maintain the best balance when you are dancing.

The "Dance Plate": Describes the concept of the dance plate, and why, when you're learning to dance, you'll get less frustrated if you understand it.

The Dance Frame: Important aspects of the dance frame, whether you're the lady or the gentleman. Topics include the definition of the dance frame, Closed Frame, Reminding Each Other, and Open Frame.

The Leader's Frame: What are the important aspects of maintaining the dance frame, from the gentleman's point of view? Topics include Consistent Frame, Adjusting the Frame Safely, and Using Wrist Muscles.

The Follower's Frame: What are the important aspects of maintaining the dance frame, from the lady's point of view? Topics include Consistent Frame, Looking at Your Feet, and Squeezing His Hands.

Leading: In any lead-follow dance, the gentleman must be clear in his leads, so the lady can follow. Topics include Firm Leads, Stopping on Mistakes, The Best Kinds of Leads, Planning Ahead, and Dancing to Fast Music.

Following: In any lead-follow dance, the lady must "listen" through the frame to the gentleman's leads, and not make assumptions about what he will lead next, so she does the proper move. Topics include Being Ballistic, Responding to Unknown Leads, Anticipation, Closing Your Eyes, Keeping the Feet Going, Giving the Guy a Break, Letting Go of His Hands, Foot Rhythm vs. Foot Placement, and What If He's Off the Rhythm?

Pushing vs Stiffness: During following, there are certain ways to apply muscle tone that are better than other ways. In order to maximize the ease, smoothness, and attractiveness of following, these guidelines are very useful.

Spotting: Describes why people get dizzy, and what you can do about it, because pretty much every dance style includes turns and spins.

Orphan Measures: Defines what orphan measures are, how to identify them, and how to respond to them so your dancing looks the best.

The "Stir the Pot" Turn: Explains the mechanics of the "Stir the Pot" turn, a way of turning the lady multiple times without twisting anyone's fingers.

Muscle Isolation: Defines muscle isolation, and describes the three different kinds and how they relate to dance.

Intro: General concepts in Salsa, including your "box," foot rhythm, the value of tapping, when and how to tap, and foot positioning.

Basic: The Basic Step in the Closed Frame, including foot positioning and timing, mnemonics to help you remember foot rhythm, hip movement, hand positioning when you're not in a frame, and the Basic in an Open Frame.

Side Step: The Salsa Side Step, including how to avoid common rhythmical mistakes, how to lead from Basic to Side Step, and how to lead from Side Step back to Basic.

Cumbia: The Salsa Cumbia, including tap positioning, maintaining crispness, leading Basic to Cumbia, exiting Cumbia to return to Basic, and Cumbia handwork.

Open Break: The Open Break—for transitioning from the Closed Frame to the Open Frame—including foot movement, box sliding, and hand changes.

Wrist Flip: The Wrist Flip—for transitioning from the Open Frame to the Closed Frame—including foot movement, box sliding, and hand changes.

Shoulder Check 1: Discusses the prerequisite frame, the lead, the footwork, handwork, and exit.

Shoulder Check 2: Discusses the many similarities, and the few differences, between Shoulder Check 1 and Shoulder Check 2.

Swing Rhythm: Describes the rhythmical feature in Swing music or dance, without which it would cease to be Swing.

Intro: Introduces the Shim Sham, a Swing line dance, and describes its structure.

Verse 1: The Shim Sham ("slap-slide") verse of the Shim Sham dance.

Break Step: The Break Step ("chorus") of the Shim Sham dance; that part that follows all the verses.

Verse 2: The Push Step ("push and cross") verse of the Shim Sham dance.

Verse 3: The Tack Annie verse of the Shim Sham dance.

Verse 4: The Fall Step ("half break") verse of the Shim Sham dance.

Boogie Back: The "click-ball-change" portion of the Shim Sham dance.

Boogie Up: The "semi-elliptical step" portion of the Shim Sham dance.

Shorty George: The "slalom skiing" portion of the Shim Sham dance.

The Whole Thing: The whole Shim Sham, with music, shown from the front, and with verbal cues for foot movement. Then the whole thing again, from the back, without verbal cues.

Practice Track: Audiovisual counting from one through 8, at 60 beats per minute, for use during practicing.

Practice Track: Audiovisual counting from one through 8, at 90 beats per minute, for use during practicing.

Practice Track: Audiovisual counting from one through 8, at 120 beats per minute, for use during practicing.