Private lessons help you avoid common mistakes and learn proper form and posture.  Some, who take only group dance classes learn a lot of steps but often look very bad even after years of lessons! That’s because in a group class the teacher does not have time to help correct mistakes and offer feedback about form and posture.

Phil Seyer offers private dance lessons in Roseville, Sacramento, the Bay Area (San Francisco, East Bay, Emeryville.

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Private Dance Lessons combined with group classes, books, blogs, and videos are the best way to learn to dance. You can contact him by calling 925-888-4392 (cell) or email him at YourDanceTeacher -at- gmail.com (change -at- to @ when sending email. Please put  “**Private Dance Lessons**” in the subject line of the email.

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Getting the most out of Private Dance Lessons — Seven Tips

1. Dance Notes. Take notes or ask your instructor to email you notes about what you have learned.  When working with my students they have the option of having me email them a description of the steps they are learning. When taking notes, at a bare minimum, write down the name of the step or pattern you learning.   Sometimes teacher’s don’t have good names for the steps they are teaching.  If this happens, make up your own memorable name.

2.  Custom Dance Video. Get a video of the steps you are learning!  Bring your cell phone or video camera and ask the instructor to make some brief video clips.  If the instructor takes the video on your cell phone you will have it for later review.

Bonus Dance Tip: Get a Google+ account and set it up so that the video will automatically go to your personal Google+ account automatically! Then you can watch the video from any computer.  Make a Circle called “Dance Lessons” and move the video into that circle.  You can keep the video totally private or share it with your favorite dance partner, if you like. Another benefit of this is that if you change cell phones, you will still have the video and won’t have to worry about transferring the video to your new cell phone.

3. Practicing Dance. Private dance lessons are usually taken once a week.  To get the most out of these lessons, review your notes and any video of your previous lesson and practice, practice, practice.  If you don’t have a dance partner handy, practice with an imaginary invisible partner! Really. The benefit of this partner is that he or she will never step on your feet. Dance partner robots exist, but they are not yet commonly available. See the female dance partner robot in the video below! Don’t worry ladies, a male robot is under development.

4. Brides and Grooms.  Wedding Dance Lessons. If you are taking dance lessons for a wedding, I recommend you do NOT wait until the last minute.  Take lessons as soon as possible, then go out to a local ballroom or dance hall or club weekly.  It will be great fun and you may get a new positive addiction!  Also, you’ll have the experience of dancing in public and Couples who dance together stay together.  If your wedding is coming soon, it is still not too late.  Even one private lesson can help.

5. Introductory Free Private Lessons.  Be wary of introductory free dance lessons.  They can be helpful, but some dance studios offer a free lesson and then use a hard sell to sign you up for a very expense contract. They use a used car salesman approach with a manager that they can go to, to see if they lower the price.  The team of dance sales people gang up on you and pressure you to sign up.

6. Dance Lesson Options.  See what options are available.  Are custom videos available?  Are off-the shelf videos available and included with your lessons? Will the instructor send email summaries of what you have learned?  What are the prices for the various options?

7. Dance Partner. Find a dance partner and split the cost of the lessons or give a gift of dance lessons to potential dance partner.  One very good dancer told me once, “My girlfriend gave me private dance lessons as a gift.  It changed my life forever!”