Anyone who has been dancing for some time will tell you, that there is always room for improvement and progression. It doesn’t matter if you are new to the ballroom or a seasoned professional you can continue to learn and grow from others. 

Here at The Regency Dance Centre, we strive to provide a high-quality experience for all our dancers, as such we endeavour to stretch ourselves, get fresh ideas, and take on board tricks and tips from some of the best dancers in the industry. Last Sunday Andrew Dunn and Paula Hyde had the opportunity to attend an NATD lecture day so we could bring back what we had learned and share our knowledge with our students.

Firstly, fellow teacher Cheryl Lobo gave an enlightening lecture about arranging your classes to meet student needs and how to elevate student experience. Following Cheryl’s talk, we pulled on our dance shoes and took to the floor to take part in a Ballroom workshop with renowned dancer and teacher Scott Draper. Scott taught a short Tango routine, followed by the Foxtrot that included interesting direction changes and lines that would help any couple stand out on the floor as well as being fun to dance! 

The future president of the NATD, Michelle Webster spoke about a new and exciting exam programme called the Solo Development Awards. This new exam will be perfect for dancers who want to improve their dancing both as a solo dancer and as a couple as it helps develop balance, posture, co-ordination and more. You can even take an exam as a lead instead of a follower or vice versa, adding more depth of understanding to your dancing.

The day was completed with a fun and inspiring Latin workshop by Ex-Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer and former World Amateur Latin-American champion Nicole Cutler. Nicole took simple routines in the Samba and the Cha Cha Cha and then demonstrated how to add your own individual flavour and personality to make your dancing more advanced and unique. Nicole expressed the importance of being able to put into words the style you want to convey in your dancing, for example, are you wanting to dance a fast and heavy action, or a light and rhythmical movement. Other tips included playing with your timings and changing directions in interesting ways.

We can’t wait to bring back what we have learnt  and look forward to weaving this knowledge into our classes and lessons to further enhance your dance experience at the Regency.