Katie Van Note Website

Katie Van Note

Dance Teacher

Katie Van Note is the lead dance teacher and the owner of The First Dance Place in San Diego, California. With over 10 years of dance experience, she specializes in partnered dance styles, including East Coast Swing, Lindy Hop, Salsa, Bachata, Merengue, Rumba, Waltz, and Hustle. Katie's goal is to make dancing fun, accessible, and exciting for all couples to enhance whatever occasion they are celebrating.

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Q&A Comments (5)

Can you suggest more tips for being more fluid while dancing?
Another tip that I can suggest is to develop a sense of your center of gravity. It's how you hold yourself and create balance and better tension in your body frame while dancing, which also brings fluidity to your motion.
How can I be a good dance leader for my dance partner?
You don't have to master or know all the fancy steps; the most important are the basics like footwork and dance rhythm. Knowing the downbeat counts that go along with the footwork and also understanding how to hold hands with your partner, whether that's an open position or a closed position, how do you like to embrace those positions in that dance style? Another aspect of being a successful leader is having a repertoire of at least two to four different moves that you can do throughout a dance.
What tips do you have for being a successful leader for your dance partner?
The primary thing you need to be a successful leader is to understand the basics of life, the footwork, and the rhythm of the dance style that you're doing. What is the pattern of footwork? Are you listening to the beat? Do you have an understanding of the downbeat and the counts that go along with that footwork? Then, understand how to hold your frame with someone. So whether that's an open position or a closed position, how do you like to embrace those positions in that dance style? Another aspect of being a successful leader is having a repertoire of at least two to four different moves that you can do throughout a dance.
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Co-authored Articles (4)