If you’ve always wanted to take dance classes but your significant other can think of nothing that they’d like to do less, then you’re not alone. Usually, the situation involves a woman and her sports-loving, macho man, but the truth is, it isn’t limited to gender or masculinity. Many people have a general fear of dancing or learning to dance. If you feel like you’ll never win the battle and you’re destined to dance alone for the rest of your life — or worse yet — be the one that sits alone at an empty table while everyone else is dancing at every wedding, reunion, or party you ever go to, this blog is for you!
At Modern Ballroom Dance Studio we’ve heard it many times. “How do I get my partner to take dance classes with me?” After being in the dance industry for many years we’ve learned many helpful tactics that you can use to convince your partner to take dance classes with you. Read below — you’re sure to find something that will work!
Birthday/Anniversary Request
This approach is simple, and it usually works every time. Tell your partner that you’d like nothing else for your birthday or anniversary than to take dance lessons together. How can they refuse? Or, if you still don’t think this tactic will work, why not tell your friend/mother/sibling that you’d love to learn to dance, and when they give you a gift certificate for dance lessons, your significant other will feel obligated to go.
Make It a Surprise
Make a suggestion that each of you plan a surprise date night. As part of your surprise, you can include dance lessons for part of your night’s activities. While this can be a risky move, counter the risk by agreeing to go to your partner’s favorite restaurant afterward (even if the fanciest thing on the menu is chicken wings). In addition, since both of you agreed to the concept of a surprise date night, hopefully your partner will agree to go along. Just don’t be surprised if the next surprise date night includes the ball field or race track.
Bribery
It’s not as bad as it sounds. If your significant other isn’t responding to begging, pleading, or reasoning, maybe it’s time to try good old-fashioned bribery. Choose something that will be hard to say no to like offering to buy tickets to a desired attraction or event, making dinner every night for a week, or letting them have a night out with friends. It might be a sacrifice for you, but then again, it will be well worth it once the two of you are on the dance floor.
Try Reasoning
Dancing provides many advantages beyond just making people happy, and if you can spell out just how many good things can come from it or how your partner will benefit from it, you just might win them over. Besides just being fun, dancing is a very good form of exercise. Most professional dancers you see are fit and toned. If your significant other doesn’t buy this argument, you could point out that it will help them improve their memory and coordination, strengthen your relationship, and help you meet new people. All of these reasons are valid so use whatever works!
Guilt
While you might not be proud to use this tactic, it is usually quite effective. The strategy is simple: purchase dance classes for you and your partner regardless of their desire to go. The reason why this works is that you know that once you have already invested in the lessons, there is no way they will let the money be wasted. Use caution with this approach, as it could backfire on you and then you’ll have to find someone else to dance with. Which leads us to our last point below.
Go With Someone Else
If all else fails, and there is no way your convincing will work, you can always go with someone else. In doing so, you’ll still get to take the lessons you’ve always wanted to take. There’s a good chance that just the suggestion of taking lessons with someone else may miraculously change their mind, but if not, that’s ok. After a few lessons, and seeing how much fun you’re having, it’s likely that your partner will agree to your wishes.
Contact Modern Ballroom Dance Studio
If you’re ready to sign up for dance classes, whether alone or with a partner, Modern Ballroom Dance Studio is here to help! We teach many kinds of dance classes and techniques to suit whatever you may have in mind. Check out our class descriptions page to see the classes we teach which range from an introduction to partner dancing to learning how to salsa, waltz, two-step, and everything in between. Ready to get started? Call us today!