Whatever type of class you choose, most will follow a similar format.  So, here’s what to expect when you turn up.

Make sure to turn up a few minutes of the advertised start time so that you can register or pay for your lesson.  Wear something comfortable that allows you to move freely, and sensible shoes.  Trainers or “work shoes” are usually fine, just make sure they’re not too grippy as you’ll need to spin a bit.

Warming up

The class will usually start with a warmup.  Everyone forms lines facing the teacher who will play a song and lead the moves.  Just copy whatever the teacher does (so try to make sure you can see their feet), and don’t stress if you can’t do it.  They’ll start with some basic steps but the purpose is just to get people moving – this isn’t a test 😉

Class levels

After the warm-up, the teachers will split the students by level.  If it’s a progressive class then you will have paid to join a specific level.  If it’s a drop-in class, it’ll likely be up to you to decide which level to join.  If in doubt, ask the teacher which level you should go in. If it’s your first class then head to the Beginners group.

Class levels are usually named Beginner, Improver, Intermediate, and Advanced.  Sometimes these are subdivided e.g. “Improvers 1”.

Don’t be tempted to leap up a level each week.  You will see big benefits from staying longer in beginner and improver levels and solidifying the fundamentals – expect to take improver classes for a few months.

Pick a partner

The teacher will ask you to find a partner and will organise the students into lines or a circle.  Just find a friendly looking person and ask them to be your partner.  Don’t worry, you’re not going to marry this person…in fact you’re going to swap them in about 5 minutes, so it’s not a big deal who you pick.  If you’re a leader, make sure you’re facing the same direction as all the other leaders.  If you’re a follower, make sure you’re facing the same direction as all the other followers.  This helps prevent everyone bumping into each other during the lesson.

If there is an odd number of leaders and followers, and you don’t have a partner immediately, don’t worry. Every few minutes followers (or sometimes leaders) move one step along the line so your partner will appear in a moment.

Let’s get moving

The teacher will introduce themselves and begin teaching the lesson.  They will break the routine they’re going to teach into small steps and teach each part in sections to make sure everyone has got it right.

About ⅓ of the way through the lesson, the teacher will put on some music and you’ll get a chance to dance the moves you’re learning to music.  The teacher will count you in, and once or twice during the song they’ll ask everyone to change partners.

The lesson will continue in this way with the teacher teaching more moves of the routine, and one or 2 more songs being played.  By the end of your hour lesson you will have learnt a set of moves that work well together.

Demos and recordings

At the end of the class, the teacher may give you an opportunity to record the routine.  They will demonstrate it whilst counting the beats so that you can see when to execute each step.  Afterwards, they may also perform the routine to music so you can see how it’s meant to look.

Although the teacher may let you record a video, you should not share this on social media.  It’s bad etiquette and is the thing you’ve all paid money for (so don’t give it away for free).  If you want to share something on social media, why not ask someone to record you dancing with a friend?

Practice time

After the class, there may be a short social (this is most often the case with drop-in classes).  This is a great time to practice what you’ve just learnt and really drive it in.  Ask someone to dance, and give it a whirl.

In any case, try to chat to your fellow classmates and get to know them; you’re likely to see them at a social soon!  Often students at progressive classes will organise to go to a local bar or restaurant for food or drinks after class.  This can be a great way to get to know people better, so make the most of the opportunity.