For general inspiration
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daC2EPUh22w
http://danceinayear.com/
Dance in a Year
Re: Dance in a Year
Dancing can be a nice and cheap (completely free) hobby. Back when I used to like going to bars/clubs, I got pretty darn good at it. It can be a useful hobby - the improved body control carries over to other sports and areas of life.
I was originally practicing to get more girls (it works well), and as I was getting better I enjoyed it and it was more about the hobby. It's sort of an interesting hobby where you can practice and improve greatly by yourself (just need a big mirror to practice at home... watch videos on the internet... video yourself and review, etc...), and of course you can also dance and practice out as a social activity.
The bad part for me was that the social side is dependent on finding and going to certain places. The city where I lived from age 18-26, while not all that big (quarter million people) had one bar that was very good for dancing (and a number of others that were pretty good). I made friends with other people based only on the fact that we like to dance and were good at it. I had a set of 'dancing friends' that I'd only ever see at bars/clubs. Never got to know most of them outside of that - we'd just see each other, chat a bit, dance, learn new things and give each-other advice/feedback, etc..
But when I moved to Wisconsin and looked around Madison for good places to dance, there seemed to be none. It's not nearly as fun going dancing in places where pretty much all the other people have very little idea how to actually dance.
I was originally practicing to get more girls (it works well), and as I was getting better I enjoyed it and it was more about the hobby. It's sort of an interesting hobby where you can practice and improve greatly by yourself (just need a big mirror to practice at home... watch videos on the internet... video yourself and review, etc...), and of course you can also dance and practice out as a social activity.
The bad part for me was that the social side is dependent on finding and going to certain places. The city where I lived from age 18-26, while not all that big (quarter million people) had one bar that was very good for dancing (and a number of others that were pretty good). I made friends with other people based only on the fact that we like to dance and were good at it. I had a set of 'dancing friends' that I'd only ever see at bars/clubs. Never got to know most of them outside of that - we'd just see each other, chat a bit, dance, learn new things and give each-other advice/feedback, etc..
But when I moved to Wisconsin and looked around Madison for good places to dance, there seemed to be none. It's not nearly as fun going dancing in places where pretty much all the other people have very little idea how to actually dance.
Re: Dance in a Year
Here's a true story. I've been playing in bar bands since I was a teenager. Sometime in my late 20s, my wife talked me into taking ballroom dancing lessons. I was reluctant, since I've never like dancing, and my hips were as stiff as you can make them, but I conceded, and ended up having a blast. I learned all sorts of dances, and got to be decent.
Anyway, ever since I learned to dance and to loosen up my hips the tip jar for the band has gone through the roof. I'm not dancing around while playing, but I move a little bit more, and I suppose I'm more entertaining to watch. For years the tip jar never got us more than $20 a night. Now its not uncommon to make well over 100 in a tips a night.
Not bad for just learning to move your hips.
Anyway, ever since I learned to dance and to loosen up my hips the tip jar for the band has gone through the roof. I'm not dancing around while playing, but I move a little bit more, and I suppose I'm more entertaining to watch. For years the tip jar never got us more than $20 a night. Now its not uncommon to make well over 100 in a tips a night.
Not bad for just learning to move your hips.