The Complete Idiot's Guide to Ballroom Dancing, DVD Edition (Complete Idiot's Guide to) (Paperback)

~ Jeffrey Allen (Author) "Ballroom dancing enjoys a rich history..." (more)
Key Phrases: close your right foot, open facing position, knee veer, Movement Memo, Latin American, Viennese Waltz (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Ballroom dancing is back! And now anyone can move like a pro. DVD included!

In addition to the step-by-step photos, footwork illustrations, and instruction covering all the common ballroom dances, this new edition of the bestselling Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Ballroom Dancing includes a 90-minute instructional DVD featuring award-winning dancer and dance instructor Jeff Allen. It corresponds with the text seamlessly, giving readers the next best thing to one-on-one instruction, at a fraction of the cost.
• The #1 selling ballroom dancing book
• Includes a fantastic, new instructional DVD and hundreds of illustrations and instructions
• Allen is a renowned, award-winning ballroom-dance teacher

About the Author

Jeff Allen is a columnist for Dancing USA magazine and the author of four books on social and ballroom dancing, and holds membership credentials with the North American Dance Teachers Association, Inc., and the Pan American Teachers Association. He has won more than 30 Top Teacher awards and is considered one of the top 25 dance instructors.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Alpha; 2 edition (September 5, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592575773
• ISBN-13: 978-1592575770
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #33,774 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Concur - By Far The Very Best! , August 4, 2005

By	Phil Samuels "A Tango & Swing Junky" (Detroit) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide(R) to Ballroom Dancing (Paperback)

I am not amused when reviewers without experience in a "How To" topic slash out at a fabulous book like "Complete Idiot's Guide to Ballroom Dancing" by Jeff Allen when they haven't taken the time to read and absorb its material.
There is a ridiculous review titled "Mediocore At Best" by a reviewer (generous categorization) named "Page Turner" as in someone who turns pages. This person can read a 300 plus page book in two days while comprehending all the nuances and idiosyncrasies of Ballroom & Latin dancing enough to say that, probably the best and most comprehensive book available on these subjects, is only mediocre.

If there is any book out there on the subject that accommodates a student taking dance lessons better than The Complete Idiot's Guide to Ballroom Dancing I' d like to own it. The truth is, there isn't - this book is the finest and most accurate for the American style of dancing on the market place. It covers the beginnings of 11 dances and has a wonderfully compiled music CD for each dance. There is great information for wedding couples and there families. The book has a terrific condensed history of Ballroom dancing as well as the structure and framing required for the beginner dancer. I thought it was a great idea to present to the beginner all the major things required of the individual to contribute to the couple to make the dance partnership work! The treatment and techniques of the dances themselves with plenty of photos showing the major positions of each dance figure come next. They are complied in three sections - Smooth; Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, and Viennese Waltz, then the Latin- Rumba (the foundational Latin dance), Merengue, Samba, Cha-cha, and then Mambo (substitute Salsa and for the beginner there is little difference!) then the Rhythm dances of East Coast Swing (presented in Allen's innovative style found in his book Quickstart to Swing) and lastly the Hustle great for the new and old Disco music.

People who take private lessons take weeks to accomplish even the simplest of tasks required to dance with someone else in your arms. This book will certainly make your practice easier as you increase your dancing IQ! Everything, I mean everything you are required to know to make your experience on the dance floor successful is contained between the pages of this book. This book will also fill in the blanks of the videos that are out there making even them much easier to comprehend.

Buy it!!!!!!

35 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Editor of Amateur Dancers Loves CIG to Ballroom Dancing, March 29, 2003

By	Robert Meyer (Editor Amateur Dancer, Baltimore) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide(R) to Ballroom Dancing (Paperback)

The delightful premise of this book is to knowledgeably enter the enjoyable scene of social dancing with its "social, psychological and physical improvement of lifestyle." This it does! Anyone entering social dancing, and those having entered and not become competitively focused, can do well to buy this cleverly written book.

Scattered throughout the text, Jeff very effectively uses logo-symboled information boxes to add interest and pointed tips. Eschewing the usual foot diagrams for patterns, text and pictures do the job. The excellent introductory diagram of Line of Dance and the 11 dance music CD is arguably worth the cost of the book.

Beginning with the history of the original "close" dancing position of partners, the author traces the evolvement of ballroom dancing in a very unique way - the impact exerted by national economies, mores and wars.

The ceremonial wedding dance is covered as the point of beginning for many people and it traces natural evolvement from that point. Reasons to dance for men, women and the shy are given through to the relationship and foreplay factors.

Physically and mentally meeting the challenges of ballroom dancing are listed, then music, timing, rhythm, movement and position.

"The Plain Truth about Practicing, Expectations, and Prioritization" is a section not usually covered in dance books, but should be; the discussion of "Creating a Dance Couple" is quite germane to those not locked in a high-level partnership.

The author approaches Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Rumba, Merengue, Samba, Cha-Cha, Mambo, East Coast Swing, and Hustle very practically with descriptive text and pictures that do the job of getting you in the dance.

Competitors, Silver level and above, will find the book's historical notes and the personal side of dancing a good read, all others can favorably and profitably use the book to help getting their heads and feet straight on the floor.

Conclusion: Buy it, for your personal improvement and attitude.

Review of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Ballroom Dancing
Published in Amateur Dancers; Issue #139 Sept/Oct 2002
By Robert Meyer, Editor

39 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars CHOCK FULL OF USEFUL, READABLE INFORMATION, June 23, 2002

By	Niel Shell (Jackson Heights, NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide(R) to Ballroom Dancing (Paperback)

This book is NOT for complete idiots. . . it is for those smart enough to recognize the absolutely best introduction on the market to ballroom dancing, Latin dancing and disco-hustle dancing. As the author of the dance book HUSTLE, which has become a standard for that dance, I can tell you THIS IS THE BOOK TO LEARN FROM! It comes with a FREE CD picked especially to match the right music with the right dance. The author gives you everything you need to get started and then to succeed. Jeff gives you the motivation by letting you know all the wonderful advantages of dancing. He gives you the basic information, with plenty of close-up photos to help. There are lots of useful tips that will be helpful to social dancers of all levels. The author writes explanations that are clear and complete. Many short boxed notes call the reader's attention to important points. Other boxed notes lighten the reading with interesting "dance trivia" and cartoons. Two chapters on the history of dancing have enough information to satisfy even the most curious. If your big day is soon and you need help to make sure your wedding dance comes out just right, Jeff has just what you need. Turn to Chapter 4--Dancing Through Your Big Day. Very useful extras include a glossary, a list of references, a list of dance related websites, and an extensive index. The book is very thorough and very readable.
Add to this the low price, and you get a bargain not to be passed up.