Customer Reviews

QuickStart to Social Dancing: An Easy-To-Follow Guide for Beginners (QuickStart Dance)

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

My name is Diane Howard. I have been a dance instructor for over 10 years in the Northeast corridor. I take great exception to the negative reviews of Mr. Allen's book Quickstart to Social Dancing, especially in comparison to another book that I own by Mr. Stephenson called The Complete Book of Ballroom Dancing.

Here is why:

1. Quickstart guides the beginner and helps develop the most important basic dance skills in systematic and incremental fashion. Foundational skills like correct postural movement with a partner, rhythmic movement, and leg action both for the smooth, swing, and Latin dances are wonderfully described in Quickstart. They are either completely omitted or where included, erroneously described the so-called Complete Book!

2. Quickstart guides you through a primary development with easy to use physical instructions and analogies with a direct goal in mind. That goal is to be able to dance, WITHOUT ERROR, the most fundamental patterns in six major social dances. The Complete Book starts at stages beyond the beginner with a syllabus that assumes that a dance couple already KNOWS HOW to move together. They do not and will not simply by reading a syllabus, all competent dance instructors know this!

3. Quickstart does a terrific job in addressing these primary and necessary functions. The Complete Book leaves you to your own devices.

4. The Complete Book designed for the next stage of dancing, diversity in patterns, unfortunately is laden with serious error that the beginner would certainly not be aware of in their attempt to follow its syllabus. Quickstart does not pretend to be more than it is, simply the best guide for the beginning stages of your social dance experience.

Perhaps these are the reasons why Quickstart to Social Dancing seems to be applauded by dance professionals and others who are willing to provide their names and email addresses for correspondence. I know I recommend it to students and teachers alike.

By contrast, you cannot contact even one negative reviewer of Mr. Allen's books nor can you find any reviews by competent dance professionals on the back cover or web page of Mr. Stephenson's book. In his book, Mr. Allen provides you with his contact information for questions and further help. Mr. Stephenson's book leaves none and suggests that you go elsewhere. You decide!

Finally ! An instructional book on dancing that I can recommend to my non-dancing friends who are interested in getting started, but not sure if they want to commit to dance lessons. Quickstart To Social Dancing is easy to read, and full of information for the beginner dancer or those that have an `occasion' coming up that includes a dance floor. Unlike many of the `how to dance' book that are out there, Quickstart To Social Dancing does not deluge the reader with patterns and footprints that are intimidating to any beginner. As a competitive dancer, I found the physical analogies used to describe proper technique enjoyable and extremely accurate, and my instructor agreed whole heartily! Quickstart To Social Dancing provides an excellent foundation for 6 dances - Foxtrot, Waltz, Rumba, Merengue, Cha Cha and Swing - with an easy to understand presentation of the basics and fundamental choreography for each dance. The book includes a special section for wedding couples that contains some excellent suggestions and tips. This book has something to offer dancers of all levels and makes my holiday shopping a breeze this year! My congratulations and thank you to Mr. Allen - I am looking forward to reading the next book in the Quickstart series.

As one insightful reviewer mentioned all of the reviews for this book are uncannily love or hate. Though I have my own opinion of this book, I recognize that another Love-Hate review is not going to help you decide whether or not to spend your money, so I'm going to try to break the division and write an objective review with a neutral star rating.

I believe the strict separation of ratings is due to differing expectations. As a beginner you are looking for a book with easy to follow instructions and patterns on how to make everyone off the dance floor jealous. A CD of appropriate music with someone counting in the background would be nice, perhaps some full scale foot print charts, maybe a pop-up partner if you're single. The beginner, however, has greatly underestimated the complexity of dancing and devotion it takes to become a good dancer.

As an instructor you hope people will read a book that doesn't promise beginning steps in chapter 1, lifts and splits in chapter 2, and have an addendum with costume patterns. You hope the beginner will appreciate that every step in a dance is far more than moving a foot from A to B, and that some people devote their lives to dancing well (Ballroom dancing is now an Olympic Sport to those unaware). If you had your way students would spend their fist month simply standing with a good dance frame and maybe by month two they could take their first step. Instructors sometimes forget, however, the passion and anxiousness of the beginner.

That being said this book offers the beginner basic steps for three dances. Realize, however, that the basic Merengue step is extremely simple, And that the Waltz and Foxtrot steps are nearly identical (because the foxtrot can also be danced in the Waltz box pattern). When I say steps I mean the steps that constitue the most basic single pattern for each dance. This book does not include turns, dips, cuddles, or that thing Patrick Swayze does in "Dirty Dancing".

With the steps it does offer, however, this book attempts to explain them in their most correct execution. It offers many metaphors and illusions for the most simple movements and attempts to write at a level that everyone can comprehend. Some of the content you may find painfully obvious, some of it you may not understand for quite a while. Some of us don't cook and will never have any idea what his point was with the turkey platter.

In terms of physical existence this book is thin with large font. There are no pictures save some clip art quality graphics and the wedding section is probably 1/3 to 1/4 of the book. This is not special wedding dance moves reserved for gowns and tuxedoes, by the way, but rather that wedding planning type thing that seems to occupy future mothers-in-law. There is a handy list of good songs for these steps at the back of the book. Music which most people probably already have in their collection.

I hope this review has helped to bridge the divide for this title. Whether you buy the book or not, however, don't focus to much of your energy on words describing dancing...

I am an Orthopedic Surgeon and my wife is an RN who specializes in operating room procedures. My first experience with the book Quickstart to Social Dancing came in 1997 with the first edition that I understand has since sold out. We were getting married at that time and were faced with the scary prospects of having to dance at our wedding! A Sunday dance class was publicized through our hospital offered that suited our schedules - we jumped at the chance. The teacher (a well known professional) did something that was very interesting, he distributed copies of Quickstart to Social Dancing to all our new classmates. We were told that just like our schooling, "We would have a teacher and a text book." In addition he said, "You will soon find that learning to social dance and partner each other is generally an awakening because of its many misconceptions and fears. Mr. Allen does the very best job of dispelling these fears and presents a simple, concise, and cumulative approach to social dancing in his book that has previously been written!"

It is my intention here to echo these statements! We return to this website from time to time to order this and his other books both as gifts for my friends and for ourselves. This time we were going to order his book, Quickstart to Tango. We already own Quickstart to Swing and agree with those who have heralded this book as the most comprehensive book ever written about Swing dancing.

Quickstart to Social Dancing in it of itself, will definitely provide the most basic of dance choreography to allow for the beginner to learn by themselves - I have no doubt of this!! No couple, ENGAGED to be married, should be without this text! It is a great resource for wedding dancing but more importantly a complete resource for simple and wonderful dancing with a partner with the basics in the six major dances. We continue with dance lessons since our fearful beginning and understand more fully with admiration for Mr. Allen as to the choice of the choreography used in this primer. An example is the Foxtrot. In some texts, for example "Shall We Dance," by Manine Rosa Golden a step known to me as the progressive basic is used as its Foxtrot fundamental leaving the beginner at a total loss for turning corners and proceeding around the dance floor. To make these much needed change of directions the new dancer needs at least two or three more step patterns necessitating much more explanation. The idea of simplicity therefore goes right out the window!

The development of the box step and then at the end of the book in the section called, "Additional Dance Steps," where the explanations of the turning the box and making the box travel are given become useful for the Waltz and Rumba as well as the Foxtrot. Here you quickly realize that dance patterns are interchangeable amongst dances leaving the new dancer free to practice and execute with competence the timing and movement with partner each of the individual dances. This makes the word "Quickstart," a terrific study in comprehensive development of social dancing as well as a great marketing device that more dance instructors should use called, "Value Added," for their customers.

One of the first things I took issue with this book was the lack of, "Footprints on the floor illustrations." I asked my teacher and his response was firm and funny. Following footprints on the floor is like playing a game of "Twister," that is meant to produce awkward and robotically produced movement. The teacher actually demonstrated this type of movement and we all laughed - He also said he applauded Mr. Allen for not giving in to the notion that dance steps are just movements of the feet. We soon read that, "Dancing was the movement of the body directionally, and our feet were meant to accommodate and support that movement." Our teacher said Dance Pros everywhere have departed from the footprint idea because they become complex very quickly and change dancing from a physical pursuit to an intellectual one.

Quickstart to Social Dancing covers the beginning of the Latin Dances - Rumba, Merengue, and the "Hottest," old new dance the Cha-cha (You'll be able to dance to Smooth, I Need to Know, Dance With Me, and Let's Get Loud.). Mr. Allen makes an excellent comparison to the differences between the leg action and foot usage of a Latin dance as compared to a progressive dance. Until you have danced for a while you'll never know how useful the directions of keeping the unsupported knee higher than supported knee are.

There are fabulous tidbits of dance instruction throughout the book especially when you get to the section on Swing dancing. We have noticed that many beginners in the past few years have learned to dance the basic four or five figures shown in the Swing in a top heavy style - rather than the non- yanking pulling smooth methods you'll find in Quickstart to Social and then the 100 or more dance patterns you'll find in his book Quickstart to Swing.

Well I hope with my limited three years of dance experience I have wetted your appetite to discover the many gems that are included in this book - many that you'll not find elsewhere. They have certainly helped our dancing and put us on the correct path to the great enjoyment we have had!

Jeff Allen's Quickstart to Social Dancing text is perfectly worded to help a non-dancer become a dancer with FLAWLESS bronze level technique--exactly what the beginning dancer needs. Anyone who says otherwise is simply misinformed and ignorant as to what is truly involved in teaching dance. Jeff has created a real masterpiece with this book. That's why it's the best selling dance book in the world. Rather than just taking peoples money and putting them on the floor with nothing but a poorly executed boxstep, Jeff has actually make it easy to learn how to dance WELL. He makes a soild foundation for beginning dancers which will get them on the floor having fun, and gives them an excellent way to continue their education if they wish to do so. He stays true to the art of dance. This book is also perfect for those whom have already taken lessons and need to brush up on their technique. I got my start with Quickstart to Social Dancing only one year ago and I have the trophies and plaques to prove that Jeff's teaching methods are magnificient. His book speaks the gospel truth of dance and he personally backs up every word with logical reasoning. My e-mail address is WCSwing343@aol.com if anyone would like to converse further about Jeff's excellent books and teaching. I encourage you to do so.

Although this book is clearly written, it contains no pictures and virtually no diagrams. If you can learn dance steps without pictures and diagrams, more power to you. I found this book to be useless.

Ballroom or Social Dancing including the Latin and Swing dances are based on the ability of a man and a woman to move together as a dance couple in a response to music. Those who wish to be dance partners must learn many physical skills. It is like a rethinking and redevelopment of known individual movements to create harmony as a dance couple. After carefully reading Jeff Allen's book Quickstart to Social Dancing, I quickly realized how special this book is and what a wonderful job he did in developing the vital components of the aforementioned types of dancing. As the reader of this book goes through the developmental movement lessons they could, at a cursory glance, believe that they already know how to do them. They would be correct from their own individual point of view but certainly NOT as a dance couple. One of the things I have learned in my many years of teaching, and as an observer to the teaching of countless students, is their first instincts to partner one another are ALWAYS selfish. One of the refreshing ideas Mr. Allen uses is to take what we absolutely know how to do and use these physical analogies to develop the necessary beginning skills of the social dancer. With these established components, the beginner has a very good chance of becoming a very good ballroom, Latin, or swing dancer.

I have scrutinized several of the more popular books out on the market that concern themselves with an overview of ballroom dancing and have been very harsh in my criticisms when there has been repeated and glaring errors. I am willing to say emphatically and without fear of contradiction Mr. Allen's seem to be the only of those without gross technical and teaching error based on any of the curriculum standards set forth by the major dance societies in the USA. I also want to emphasize that I make these statements without any special interest or financial gain attached to the books where you see my reviews.

In the various ballroom, Latin, and swing dances the beginner will soon want to use rotational figures. The ability to rotate particularly with a dance partner is first based on the dancer's ability to move accurately and correctly. In the original books written in England at the beginning of the 20th century, the authors and developers of the correct standards of dance knew how important walking skills in rhythm, along with the proper and accommodating footwork, were to ballroom dancing. Not until Quickstart to Social Dancing has a text about this topic treated the basic walk for Foxtrot and Waltz along with the all-important chassé for the Merengue, Swing, and Cha-cha, adequately. It seems that other authors miss the mark when they fail to instruct their readers about the closing action; its timing, and when to release the next foot. Mr. Allen gives these a serious but fun filled treatment so that later on in the dancer's experience the bad habits or inability to close the feet while in motion will not come back and haunt the dancer. I have personally seen this error all to often and have wondered what teachers who have omitted this important factor were thinking.

It is clear to me that new dancers have many fears and reservations about moving with each other and "Stepping on toes." There are more misconceptions about the ideas of dancing with a partner than accurate ones and before a student encounters good teaching. It seems that one of the main thrusts of Quickstart to Social Dancing is to take away these fears and misconceptions and replace them with accurate and simple physical movement and direction so that frustration is kept at an absolute minimum. This approach would definitely serve many teachers well when introducing their new students to ballroom dancing.

The fundamentals in six major dances; Foxtrot, Waltz, Rumba, Merengue, Swing, and Cha-cha are covered in this book. There are very important treatments with the similarities and more significantly the differences of leg action and usage of the body in the Ballroom dances, the Latin dances, and the Swing. It is easy to see why many schools, colleges, and universities use this text for their introduction to social and ballroom dance classes. I am aware of at least 12 schools through the intercollegiate amateur dance network that do so.

The book contains a "Special Section for Brides and Grooms," that covers very important and useful tips for their wedding day. Presenting the bride, the photographer, the DJ, etc. are all given very adequate treatment.

This book does not pretend to be a comprehensive collection of dance steps but it IS a very comprehensive about the importance of a good beginning and just beyond - Thank you and congratulations Jeff for this very significant and essential dance resource!

I'am a dance teacher from Texas where Swing is King! The introduction to Swing dancing and movement skills in general found in Quickstart to Social Dancing are outstanding. The leg actions taught are right on the money, teaching the student to acheive a great center of balance.

We have plenty of Latin dancing down our way and I have been drawn in by these tantalizing rhythms. The basic development of Merengue, Rumba (makes Salsa very easy to learn since it's just quicker with many of the same steps), and Cha-cha presented in Quickstart are equally as good.

I highly recommend this book and then move on to Mr. Allen comprehensive Swing book called Quickstart to Swing its a Swing dancers bible.

Seeing all the positive reviews, I decided to ignore some of the negative ones and ordered this book hoping it will help me in my dance class. It is one of the most disappointing books I have ever read and the first book I plan to return to Amazon. His descriptions are very simplistic and difficult to understand even though I am taking dance classes. Even my partner could not understand the steps. There are very few diagrams or pictures showing the dance steps. The most unforgivable aspect is he mainly describes the gentleman's steps and for the lady writes " the lady will do the natural opposite". There is nothing natural about trying to figure out opposite steps! This book is a complete waste of money. I went to Barnes and Noble after receiving this terrible book, and found a much better one called " The complete book of ballroom dancing" by Richard M. Stephenson. It has many photographs and diagrams showing feet positions. It's only drawback is that it was published in 1980 and does not have the latest variations.It costs $18 and is worth having.

After wasting close to $500. on "dance lessons", I found this book! Why couldn't any of my so-called teachers have read it? The physical analogies are fantastic! For example...relating Dance position to carrying a Thanksgiving turkey platter...PERFECT! That's just what it should feel like. Hold your arms up with your "lats" not by hunching/shrugging your shoulders.

Mr. Allen provides the basics, and how to "feel" what is correct.I'm sending a copy of this book to every "teacher" at the studio where I took lessons...hopefully they will read it.