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

• I Concur - By Far The Very Best!

  
  By A1D2FMWLW12DAZ on 2005-08-04
  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!!!!!!
  
  
  

• CHOCK FULL OF USEFUL, READABLE INFORMATION

  
  By A3T9ZHZQSL9JV2 on 2002-06-24
  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.
  
  

• Editor of Amateur Dancers Loves CIG to Ballroom Dancing

  
  By ASNQSBOHM3ZCT on 2003-03-29
  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
  
  

• For the Record: Terrific for Beginners!!

  
  By A2S8PXO52N74UM on 2003-03-18
  Part I of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Ballroom Dancing begins at the "beginning" with a whirlwind trip through history and the history of ballroom dancing -very interesting reading!- and ends with a chapter entitled "What Makes Us Dance" , a fun and interesting socio-anthropological look at...well...what makes people dance! Definitely food for thought.
  Part II of the book as well as Allen's "Quickstart Method," found in chapters 10 & 11 are really what's revolutionary about his approach. To analogize these sections would be to say that they are to the beginner dancer what learning about the basic functions of an automobile are about to the new driver. All of them necessary before an individual (or couple) are ready to learn where to go. Having Been an Instructor for many years, it never ceases to amaze me how teachers and the public at large are deceived into thinking that if you just learn "the steps" you'll dance. Wrong, dancing is more the quality of your car than where you are driving. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Ballroom Dancing unravels the how's, why's, and where's for the novice.
  I have reviewed most of the books in the marketplace; sadly most of them are filled with unforgivable technical error. If I were Allen I would not refer to them either. In this book Mr. Allen references his own work where the subject matter is different from the present topic or where the reader may want to expand upon the topic at hand. For instance, if you want more Ballroom Tango (or Argentine Tango which is very different from the ballroom style) than the Idiot's Guide provides, then read Quickstart to Tango. If you want more Swing, Allen has written an encyclopedia of Swing steps & technique called, Quickstart to Swing.
  The wedding section mentions another of Mr. Allen's books & video called "The Complete Guide to Slow Dancing," another type of dancing not covered in the Idiot's Guide. This book is meant to cover ballroom dancing and Allen gives the reader plenty to work with covering 11 different dances.... For goodness sakes he has created a combination in the Foxtrot section that really does have a stroke of genius called "The Emergency Wedding Routine," that can be easily worked out in less than two weeks. There is also instruction for presenting the bride by the groom and "The Wedding Dip," (including terrific pictures). ...this book is a masterpiece!
  
  

• Very Worth Buying...

  
  By on 2003-10-08
  The Complete Idiot's Guide to Ballroom Dancing is a very good investment for those who would like to approach dancing. Jeff Allen knows what he's doing and describes the steps clearly. The only reason I gave this book 4 stars is because the text is rather small, making it seem too similiar to a textbook (bad memories from school). That's a minor problem though. Also, the CD that came with it was a great help too. The music on it was very easy to dance to. I highly recommend this book (along with a video too for those who are visual learners) to all the beginning dancers out there.
  
  
• By Far the Best Available on Ballroom Dancing
  By A2G9272O2Z9U66 on 2005-02-17
  The first thing we learned from Jeff's book was that our basic pedestrian demeanor was not competent enough to deal with music's unforgiving beat structure. Music requires us to take responsibility for our entire body! Allen refers to this need as making us aware of and then solving the problems of "timing and balance", he also goes on to say that "partnering someone is a very foreign endeavor", no one is naturally endowed with the gift of "moving with someone attached to them, it is an acquired skill and must be learned!" This beginning knowledge was incredibly educational. As beginner dancers we found what and the way he laid out in the book let us approach the actual dance steps more like experienced dancers rather than just trying to quickly fumble through the dance steps and routines included in this book. By the way, eleven dances are covered in this book. There is an eleven cut CD of good music included for practice, much better than expected. This book filled in details that we never heard in classes and it helped us retain what we did hear in classes. What we are recommending to the readers of this review is first buy this book and then second grow with it. It may be the best book available on ballroom dancing palatable to the very beginner and to levels that we have yet to achieve. We also own some instructional videos and this book amplified what we were really looking at instead of just falling into the error of monkey see monkey do - when the monkeys weren't sure of what they were looking at. Allen's book revealed many of the same dance steps from their foundation. Kudos to Jeff Allen for writing this excellent book, it will make a great addition to our dance library of books, videos, and magazines.
  
  
• Pretty Good Book
  By A263Y2XEDGOZUP on 2006-03-04
  This guide does give one good background information on ballroom dancing, and has many illustrations. The accompanying music CD is good (not great, but good).
  
  My main complaint is that it can sometimes be a bit difficult to read, to follow. And there really should be a glossary of terms in the back, I had a difficult time finding what various acronyms meant.
  
  It's not really a book you can open up to, say, the section on the foxtrot and just learn how to do the foxtrot without first reading the rest of the book. It's meant to be read from start to finish before you begin learning any particular dance.
  
  
• Not for beginners
  By A3SBX7JJJGDSIP on 2005-02-01
  The professionals who have been reviewing this may love it, but the book is definitely not for beginners. It devotes pages and pages to posture, breathing technique, history and other such topics but precious little on the basics of what steps to dance. When, after 14 chapters he finally starts teaching you how to dance, it's almost incomprehensible. This guy does not know how to give simple instructions that most people will understand. If you are new to ballroom dancing, don't buy this book. It will be of little help.
  
  
• Wonderful, Impressed by Level of Detail
  By A1JE74F1Z70SV3 on 2002-11-05
  Wonderful! Another dance book to read. How many times do I have to read that the count for Fox Trot is Slow, Slow, Quick, Quick. With a title of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Ballroom Dancing," I should have known there would have been more information. I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I was impressed with the level of detail. But being impressed, I was amazed at the level of attention to technique.
  So many teachers concentrate on steps that no or little attention is paid on how to move. The noted Argentine Tango teacher, Daniel Trenner, said at the Tango Locura tango festival in Montreal "To dance Argentine Tango, you first have to learn how to dance before you can learn Argentine Tango. Some people try to get to Argentine Tango without going through dance." Trenner's comments apply to ballroom dancing as well. This book will help you get through dance.
  The title can put some dance enthusiasts off. After all, what person is going to walk into a bookstore and say "Hello. I'm an idiot. Where can I find a book on dancing?"
  Jeff begins the book with a history of dance. (Did you know women wear long white gloves in the 1700s to prevent the contact of flesh?) Throughout the book, there are tidbits of information in small boxes ("Bet you didn't know" and "Ballroom Bloopers.")
  the book is divided into five parts:
  I. Before the Ball
  II. Before your Ball (includes a CD with all the dances discussed in the book
  III. Two Becoming One: Creating the Dance Couple
  IV. Fred and Ginger: Here we Come: The Smooth Dances
  Waltz, Fox Trot, American Tango, Vienesse Waltz
  V. This Stuff's Hot and Spicy
  Rumba, Merengue, Samba, Cha Cha, Mambo, East Coast Swing, Hustle

  Examples of details: Man's and woman's steps listed separately with exacting detail "step on the ball or heel of the foot. Lot of discussion on contrabody motion. For those not familiar with contrabody, consider the body divided at the waist. Each half requires flexibility so that each half can turn with the other.

  The book is like an "How to do it" instruction manual. The author stands behind his product by including his email address for correspondence. How many authors do you know that encourage their readers to call them?

  Beginners can read about the steps. But what about the music. No problem! The book includes a CD with musical selections of the discussed dances. You don't even have to go to a music store to buy CDs.

  This is NOT the author's first dance book. I reviewed "Quick Start to Tango" which covers American and Argentine Tangos. "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Ballroom Dancing" is a welcome addition to any dancer's reference library. You won't be an idiot after you read it!

  Michael Ditkoff has been dancing ballroom for five years and is a regular columnist for the "La Voz del (Argentine) Tango" magazine.
  
  

• The ABSOLUTE ESSENTIAL Ballroom dance book!!
  By A20LISWNYPHVLA on 2003-02-04
  This is an excellent book. I danced in college and competed at the open bronze level but my husband had never danced and this book gave us both the skills to become better dancers. Everything is covered in this book, timing, body flight, technique, styling, and figures! This is a must have book for anyone who really wants to know how to ballroom dance! So many books are just lists of steps with no attention to styling and technique but not this one! Anybody can learn footwork patterns but that does not make you a dancer...this book has all the information you need to really dance! I just want Jeff Allen to write a sequel!
  
  
• Beginner and Beyond
  By ATYSO61O7L69B on 2005-12-28
  I wanted a book that I can grow with. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Ballroom Dancing fits the bill. The first sentence of each and every dance pattern start with simple phrases like "Step forward with your left foot, Step to the side with your right foot, Close your left foot to your right foot" Certainly anyone can follow these step descriptions. Then if you want to grow with more techniques it's all there right in front of you. If your taking lessons this book has to be the best reference guide anywhere! You can practice your basics without forgetting what you did in class. Allen has produced a terrific preconceived notebook for all level of dancers. Buy it you'll love it and the book will grow with you.
  
  
• Not for beginners
  By A24ZA160O8SSEM on 2005-12-22
  What I wanted were easy step by step lessons but what I found were verbose and complex explanations. The DVD was the only redeeming feature as it provided a good beat for the dances. Unfortunately being an incomplete idiot I had no steps to do.
  
  
• Too much guff
  By A29YEXGWMG5DWD on 2006-01-07
  This book has some great material, and its history bits are good, but if you just want some hints on learning to dance there is way too much 'stuff' you have to wade through before you get to anything about dancing ... you're half way through the book before you get to the actual dance steps - and too much stuff you have to wade through around each dance.
  
  If you want LOTS of history and detail, this is the book for you. If you want to get down to dancing ... it has some good info in it, but it takes a lot of work to find it
  
  
• Even an non-idiot might have difficulty wading through this
  By AUQG3696HT9W2 on 2006-12-30
  I've had this book for 3 years now, and at the same time I've been taking weekly ballroom dance classes. I thought that as I got more hands-on instruction, I would feel more comfortable with the instructional part of the book. I never did. Now that I am far more advanced than what is taught in the book, I still feel a bit confused trying to figure out what the author trying to teach. OK, some maybe I'm an idiot, but if I am, then this book should be geared to me. If there were an accompanying DVD, then I think it would be much better.
  
  
• The idiot, the genius, and the dancer
  By A1C4ZSCEIMFS95 on 2007-02-18
  i love this book, my husband loves this book, we have been having a lot of fun watching the DVD and trying some of the steps. My husband, who is a genius and not an idiot, brought this book home last week. We want to improve our dancing skills--well, doesn't everyone?
  
  After reading a lot of the book and also dropping it halfway into the bathtub (this is the mark of honor for a book in our house, it shows that a book is truly so enthralling that a reader can't let go of it even when taking a bath), I decided to call the author's 800 number (in the book) to see if he could recommend a dance teacher in the Boston area. But, to my surprise, he teaches dancers in Providence, RI, only an hour's drive away, so we signed up to take some lessons from him.
  
  Jeff Allen is not just a good writer but also an excellent teacher. We are having a lot of fun. Would we be able to learn so much so fast just from the book without taking lessons? Probably not--but the book and DVD just by themselves are very enjoyable and informative. And if you live close enough to Providence to take actual lessons from the author, I thoroughly recommend doing so.
  
  
• Comprehensive, but so simple !
  By A2HD0D25GZWMHX on 2002-11-05
  Jeff Allen has really outdone himself with this one. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Ballroom Dancing is so comprehensive, but so simple that even an absolute beginner will feel comfortable on the dance floor in no time at all.

  Wayne Eng ...
  
  

• Misleading title?
  By A2BFC7R83BH0NI on 2007-01-11
  This book was different from what I was led to believe: it is a "detailed, sophisticated, and comprehensive" - not "idiot's" guide to ballroom dancing. I am enjoying the book, but the history and background, and then the technical foundation the book lays in finally getting to the actual dance steps, are more for the serious student who is NOT an idiot. This is clearly a serious book written by a serious dance teacher for serious students who are not idiots!
  
  
• Exceptional Book on Ballroom Dancing
  By A3GDBIMZ6RA6XY on 2007-01-26
  I am fortunate to have the author, Jeff Allen, an my dance instructor. Jeff's book, is an invaluable tool for anyone looking to master the art of ballroom dancing.He meticulously breaks down every movement and step in order to allow his reader to quickly become familiar with the various dances. There is no other book on ballroom dancing that I have read which even comes close to what this book has to offer. The DVD that is included is also an excellent visual tool.
  
  
• Tough skill, tough read
  By A2SEMJZVMEXDOL on 2007-05-13
  This book, as other reviewers have stated, is NOT for the complete idiot. You must invest a great deal of time and attention to get much out of it. Among other things, you'll have to read the "how-to" text several times to understand what the author is trying to get across to you, and the DVD doesn't make it any easier. I have learned what little dancing I now know largely from the gentle coaching my wife provided. She stayed a couple of steps ahead of me in the book (so to speak) and correctly interpreted the author's intentions. We can now waltz (a little) and continue to learn with each other's help.
  
  Don't expect this book to be an easy way to learn ballroom dancing.
  
  
• pretty good
  By A1SGVCH54B8MIG on 2007-08-03
  To bo honest I have not read much of the book, I started dance classes (ballroom and latin)about 2months ago and I am able to pick up the moves pretty fast cause I love it. So I focussed more on the CD here which I was very impressed with. It was more than I expected to find, covering a few basics two or three patterns per dance, having a little knowledge of dance already it was a nice review and practise. However to thos of you that are interested in the book you will find explanations for both the man and woman's steps and also pictures as guidelines covering waltz, foxtrot,tango, viennese waltz, rumba, merengue, samba, cha-cha, mambo, east coast swing...that's a good spread for your money, of course the Cd is necessary to also help explain.
  
  
  
  
• Great for the absolute beginner
  By A25C0TKJJZ570A on 2007-09-14
  This book will take you through the basic patterns of popular social dances and does a fairly adept job of doing so. This is purely a footwork book, as there is little mention of styling, but for the absolute novice it will get you out on the dance floor.
  
  I particularly enjoyed the section on rhythm and the emphasis that dancing is about doing the same motion, the exact same way every time, so you don't really have to have rhythm to dance, you just need to perform the same motion the same way consistently. I have a friend struggling with this same issue in his dancing and recommended this book to him, with the practice exercises included, to help him improve.
  
  All in all, a well written book for the novice dancer and one I recommend.
  
  
• Not entirely for dummies
  By A151JNUPLSZ4XG on 2007-12-23
  I had high hopes when I bought this book. I have never danced before so perhaps that is why after reading it, I did not think this book was entirely for dummies who did not know how to dance. The book had much advice about dancing and the preparatory stages before dancing, but when it came down to the actual explanations of dancing it was difficult for me to follow the sequences especially looking at a book while trying to copy what it said. I felt it focused to much on the wedding day event, which is old news for someone who has been married for a while- perhaps including a section about how to animate a reluctant spouse to dance would have been more appropriate! The book wasn't the main disappointment. It was the DVD. I had hoped for more explicit instruction when viewing the DVD and there was none. He spoke some advice during the clips but did not explain what was going on. It was like watching a performance which although beautiful to behold was still mysterious. Not having had any prior dancing experience but lots of desire to want to teach myself, I suppose I expected too much from this book and it left me naturally let down. Those who have some dancing experience will find this book much more enjoyable and will benefit from it more fully.
  
  
• Lots of fat - not much meat...
  By A27RJGCBYVGUB7 on 2008-03-22
  This book uses a lot of words, but fails to make clear how to master a dance step. Disappointing. It makes a good coffee table book (one leg was shorter than the rest.)
  
  
• More information than in a dancing lesson!
  By A1623FIE4I580U on 2007-08-27
  If you are taking lessons and are serious about putting some hard work into learning how to dance then this book is a great resource. As a 50-ish beginner, I loved the background information but did skip ahead to the "lessons", only to come back later and see how important the background and foundations were! Like anything else, there are no shortcuts if you want a quality result. You're not going to pick this book up and be dancing in a week, any more than you could learn to paint a landscape or play the piano in a week. Dancing is music, art and body control. Idiots, - It takes practice!
  One suggestion: I would like to have seen some footwork diagrams as many "Idiots", like myself, need a visual diagram in addition to photos and the lengthy "Step" descriptions.
  
  
• You'd be an idiot to buy this book
  By A2NDXSNDKZWVIP on 2008-10-25
  The text is way, way too wordy. It could have been edited to a tenth of its length without any loss of content. The actual instruction is far too detailed to follow in any meaningful way, and the accompanying DVD is poorly organized, the video clips are far too brief, and the blurry fade-ins are very distracting. As you can tell, I was not happy with this purchase.
  
  

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