Do you wonder what it takes to learn how to dance? Just a sense of adventure, a love of challenge, and a little rhythm, baby...

Whenever I go to a dance and see elderly couples elegantly swinging and swaying their way around the floor, I think, “That is what helps keep their relationship strong and their bodies healthy.”

Ballroom dancing is not only a great form of exercise and wonderful way to burn calories - it’s also romantic and fun! Remember that song by the Bellamy Brothers, "It's just a vertical expression of horizontal desires." Dancing a sexy slow blues tune or tango number with your lover can be HOT, HOT, HOT!

Ask your sweetheart to take some lessons with you and discover a whole new world of athletic skill and social contacts. See for yourself how challenging yet fun it is to know how to salsa, waltz, and fox trot and make your partner look good on the floor.

Ballroom refers mainly to the following partner dances: waltz, tango, fox trot, east and west coast swing, cha cha, salsa, bolero, samba, mambo, rumba, hustle, merengue, and nightclub two-step. Other partner dances like country-western two-step, Cajun, and polka are fun too although they aren’t considered ‘ballroom.’

The best option is to take a class at a studio or through local adult education offerings. It’s extremely helpful to have a professional instructor at hand to demonstrate the moves and answer questions. Many people start with group lessons, which are cheaper than private lessons. But as you get better, you’ll want to advance to private lessons in order to hone your skills.

If you want to just try it out on your own first, there are a few options. There are websites that offer free lessons online. You can learn basic steps and styling this way and get a feel for which dances you like best. Just download the clips and learn in the privacy of your living room.

Here are several sites with decent free ballroom lesson clips:

• www.learning2dance.com
• www.learntodance.com
• www.dancetv.com
• www.youtube.com