Rating: 
Summary: Quickstart to Social Dancing
Review: Save your money. This is the worst book I have ever read.
Rating:
Summary: A waste of money!
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: I STAND BEHIND THIS BOOK
Review: Sometimes you have to step up to the plate and be counted! I have just read a review for Quickstart to Social Dancing that really disturbed me because I have indeed read this book and with it worked through the many difficulties anyone encounters in learning to partner dance. The following is that negative review including its spelling errors (The errors are in the review not in the book!): �Don't bother to buy this. The instructions are like trying to read a translation from Japanese assembly instructions for some incomprehensible machine. I was totally unable to translate his instructions into any usefull movement. For example he says, "With both your elbows pointing 45 digrees at the dance floor relax your underarms and push the upper arms up by flexing all the muscles that surround the front, side, and back of your rib cage." I don't know about you but this instruction is useless for me.
I am currently using this book as a hot-pad in my kitchen.� The quote ignores the five other statements which I believe fully describe the upper body frame for the man & the woman. In addition there is a graphic of a coat hanger, which Mr. Allen analogizes. My dance instructor who wholly and heartily recommends this book to her students said that the muscles surrounding the ribcage produce a shelf like affair that helps to support the upper arms as they are extended from the body. The book says that most people lift their arms by shrugging their shoulders that can cause pain and a good reason why beginners fail in their dance framing. Mr. Allen has given a very useful tool as an alternative and remedy to the suffering that I experienced while trying to support my arms during a dance. Knowing this information in the very beginning of my dance experience would have made it far more pleasurable. I would have learned things later like promenade position with much greater ease if I had had this simple explanation to begin with!!! My teacher also said that the new students who endeavor to read Quickstart to Social Dancing at the early stages of her classes or even before they begin seem to be well informed and learn at a much faster rate without becoming discouraged. One other comment I�d like to make is that Mr. Allen has included his email address in the book and invites his readers to ask questions or express concerns. Most celebrities cloak themselves in a shroud of secrecy Mr. Allen makes himself available to his readers � That�s refreshing and may be more valuable the cost of this terrific book.
Rating:
Summary: I STAND BEHIND THIS BOOK
Review: Sometimes you have to step up to the plate and be counted! I have just read a review for Quickstart to Social Dancing that really disturbed me because I have indeed read this book and with it worked through the many difficulties anyone encounters in learning to partner dance. The following is that negative review including its spelling errors (The errors are in the review not in the book!): 'Don't bother to buy this. The instructions are like trying to read a translation from Japanese assembly instructions for some incomprehensible machine. I was totally unable to translate his instructions into any usefull movement. For example he says, "With both your elbows pointing 45 digrees at the dance floor relax your underarms and push the upper arms up by flexing all the muscles that surround the front, side, and back of your rib cage." I don't know about you but this instruction is useless for me.
I am currently using this book as a hot-pad in my kitchen.' The quote ignores the five other statements which I believe fully describe the upper body frame for the man & the woman. In addition there is a graphic of a coat hanger, which Mr. Allen analogizes. My dance instructor who wholly and heartily recommends this book to her students said that the muscles surrounding the ribcage produce a shelf like affair that helps to support the upper arms as they are extended from the body. The book says that most people lift their arms by shrugging their shoulders that can cause pain and a good reason why beginners fail in their dance framing. Mr. Allen has given a very useful tool as an alternative and remedy to the suffering that I experienced while trying to support my arms during a dance. Knowing this information in the very beginning of my dance experience would have made it far more pleasurable. I would have learned things later like promenade position with much greater ease if I had had this simple explanation to begin with!!! My teacher also said that the new students who endeavor to read Quickstart to Social Dancing at the early stages of her classes or even before they begin seem to be well informed and learn at a much faster rate without becoming discouraged. One other comment I'd like to make is that Mr. Allen has included his email address in the book and invites his readers to ask questions or express concerns. Most celebrities cloak themselves in a shroud of secrecy Mr. Allen makes himself available to his readers ' That's refreshing and may be more valuable the cost of this terrific book.
Rating:
Summary: Our Wedding Dance a Big Success!
Review: Thank you Jeff Allen for thinking of wedding couples like us when you wrote this book! It was perfect - Simple and just enough for us to our favorite Waltz, "The Sweetheart Tree," by Johnny Mathis bringing tears to the eyes of our Moms & Dads. Then we danced a simple and sweet Foxtrot with our parents to Frank Sinatra's, "The Way You Look Tonight," - nothing fancy just elegant. We can't wait to see the pictures! Our budget was very very tight and dance lessons for our wedding was an area we had to omit! We found out about you book at one of the internet's big wedding sites - the price was right so we took a chance not really believing we could learn from a book. I had my sister read to us from your book as if she was the teacher - maybe she has a new career in store for herself. We had a ball and laughed all the way through your lessons. I haven't seen any other book in the Wedding Planning or Dance category that has a chapter just for the Bride & Groom's First Dance - the details on how to pull it off are a huge help. Would you believe that we actually took your books, Quickstart to Social Dancing and Quickstart to Swing on the cruise for our honeymoon? They had a big band orchestra and we were able to do a little Swing and Merengue just for fun at the ship's nightclub. I think we've been bitten by the dance bug! When we were engaged we would often ask each other - What do you want to do tonight? I don't know what do you want to do? Thanks to Quickstart to Social Dancing and Swing that question is answered.
Rating:
Summary: Non dancers will remain non dancers if they read this book
Review: This book is a total waste of time for anyone wanting to learn social dancing. Get the complete book on Ballroom dancing if you need instructions that make sense, and it gives you some history also. I rarely write comments on anything, but this book bugged me to no end. Yuck. One of the few books I've ever sent back.
Rating:
Summary: NEW LATIN LOVERS SAY: WONDERFULLY SIMPLE
Review: THIS IS A GREAT "HOW-TO," BOOK. WE STARTED BY LEARNING TO GAIN A BETTER APPRECIATION FOR WALKING AS A DANCER BY CONTRAST TO OUR NATURAL GATE USING THE PRIMARY DIRECTIONS OF FORWARD, BACK, & SIDE. FROM THERE WE DEVELOPED THE DANCER'S BOX STEP OR AS ALLEN CALLED IT, "THE TRAILBLAZER." FROM THIS FOUNDATION WE LEARNED THE BASIC MOVEMENTS IN FOXTROT, WALTZ, RUMBA, & MERENGUE! LATER ON WE'LL WORK ON THE SWING & CHA-CHA! WE HAD TRIED SOME OTHER BOOKS THAT USED THE FOOT PRINT METHOD. TRUTHFULLY THEY TURNED THE DANCING INTO A CONFUSING CHILDS GAME OF "TWISTER." ALLEN'S BOOK RECOMMENDS READING THE SIMPLE INSTRUCTIONS ALOUD TO EACH OTHER - IT WORKED LIKE A CHARM!!! WHAT WE REALLY WANTED TO DO WAS LEARN MERENGUE ARGUABLY THE MOST POPULAR LATIN DANCE. WE LEARNED TO DANCE THE MERENGUE IN PLACE, CIRCLING RIGHT & LEFT, THE EIGHT COUNT MERENGUE BOX, AND THE CHASSE. NOW WE CAN DANCE IN ANY LATIN CLUB. WE'VE NOTICED THAT THERE ARE ONLY A VERY FEW COUPLES THAT DO MORE STEPS THAN THESE SO WE FEEL WE BELONG ON THE SAME DANCE FLOOR ESPECIALLY WHEN IT GETS CROWDED! QUICKSTART TO SOCIAL DANCING TAUGHT US HOW TO USE OUR KNEES TO CREATE THAT SEXY LATIN LOOK! THE MORE WE DID IT THE MORE NATURAL IT FELT. WE SAY, CONGRATULATIONS & THANK YOU MR. ALLEN FOR GIVING US THIS INEXPENSIVE WAY TO GET OUR QUICKSTART TO THE MERENGUE. BY THE WAY HE CALLS THE MERENGUE "THE CRUISE DANCE," BECAUSE OF ITS POPULARITY ON CRUISE SHIPS AND DOWN IN THE CARRIBEAN - OUR NEXT VACATION.
Rating:
Summary: NEW LATIN LOVERS SAY: WONDERFULLY SIMPLE
Review: THIS IS A GREAT "HOW-TO," BOOK. WE STARTED BY LEARNING TO GAIN A BETTER APPRECIATION FOR WALKING AS A DANCER BY CONTRAST TO OUR NATURAL GATE USING THE PRIMARY DIRECTIONS OF FORWARD, BACK, & SIDE. FROM THERE WE DEVELOPED THE DANCER'S BOX STEP OR AS ALLEN CALLED IT, "THE TRAILBLAZER." FROM THIS FOUNDATION WE LEARNED THE BASIC MOVEMENTS IN FOXTROT, WALTZ, RUMBA, & MERENGUE! LATER ON WE'LL WORK ON THE SWING & CHA-CHA! WE HAD TRIED SOME OTHER BOOKS THAT USED THE FOOT PRINT METHOD. TRUTHFULLY THEY TURNED THE DANCING INTO A CONFUSING CHILDS GAME OF "TWISTER." ALLEN'S BOOK RECOMMENDS READING THE SIMPLE INSTRUCTIONS ALOUD TO EACH OTHER - IT WORKED LIKE A CHARM!!! WHAT WE REALLY WANTED TO DO WAS LEARN MERENGUE ARGUABLY THE MOST POPULAR LATIN DANCE. WE LEARNED TO DANCE THE MERENGUE IN PLACE, CIRCLING RIGHT & LEFT, THE EIGHT COUNT MERENGUE BOX, AND THE CHASSE. NOW WE CAN DANCE IN ANY LATIN CLUB. WE'VE NOTICED THAT THERE ARE ONLY A VERY FEW COUPLES THAT DO MORE STEPS THAN THESE SO WE FEEL WE BELONG ON THE SAME DANCE FLOOR ESPECIALLY WHEN IT GETS CROWDED! QUICKSTART TO SOCIAL DANCING TAUGHT US HOW TO USE OUR KNEES TO CREATE THAT SEXY LATIN LOOK! THE MORE WE DID IT THE MORE NATURAL IT FELT. WE SAY, CONGRATULATIONS & THANK YOU MR. ALLEN FOR GIVING US THIS INEXPENSIVE WAY TO GET OUR QUICKSTART TO THE MERENGUE. BY THE WAY HE CALLS THE MERENGUE "THE CRUISE DANCE," BECAUSE OF ITS POPULARITY ON CRUISE SHIPS AND DOWN IN THE CARRIBEAN - OUR NEXT VACATION.
Rating:
Summary: Oh, no!
Review: We seem to be in a minority here, but my spouse and I are in agreement with the person who found this book a complete waste of time. It's the ONLY book we've sent back to Amazon as "not what it was cracked up to be" -- by other customers. We wanted a supplement to dance lessons we're taking, to help us practice at home. No help whatsoever! Anyone wishing simple, clear, easy-to-follow instructions: Get the Nancy Hays video: Bring Back the Romance of Dance.
Rating:
Summary: What more could you want!
Review: We were first exposed to Mr. Allen's book, Quickstart to Social Dancing 2nd Ed., on one of the big Internet wedding sites where he is a one of the expert consultants for wedding dancing and music. We had the opportunity to ask him about our first dance selection titled Orange Colored Sky as sung by Nat King Cole. His response came quickly that this selection was a Foxtrot. We didn't have a clue what a Foxtrot was but noticed that it was one of the basic steps described in his book. The introductory comments of the book told us that we were going to take a dance lesson: " I have written this book in a form that I believe is as simple as possible for you the reader and my new student. Quickstart to Social Dancing is presented as if you the reader were my private student....... I will be talking to you and telling you exactly what to do moment by moment..... as easy as walking, talking, and feeling." We knew this book was different; we were not going to be instructed to read we were going to be instructed to get off our duffs and participated actively! It is hard to believe that anyone could dislike this book - it was wonderful to follow these concise directions presented in a conversational manner and experience the cumulative development exactly as the introduction of the book said we would. What more could you want? The 2nd Edition is aesthetically improved from the Mr. Allen's first edition. We know because we own both and loved the content so much we wanted the "New improved edition!" The book has a brief but important section for Brides & Grooms, which was very helpful in coordinating our first dance. It has beautiful advice for presenting the bride and contains an invitation by Mr. Allen to Email him with any questions concerning the instructions, information, and any required additional help. We were so happy with the results of our dance lesson experience using Quickstart to Social Dancing and the additional help, that we actually extended Mr. Allen an invitation to watch us dance at our reception. If he had come, I know he would have been proud!
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