Dancing lessons on QE?

Hi all.

I know that there is a lot of dancing on QE but do they have dancing lessons as well?

Yes, across the Cunard fleet. Usually takes place at 12.15pm on sea days ( after the Captains noon briefing)

Occasionally, on port intensive days they could be at around 5pm ( certainly was on Queen Victoria in December)

Just to add; There is also the opportunity for Private dance lessons, at an extra fee of course.

Just got off QE. Classes mostly 12.15, sometimes 2 or 5 PM. Instructors Sergey and Olga, a couple of salsa classes from cast dancers.

45 minute classes, usually very crowded.

Good performers rarely make good teachers. They emphasized a lot of trivial details you don't need for social dancing but missed basic technique. Unless you already have some knowledge, you'll be confused.

Normally the dance teachers are quite good. I don't know the two you mentioned but Dan and Olena studied dance at university, so they know the technique but don't emphasise it too much for beginners.

Just got off QE. Classes mostly 12.15, sometimes 2 or 5 PM. Instructors Sergey and Olga, a couple of salsa classes from cast dancers.

45 minute classes, usually very crowded.

Good performers rarely make good teachers. They emphasized a lot of trivial details you don't need for social dancing but missed basic technique. Unless you already have some knowledge, you'll be confused.

Agreed! The few times we attended, folks were very confused by both the pace and the "flourishes" of the instructors. It's much better to watch their performances than to take a lesson from them!

Agreed! The few times we attended, folks were very confused by both the pace and the "flourishes" of the instructors. It's much better to watch their performances than to take a lesson from them!

Even if one takes private lessons from qualified dance instructors, it's unrealistic for beginner dancers to learn enough to even feel comfortable dancing in the crowded environment that characterizes the Queen's Rooms evening ballroom dancing to the orchestra. It's usually crowded with some experienced dancers and other social dancers, moving randomly around the dance floor. Forget about the noon time group dance lessons.

Even in the less crowded atmosphere during the recorded CD music sessions, it's difficult for beginner dancers to, first, figure out what the dance is, and then venture out onto the dance floor.

But I have to say, that from the group dance lessons, if the instructors are qualified, I do learn one or two good tips on technique or timing during the lessons. From the private lessons, the best instructor I ever had was the Rumanian lady called Roxana (husband was Petre, but I forgot their last name). I was on two different cruises of about 7 days each with her, and took daily lessons of 30 minutes from her. I basically learnt tango and foxtrot from her, though only basic techniques in both.

And on an earlier QE2 cruise, I learnt the fleckerl(for Viennese Waltz) from an English lady instructor, whose name I cannot remember. I guess the point is, for the private lessons, you need to be precise in what it is that you wish to learn, ie to have a specific target in mind.

QR band leader Trevor Newby, excellent tempos but limited variety- endless quicksteps, some foxtrot and waltz. Latin, a chacha invariably followed by a rumba. For variety, a tango (ballroom, not Argentine) and a samba once during the evening. Singer (Vincent Wolfe?- contract ending) nice enough lounge singer but tended to obscure tempo rather than enhance.

QRO is only allowed to play music provided by Cunard. I'm not familiar with (Bermuda?) copyright law, but it sounded like only ancient, dull, dreary stuff that nobody bothered to renew the copyright. More modern and cheery stuff, they only played snippets- I think you're allowed 8 bars before you're plagiarizing?

I was told there have been three band leaders since October, the one in October was atrocious, nothing on tempo, everything awkward and inconvenient. DJ Claire and sound tech Christopher, both had a lot of good music. The Caribbean band Changez, I'm convinced could do much better with some encouragement. I have to rate music as "unreliable". A lot of good music went to waste on this cruise, but other times might be different.

Dance hosts- six, 3 from US agency, 3 from UK. Competent at beginner level, but ladies looking for more will be disappointed. Even by that low standard, not very busy- I never saw more than 4 dancing at once, often all six were standing around. There just weren't very many people dancing.

The front desk insisted the ship was full, but I doubt it- Pretty empty in the evenings- several times, the Golden Lion, I saw the piano player playing to 3 or 4 people.

I vaguely recall Petre and Roxanne. If they're who I think, excellent classes, something for everyone, but the trade-off was highly scripted and tightly choreographed, don't blink or you missed it.