Learning any new skill can be daunting to begin with. It takes a great deal of time, patience, and courage, and there will be times where you struggle and question whether you made the right decision. This is especially true with dancing. Take it from us, learning to dance is well worth the effort, and if you stick with it, you'll be so glad that you did.

Dancing is empowering, liberating, and a whole lot of fun. It helps you burn calories, improves your fitness, and is one of the best ways to meet new people and make lasting friendships.

If you've already read our guide on The Best Social Dances to Learn for Meeting New People and Making Friends, welcome back! If not, don't worry, we've got you covered. That article explored some of the most popular social dances for building connections. This time, we're taking things one step further by focusing specifically on partner dances that are beginner-friendly, easy to learn, and perfect for breaking the ice on the dance floor.

Dancing has always been one of the most social activities you could wish for. For centuries, people have gathered to celebrate, unwind, and connect through movement. Thankfully, that hasn't changed. Whether you're looking to grow your confidence, expand your social circle, or simply try something new, partner dancing offers the perfect opportunity to do all three.

If you're ready to find the right dance to get started, here are several partner dances ideal for beginners.

A Brief History of Partner Dancing

As is evident in the name, partner dances are dances that have specifically been designed to be danced in pairs. If you’re familiar with the concept of shows such as ‘Dancing with the Stars’ or ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ you’ll be aware that these shows feature dances that are performed in pairs.

Partner dances pre-date the 19th century, though it was in 19th century Europe where the craze really began taking off. Before then, most dances were very communal. Rather than people dancing in pairs, or solo, people would form large groups and dance as one. The thought of a man and woman pairing up, holding hands, and dancing intimately was frowned upon and considered quite taboo.

In the early 1800s however, that began to change. As the Viennese Waltz spread throughout European ballrooms, dancers would pair up and dance intimately and rhythmically. Decades, and centuries, passed by, and different partner dance trends emerged in different parts of the world. You had swing music and jazz across the US, which spawned swing dance, then came the Latin influence. This was slow, concise, methodical, confident, and oh-so sexy. It was fiery, liberating, passionate, and people couldn’t get enough.

Today, social dancing is the norm and is a fantastic way for people to get out there, socialize, meet new people, have fun, and make new friends.

Choosing the Right Partner Dance for Beginners

If you are serious about learning a partner dance, it’s important that you choose wisely, and that you walk before you can run. Far too many people make the mistake of trying to learn the most popular dances first, which are often the hardest to master. They’ll watch dancers on the TV or see clips on social media of a pair of professionals making a complex dance look easy, and will try to learn that.

Before learning complex dances, it’s important to first learn the basics. This is why simpler social dances such as Bachata or Rumba are ideal. For a more energetic experience, East Coast Swing or even Salsa, would work very well. For people looking to get comfortable dancing in pairs however, a simple Two-Step or Merengue would be great. That way you’ve less to think about, you can get used to dancing with a partner, and you can still work on your footwork and your timing.

Ultimately however, the right partner dance for you is the one that you want to do and enjoy the most. If you try a partner dance and really enjoy it and have fun, who cares if you’re slow to pick up a few of the basics? Ultimately, this is about you getting out there, socializing, meeting new people, making new friends, and having fun. If you do those things, you’re already a winner.

The Best Partner Dances for Beginners

Okay, so now it’s time for the moment of truth, as it’s now time to learn which partner dances would be best suited for you.

Here are several of the best partner dances for beginners looking to socialize and make new friends:

Two-Step

For beginners, the Two-Step is one of the best partner dances you could wish for. It’s easy to master, it’s fun, and it’s a great way to build a foundation and build your confidence before you progress to tougher dances.

The Two-Step is a fairly energetic, precise, controlled, partner dance with a very simple ‘quick, quick, slow, slow’ rhythm. The dance can be performed to a number of different music styles, though it’s especially popular amongst Country and Western fans. This is a very lower-body dominant dance as it’s all about the footwork. Don’t worry about your hands for now, it’s the feet that do the dancing.

Merengue

The Merengue is a fiery, smoldering, Latin-inspired dance that originated in the Dominican Republic. It too, is a great partner dance that is perfect for beginners.

The Merengue features simple footwork performed in a marching style to a 2/4 or 4/4 rhythm. It is ideal for those who don’t have the best coordination and is not performed too fast or too quickly. It offers slightly more hip movement, though it too is very lower body orientated.

Rumba

Rumba is slow, passionate, sensual, and intimate. It is performed at no more than a walking pace and is characterized by a great deal of hip action, which is affectionately referred to as ‘Latin Motion’. Latin Motion features side-to-side hip sways, while the dance itself is danced in 4/4 time. It also alternates between slow and fast steps.

Bachata

Bachata is another partner dance that is slightly quicker to perform, without becoming too daunting for beginners.

It’s perfect for partner dancing as it encourages dancers to form a connection and dance in sync, without the need to perform an Olympic style synchronized routine. Bachata is ideal for partners as it features a basic side-by-side dance style, minimal turns, smooth and fluid hip movements, and rhythmic footwork.

One of the best things about Bachata is the fact that there are many different variations, so you can dance different styles, particularly as you progress and become more confident. Furthermore, the more in sync you and your partner become, the easier you'll find it.