"How long does it take before I feel confident in the dance?"

This varies from person to person, but in general, you’ll notice a distinct difference after a few months of steady practice. For example, if you attend a weekly course and dance socially from time to time, many people will find that after about 3-6 months you feel less awkward. For some, it takes less time, for others longer – no definitive answer. It depends on how much you practice, your background (if you have played sports or music before, rhythm/coordination can sit easier) and how comfortable you are with making mistakes. A word of advice: don’t focus too much on the clock or calendar. Suddenly one day you discover that “hey, now I danced through an entire song without thinking about my feet!”. Then security has crept in. Remember that dancing is a continuous learning process – even the best learn new things all the time, so you are never “done learning”. But you definitely get more relaxed the more you dance.