I've been on a few cruises. And on every cruise, they have had a formal night. Everyone gets all dressed up. The men wear a nice suit or some may wear a tux. The women are all decked out in fine evening wear - pant suits, party dresses, full length gowns, and everything in between.

There has always been a dance floor and most of the time it's empty. It's empty because so many people now-a-days do not know how to dance. It's a real shame, because dancing is really nothing harder than doing the box step. The box step is the first dance movement I learned when I learned how to dance.

I started dancing at Mrs. Somebody's dance school in Providence RI. Sorry I don't remember her name, but the classes were in downtown Providence near Hope Street or maybe Benefit Street near RISD (Rhode Island School of Design). It's been over 40 years, so I'm kind of foggy about it. But everyone got dressed to the nines and we all went to class. After the class the kids I went to class with, all went to the Newport Creamery for hot fudge sundaes. So you see, dance class was not without rewards.

The box step is nothing more than starting with your left foot and moving it to about a pace away. Bring your right foot up and tap your left foot slightly and move it to the right. Bring your left foot over to your right, and place it down next to your right. Now move your right foot backwards about a pace. Move your left foot back and slightly touch your right foot and slide it to the left. Bring you right foot and place it next to your left. You have just completed a box step.

While the box step is mostly for slow dancing, you might need to know another dance called "Doing the Cha-Cha". Repeat after me - 1 - 2 - Cha - Cha - Cha. While there is some fast music that you can't do the Cha-Cha to, you can do the Cha-Cha to most music. Listen for music that has a beat like, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM BOOM BOOM. 1 - 2 - Cha - Cha - Cha.

Here is how to do the Cha-Cha. Put your left foot out and bring your left foot back and when your left foot hits the floor, you say Cha! Then lift your right foot upright and bring it back down and say Cha! Then lift your left foot upright and bring it down and say Cha! Now move your right foot back about a step and bring it right back in place next to your left foot. And as you do so say Cha! Then lift your left foot upright and bring it back down and say Cha! Then lift your right foot upright and bring it down and say Cha! Repeat. Up back Cha Cha Cha. Back up Cha Cha Cha.

Of course, you might be better off having a video. You should check out celebrity dance coaching with Emmy nominated choreographer Louis Van Amstel from the hit TV Show - "Dancing With The Stars!"

Did I mention that you can lose weight from dancing? Yes. It is a form of exercise that is fun and all that moving around will shed a few pounds off before you know it!

Until next time, shoot me an e-mail and let me know what travel articles you would like to see, and how you are doing, O.K.?

Jim Fortune - the Bella Budget Travel Guy