Okay, I'll buy that if the men are at the Beginner or Bronze level....well not all men. I say that because men who practice dancing their new skills between dance classes develop a lot of confidence in themselves. There's no tension on their part. Believe me, guys, if you're tense, the girls can sense it and they can feel it. Yes they can. Anyway, Dan is not a Competition Dancer nor an Exhibition Dancer....just a plain grassroots social dancer like most dancers who are out there just to have fun partner dancing.
So guys, if your tension is caused by your perception that people are pointing the finger or laughing at you then lend an ear to Dan's cool advice, "To solve this problem, repeat this simple phrase to yourself: To h--- with everyone else. Don't worry about looking bad. Instead pay attention to only one person...your partner. I can tell you as a dance instructor that the more you focus on yourself and your partner, the better dancer you'll be. And the better you are, the less you'll care if other people are watching you". With that concern solved, you don't have to feel like a weenie when you hit the dance floor.
Oh! I forgot to mention that Dan is a Power Lifter, too...with muscles..big, big muscles. So it's wise to lend the other ear, too. Lifting may tighten muscles, Dan says, but dancing helps keep those muscles supple and limber. A strange combination...Power Lifting and Ballroom Dancing...but it goes well together according to Dan.
