how can i improve my balance as a beginner

Those are good exercises for balance. Really, any exercise that is balance-related, such as variations on standing on one foot and moving various other parts of your body, will help.

The next best thing to practice is making sure your dance technique is as precise as possible. Don't take steps that are too big, for example, because you will have more difficulty moving about properly and that will throw you off (for example, you'll overcompensate because you're too far and late for the music, and then you have too much momentum to stop). Some of the incorrect positions beginners get themselves into would throw an advanced dancer off balance! They are in balance because they know exactly how far to go from their center and exactly where they want to be.

Another important thing is to KEEP BOTH FEET ON THE FLOOR at all times (except of course if you're kicking or something!). I see a lot of beginners lifting their feet way up (like an inch) off the floor as they step, which robs them of the additional stability that they would have if they slid the foot through, maintaining contact with the floor as they go. Same thing on turns, you'd be amazed at how long the pros can keep both feet in contact with the floor when they look like they're stepping out.

Last thing, not everyone has perfect balance to begin with. Some people have physical limitations in this regard. In fact, learning to dance is often recommended for these people (there's one in my crowd who's an advanced dancer now!), so that they can learn how to carry themselves and move more precisely. However, someone in that situation may not be able to get past it no matter how many exercises they do.

Dear Liemoore,

Assuming that you are a partner dancer, I would suggest if you dance with a regular partner, that you think about whether he/she has a good sense of balance. I have been dancing with a girl who had no balance whatsoever, but I only realised this when I got to dance with someone else. You cannot keep your balance if your partner tries to get his/her balance from you!
A second important point, though it may seem tedious, is: Practice! Practice, practice, practice. Dancing will become second nature, like walking. Part of this effect is psychological: Try walking while thinking about how you should do it - you will probably have difficulty, whereas when you don't think about it, you can walk just fine. When you are a little more confident, you will begin paying attention to other things, so that your balance will work as well as it does when you walk.
As for specific exercises - one that comes from ballet is this: You stand on your left foot's toes, straight legs, raise and bend your right leg so the toes just touch the left leg at the knee. In order to keep your balance in this position, you will need to transfer your weight above the standing foot, which is difficult because the fact that your right leg is put out to the side means that your centre of gravity is further over to that side. If you want to look like a ballet dancer while doing this, hold your arms like you're hugging a tree that is so large that you cannot connect your hands on the other side. Then bring them closer to your lower body.
Wiener Walzer (Viennese Waltz) dancers often have a problem of keeping their balance after doing many turns. There are several ways of overcoming this:
1) Some followers look at the ceiling. I have not tried this for the obvious reason that I lead, but apparently it works
2) Leaders, on the other hand, try to focus their eyes on one point in the room, and keep their head still throughout the turn in relation to the room. When it becomes unavoidable to turn the head, you should turn as far in the direction of the turn as you can, and seek the next point of focus. You can refine this until you actually always look at the same point of focus, i.e. you move your head once per full turn. This is described in the lesson of the week section of www.ballroomdancers.com.
3) What I have done and what has helped me to get used to the dizziness caused by Viennese is to just stand in a larger room, in typical ballroom posture, the way I would normally dance, and just spin my body as fast as I can, accelerating and trying to stay in the same spot all the time, then decelerating quite abruptly and walking away in a straight line. Observers have told me that this has never actually worked

Exercises 2 & 3, of course, can be done in either direction/for either leg.

I hope this helps.

Enjoy dancing with a well-balanced partner

Here are some balancing exercises out of a recent fitness magazine:

Standing Exercises (10 seconds, 5 times, no hands, no hands and eyes closed)

1. Toe stand: feet apart, rise high on toes, hold for 10 seconds, 5 times.

2. Tandem stand: feet heel-to-toe, hold for 10 seconds, 5 times.

3. One leg stand: one foot off the floor.

4. Heel stand: feet apart, weight on heels.

Walking Exercises (rest 1 minute, 5 times, no hands, no hands and eyes closed)

1. Toe walk: walk 10 feet, high on toes.

2. Tandem forward walk: walk 10 feet toe-to heel.

3. Heel walk: walk 10 feet on heels.

4. Tandem backward walk: walk 10 feet backward toe-to-heel.

Advanced Exercises (rest 1 minute, 10 tImes)

1. Lunge: feet hip-width apart, hands on hips, lunge, knee over foot.

2. One leg squat: arms at sides, lift one leg 6 inches, bend other leg, keeping knee over foot, as low as possible with back erect.