Asalamu Alaikum Sister,

The first thing to understand here is that some people from the Arab speaking world sometimes do not use the word “haram” in the sense that we understand it i.e. unlawful in Islam. Haram can take on the meaning of something like “shame” to an Arabic speaker. But, of course the meaning-unlawful- can still apply. We do the same thing with English words. So, when talking to an Arabic speaker, it might be beneficial to ask what they meant when they use the word “haram”.

Secondly, it is great to learn about Islam from those who have practiced it their entire lives. However, many people hold different opinions about how permissible in Islam certain actions and situations are. As you move forward in learning your religion from others, it will be very beneficial for you to ask for evidence from the Quran and/or Sunnah for the basis of opinions. 

This shouldn’t be considered rude. It is your religious right to know your faith from the source. As for dancing in and of itself, this is not haram. What the sister probably meant to say is that dancing in front of men is haram. I think you can understand this. Dancing is not a very modest act. That being said, dancing can be a great form of exercise, and a great way to look after the health of the body that God gave you.

So, please by all means dance as long as it is not in front of men. The scholars at Ask the Scholar have addressed this issue better than I can. You can check out their approach to understanding the permissibility of dancing here: https://aboutislam.net/counseling/ask-the-scholar/morals-manners/dancing-allowed-not/  
I hope this helps. All the Best. Salam.