• Dance Discussions

    When is your dance breaking the “rules”?

    October 8, 2024 - By 

    Most social dance styles frequently discuss whether variations, changes, and interpretations are “authentic” enough to be considered the same dance. From West Coast Swing to Salsa, Bachata to Brazilian Zouk, it happens constantly – especially as dances evolve and change with time. On a basic level, we all agree that there is a line when a dance ceases to be that dance. For example, no one looks at ballet and says it’s Lindy Hop. Similarly, no one looks at Viennese Waltz and calls it Cumbia. The tricky part is trying to set out why the dances are different – and…

  • Community Building - For Teachers

    When the Student’s Money Isn’t Worth It

    April 29, 2024 - By 

    If you’re a community leader or teacher in any capacity, you will eventually run across a student or attendee that exhausts you. In my experience, this is not about their skill level, ability, or financial situation – it is their attitude or behaviour. While a few people’s behaviour may reach the threshold of needing a ban, typically the individuals we are talking about today haven’t done anything ban-worthy; they’re simply… difficult. And sometimes, the difficulty in dealing with them means that it may not be worth it trying to retain them as a student or attendee. Here’s the three general…

  • Dance Discussions - Health & Safety - Social Dancing

    Envious Dancing

    April 20, 2024 - By 

    Dance can cause a lot of emotional responses. A lot of the time, we focus on the joy; sometimes we call these “dance highs”. But, every high has a low. One of those lows can be envy. What triggers envy? The triggers for envy can be subtle or obvious, and can look very different depending on the person. You might feel envy: This isn’t an exhaustive list; jealousy can take many, many forms. Sometimes, that envy can coexist with very real prejudices. For example, young women who are considered stereotypically attractive – especially if they are also a strong dancer…

  • Community Building - Congresses & Travel - Dance Discussions - Inspirational - Social Dancing

    7 Signs of an Ethical Event

    February 28, 2023 - By 

    There are so many events to choose from, which means there are some tough choices. For some attendees, part of that choice involves identifying organizers who appear to have the best interests at the community as part of their decision-making and planning. This list includes some of the things I consider to be good indications of ethical organization. While this list isn’t comprehensive, it includes some signs you can look for to get a sense for whether the organizer is building up and positively influencing the community. It also does not mean an event is unethical for not doing one of these…

  • Leading - Social Dancing

    From Classroom to Social: Applying a New Lead

    December 26, 2022 - By 

    Most leaders have been in a class where they learn a new combination that works on all the follows in rotation. They get excited that they’ve learned something new, head to the next social… and then watch their lead fizzle with many of the follows in the room. Some leads blame themselves; some blame the follower. Some assume that the movement is too niche for the social dance floor.  But, is it really one of those three options?  Today, we’re going to talk about why this might happen, and what to do about it. Lost in Translation When you learn…

  • Beginner-Friendly - Etiquette - Following - Social Dancing

    Followers: Are you maximizing your great dances?

    September 14, 2022 - By 

    Followers, have you ever had a mediocre dance night? What about nights that needed to have a really great dance with a really great lead to get back on track, or nights with “not enough (good) leads”? What if there were a way to maximize how many good dances you had from the available pool of leaders? A Leader’s Perspective As an ambidanceterous person (I both lead and follow), I can tell you that the way a follow interacts with me has a massive impact on whether the dance goes well. For example, I have had top-level follows who came to the…

  • Congresses & Travel - Dance Discussions

    Want to get hired? Here’s what organizers like me look for

    September 13, 2022 - By 

    Partner dance is a world where up-and-coming artists are plentiful, the competition is stiff, and opportunity limited. Much like many other artistic ventures, a small percentage of artists end up very successful – while many others struggle to get their break-through. When I’m acting as an organizer, I’m on the other side of the divide: a limited budget, limited space, and many, many great artists. So, how do I choose who to hire out of so many amazing options? Of note, this article focuses on my personal perspective on artist selection and does not speak for organizers as a whole.…

  • Dance Discussions

    He Dances, She Dances, and They Dance Too

    July 24, 2022 - By 

    Recently, a Bachata DJ came forward with a post lamenting the use of they/them pronouns, followed by an extensive (and since deleted) posting about his deeper feelings. The initial post read as follows: Pronouns… It was either “he” or “she.” That’s how easy it was. Why is it not that simple anymore? In one sense – and only one sense – he is right: it was easier. It was easier to make assumptions about people, and sort them visually into categories. It was easier because it was the language we were educated in. It was easier because there was never…

  • Beginner-Friendly - Dance Discussions - Etiquette - Social Dancing

    Steals and Three-Ways – and How to Do It Right

    January 7, 2022 - By 

    In many partner genres, steal dances and three-way dances (or more) are becoming more popular. In others, stealing has been part of the groundwork of the dance since its very inception. But, with this growing trend and with the adoption of dances outside their home culture, there are considerations of consent, agency, and culture that need to be discussed to be sure that everyone is happy to be stealing. What are Steal Dances and Three-Way Dances? A steal dance is when partners trade each other with others. For example, a birthday dance where different partners enter and take over leading/following…

  • Beginner-Friendly

    Why your teacher isn’t taking your passion for dance seriously

    July 26, 2021 - By 

    Are you super, duper passionate about social dance? Are you ready to take advantage of every opportunity possible? Are you prepared to dig deep and put in all the work to become great at this new passion you’ve discovered in the past few months? Have you told your teacher or community leader all about this deep passion only to be met with “That’s great! Keep working at it!”, when you were expecting them to give you more, better, or cheaper opportunities to blossom in this wonderful world? After all, dance needs more passionate people – and you’re one of them.…

  • Fun Stuff - Social Dancing

    In Dance, are you Self or Others Oriented?

    July 20, 2021 - By 

    In my experience, there’s a spectrum between being Others-Oriented or Self-Oriented with regards to both dance and life. In dance, these orientations affect almost all our interactions. Generally speaking, Others-Oriented dancers focus on the energy they release into the world around them, while the Self-Oriented dancer is more concerned with what they experience. Let’s talk more about how this informs our dance relationships. Take the Quiz Others vs. Self Oriented Dancers As you start to read this, many of you are probably automatically thinking “of COURSE I’m Others-Oriented! I’m not selfish, and I care about the experiences my partners have!”…

  • Social Dancing

    The Limits of Compassion: Organizing in the COVID-19 Era

    July 10, 2021 - By 

    It’s no secret that I am very much for vaccination. I’ve worked with Dr. Hsu to write articles to give insight into the dominant view of the medical and public health professional sectors. I have gotten both doses of my vaccination, and am eagerly anticipating when I may dance safely with other vaccinated individuals. I also delete comments that I view as non-constructive or derailing from the premise of posts I make. Despite this, I do not “hate” anti-vaccination individuals, as passionate as I may be about my own position. Let me explain. The Problem of “Hate” People believe many,…

  • Dance Discussions - Social Dancing

    Followers, Women, and Sexism

    June 12, 2021 - By 

    This isn’t the first time I’m writing about the underappreciation of follows – or the sexism that is so entwined with the concept. We’ve come a long way from when I first started writing about it around 2015/16. I wasn’t the only one writing about it, either. There were even research studies about the names of the roles. For example, I hear the term “just follow” much less – though it still happens. I’ve also seen teachers try much harder to include followers in the content of their classes – at least in the styles that I dance. But, we still…

  • Dance Discussions

    9 Small Things we can do Better after the Pandemic

    June 1, 2021 - By 

    For a lot of the world, the return to “normal” has been slow. For those of you that are in places where dance has returned, I’m so happy for you – and a little jealous. During this time, a lot of us have used this opportunity to think about the ways our communities can do better, and found quite a few. This list is a series of 9 small changes our communities can make to do better. Some are more applicable to organizers; others can be done by anyone. When reading this list, I want you to keep in mind that doing some…

  • Dance Discussions

    Dance is Therapeutic – but it is not Therapy

    April 11, 2021 - By 

    Hello all, It’s been a while. For most of us, we’re still grappling with the effects of COVID-19 on our communities. My own city is still in lockdown; I’ve barely danced for a year. That year has given me a lot of time to reflect on both how dance has been an important and fulfilling part of my life – but also the parts of me that have suffered or been exacerbated by the pressures I put myself under within the context of social dance. This reflection has led me to a conclusion that may strike some as controversial: Dance is not…