All about the "Social" part of Dancing
There are very few reasonable reasons to leave a dance before the end of a song. Generally speaking, agreeing to a dance means you are agreeing to spend a minimum of 1 song with that person. It does not mean taking a test-drive, and then deciding 30 seconds later that you no longer want that dance.
Ever wondered what your favourite dance would be like if it were a flesh-and-blood person? I did – and this is what I came up with. You can find Part 1 here and Part 2 here.
Ever wondered what your favourite dance would be like if it were a flesh-and-blood person? I did – and this is what I came up with. You can find Part 1 here.
Ever wondered what your favourite dance would be like if it were a flesh-and-blood person? I did – and this is what I came up with:
Dangerous dancers: we’ve all danced with one. If we’ve been dancing a while, probably several. But, one thing many people do not pause to consider is: Are we the dangerous dancer everyone keeps talking about?
Each dance has its own style and ‘standard’ look. Lindy Hoppers love their retro gear, while WCS dancers favour slacks and pants. Brazilian Zouk loves its body suits, and Tango is all about emphasizing the legs. Beyond how we dress our bodies, there are usually ‘standard’ body highlights present in styles. For example, Kizomba showcases the derriere, and Zouk the hair. WCS emphasizes lines, and (once again) Tango emphasizes the legs.
The vast majority of us are not social dancing for the sex, but a lot of us have had at least one crush on a fellow dancer. When I say crush, I mean an actual, romantic crush. I do not mean a dance crush, where you absolutely adore the person as a dancer – but without the romantic attraction. I mean you actually want to explore more of a romantic connection with that person.
It is a well-known fact that there are a lot of people who start dance to meet people – with an eye towards dating. Does that mean that social dance is all about the sex? Is it all about finding romantic partners, either short or long term? Or is it something else?
I want to tell you a true story. It’s the story of a woman who said no to a man when he asked her for a dance. She had never met him before, and didn’t want to dance with him at that time. The man was a bit hurt. He felt he had been judged prematurely. He felt that he had been looked up and down, and declined because he didn’t ‘look’ like a good dancer. He decided to never ask the follow to dance again.
I’ve written some articles about my belief that you should always treat your partner well – whether male or female. I’ve also written about how ‘taking care of a follow‘ shouldn’t mean ‘protecting’ the ‘weaker sex’. Every time the topic of same-gendered dancing comes up, there’s a consistent response: “Some things can only be expressed between a man and a woman” This also generally comes with the assumption that this man-woman relationship consists of male LEAD and female FOLLOW (not reversed).
We all know that teaching on the dance floor is not a nice thing to do. But, what about asking your partner to change a particular thing when they do something you don’t like during a social dance?
Dear Beginner, I’m so happy you decided to social dance. I’m so happy that you’ve decided that this magnificent world has caught your interest – and I hope it holds it. You’re going to meet many, many amazing people, have fantastic nights, and perhaps even travel to unbelievable events. But you’re also going to be told ‘No’.
“Social Dancer” can mean many things in dance-lingo. It can mean someone who is serious about learning improvised lead-follow dancing. It can means someone who is welcoming to beginners. It also sometimes gets used to describe non-serious dancers who view the dancefloor as a ‘social’ activity to have fun. These are the people who know a couple basic moves, and don’t really have any desire to learn more or take more classes (sometimes, even any at all!)
What if I told you that you have the power to make someone’s night awesome at nearly every social you attend? Well, this is me telling you: Yes, you can. At every single event or social you attend, you have the power to make someone’s night amazing. You have the power to turn someone’s experience into something wonderful. You have the power to help someone turn an ‘off’ night into an ‘on’ night.
You want to have great dances when you go out social dancing? There’s no better way to do this than to take it into your own hands. It takes passion for dance and a willingness to put yourself out there. It means competing for those partners that will totally make your night. It means turning into a dance hound.