All about the "Social" part of Dancing
Part of the thrill of being a lead in dance is being able to create the framework and shape the dance into something beautiful and creative. With a good follow, you can create magic on the floor. Better yet, you can do so effortlessly. But sometimes, leaders get so wrapped up in doing what they want that they forget about their follow.
Dance is a largely physical expression. Not that many of us use our words all that much. In many circles, the physicality is one of the things that overcomes the barriers created by language. But, sometimes our words can have power. Power that can be used for great good… or great evil… Muahahahahaha!!
Connection. We sigh and yearn for that dance partner that makes us feel amazing. The way that they hold their partner is simply magical, transporting you to a whole other realm of being. It’s a magic spell that lasts for a song – or maybe more – and leaves a smile on your face the rest of the evening. …But yet, it is so hard to capture.
So you’re a dancer, and you want to keep improving. You’ve taken all the levels offered by your local studio, and aren’t sure where to go from there. You’re contemplating cross-training in another genre, but really aren’t sure where to start.
We’ve talked about whether you always need to say ‘yes’ to a dance. We’ve talked about what happens when someone says ‘no.’ But…
Part 1: Are you obligated to say yes to every dance? We talked last week about how no one is obligated to say ‘Yes’ to a dance… but what happens when someone says ‘No’ to you?
No, you are not. I will explain. We’ve all heard it. The famous saying: “Never say No to a dance”. I disagree. There are very valid reasons to say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to a dance. All of them are completely legitimate, and within your right to exercise. By giving ourselves the power to say ‘No’ to a dance, we help to preserve the joy we gain from actually social dancing when we want to and on our terms.
A while back, I wrote an article on getting the most out of your dance education. However, I figured that greater depth was needed on one point: picking a dance teacher.
Dance events are the highlights of my year. I would pick a Dance-cation over almost any other kind of vacation, and I love every aspect of it from the crazy schedule to competitions, performances to social dancing. However, attending dance events tends to be expensive – which limits the amount of times I can do them in a year.
You know the person. Magically, they seem to find a continuous flow of new dancers for the scene… and many of those people actually stick around. They are what I like to call a ‘Dance Evangelist’. I self-identify as a Dance Evangelist. Since I started dance, I’m pretty sure I’ve gotten at least 50 people into various forms of dance – and that’s probably on the conservative end. Salsa, West Coast, Zouk. Even Lindy and Blues at a time. So, I feel pretty well qualified to write this, but I am always open to new ways to improve my own Dance Evangelism.
As dancers, one of the most important tools we possess is our feet. They move us, turn us, can make us look good, and are the foundation on which the rest of our dance rests. It is very easy over the course of an event to over-strain our feet to the point where we find it difficult to enjoy the rest of the weekend. Other issues include swollen feet, blisters, and shoes that aren’t fitting properly… but there is hope! Here are some fixes that may work for you.
In two days, I’m leaving for the International Miami Zouk Festival. I’ve already packed, but I know several people who are tearing their hair our trying to figure out how to pack for the weekend. I’ve done this too, and found myself overpacked. Now that airlines frequently charge $25 per direction for a checked bag, knowing how to pack well can be key to a) saving money and b) not being short of something you need. Here’s my guide for ‘how to pack’:
Goal setting in any field is extremely important for progression and growth. Dance is no different. However, a lot of people tend to make the mistake of having only one overarching goal. One of the most valuable skills to learn in dance is how to develop different ‘tiers’ of goals. These different tiers work in a few ways:
We all know at least one dancer who either looks better than they feel, or vice versa. What do we mean by ‘looking’ good vs. ‘feeling’ good? Feeling good is a connection skill based on how you are able to understand and respond to your partner in a co-operative way. The basis for feeling good is found in respect and understanding of your partner’s movement in relation to your own movement. It is an internally directed skill.
I’ve met countless people who believe that they can learn a dance by only going out and social dancing. I used to be one of them. Luckily, I was never of the “I watch YouTube and now I get it!” school, but I was of the “Well, I’m mostly a follow and I think I can pick this well enough on the social floor!”