• Dance Discussions - Social Dancing

    6 Reasons You Should Dance Zouk

    November 15, 2014 - By 

    There are countless reasons why dancing (in any form) is something you should have in your life. But there is something special about Zouk – something that captivates the soul. So, here are 6 reasons you should dance Zouk: 1. The Music. It can be everything from hypnotic to hip-hop, trance to lyrical. No matter what your flavour, you can connect to the music. I will never forget the first time that I walked into a Zouk social – it was a whole different world from the Salsa/Bachata flavours I had experienced before. There is something primal in the Zouk rhythm; something that…

  • Etiquette - Social Dancing

    Dancer Ego Syndrome, and How To Keep Yourself Protected

    October 21, 2014 - By 

    Generally speaking: the stronger a dancer gets, the larger their ego becomes. Very often, the speed of ego expansion surpasses their actual dance growth. As the ego grows, it’s also a potential side-effect that the speed of dance growth will slow, and that they will become a toxic dance presence. Who is at Risk? All dancers are at risk of developing Dance Ego Syndrome, but you may be at an elevated risk if you fall into one of the following categories: Have been dancing more than 1 year Are no longer taking dance classes Are popular with dancers of the…

  • Etiquette - Social Dancing

    The 2 Types of Social Dance Partners

    October 15, 2014 - By 

    On the social dance floor, there are two distinct groups that a lead or a follow will fall into. At its base level, a social dance will be either “Comfortable” or “Uncomfortable”. It doesn’t matter what level you dance at, you have complete control over which of the two groups you fall into. A complete beginner can give a partner a “Comfortable” dance, and a professional can give a partner an “Uncomfortable” dance quite easily. So, what (in my opinion) is the line between the two groups? To me, there are three main differentials:

  • Community Building - Dance Discussions - Social Dancing

    6 Reasons People Don’t Dance

    August 14, 2013 - By 

    I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the reasons people dance. I have spent far less time thinking about the reasons people don’t – or won’t – dance. Today, in my mindless internet forays, I came across an article about a fitness expert who decided to gain and lose 70 lbs just to see what it felt like and relate to his clients here. What does gaining/losing weight have to do with this article? Not much. But his musings on why people don’t successfully lose weight got me thinking. The following is a hypothesis, and is certainly not backed…

  • Following - Social Dancing

    “Just Follow!”

    June 16, 2013 - By 

    Recently, there was a question on Facebook that caught my interest. Loosely, it asked if a follow should compensate when the leader does something wrong, or ONLY follow what was led. This is a reasonable enough question, but some of the surrounding conversation made me think hard on how we as a dance community conceptualize leading and following.

  • Etiquette - Social Dancing

    That Awkward Moment…

    March 19, 2013 - By 

    It happens to everyone, albeit for different reasons. Because I am quite tall for a lady, often for me it involves a significant height difference between my partner and I.  It’s not that I don’t enjoy close dances with men who are shorter than myself, but if your face is approximately at the same level as my cleavage… please don’t hold me in close hold.

  • Etiquette - Fun Stuff - Social Dancing

    Dance Crushes

    March 5, 2013 - By 

    It’s like high school all over again. Your eyes meet the back of their body across a crowded room and you feel your face flush just a little more than being sweaty from dancing usually makes it. Cause, seriously, my goodness can they ever move their body. They just look and feel so damn good to dance with!

  • Beginner-Friendly - Social Dancing

    New-Dance High

    February 28, 2013 - By 

    I have been social dancing now for at least four years. It’s become a major part of my life, including crazy commutes, late nights, and a lack of sleep. Out of those years, there is one particular one that is covered in a shimmery haze of wonderfulness. In the first year that I started social dancing, every night out was an adventure. I would grab my (newly-addicted) friends, primp, dress up every night, and get super excited for the local, once-a-month dance night.