Leading two ladies

[pygmalion]

I was out at a dance the other night, and saw a gentleman successfully dancing with and leading two ladies -- all impromptu stuff, no planned routine. Actually, it looked like lots of fun. Do any of you leaders out there do this? Any tips, points, preferences, observations or etiquette you'd like to share?

[SDsalsaguy]

Yes, Jenn, I do this, at times, in salsa :arrow: pic 1 (http://www.dance-forums.com/album/showphoto.php?photo=35&password=&sort=1&cat=502&page=1) pic 2 (http://www.dance-forums.com/album/showphoto.php?photo=177&password=&sort=1&cat=502&page=1)

I'd say that the biggest point I can make is to be even extra careful regarding floorcraft! As a leader you are now responsible for even more floor space and can no longer pay full attention to either one of your followers. This doesn’t make it any less of your responsibility to take care of your partners, however, so be extra careful!

As far as a pointer to such leaders, I find that leading two women of similar style makes things a bit easier. If your two follows respond to leads in different ways, time out their turns a bit differently, require different amounts of pressure, etc., it makes things a bit more challenging. :?

[aflairwithdance]

Dancing with two (or more) partners on the floor is relatively easy if you take it in small increments.

There are many old dances where a man dances with two women. Each of these focus on only a relatively few moves in a structured pattern. If you ever get the chance to learn to dance some of the real old dances, jump at the opportunity for it will afford you a way to internalize dance related things intuitively that may otherwise take years to learn.

One in particular where a man dances with two women is known as the Butterfly - usually done with the song "My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean" and a second faster song interspersed where a man and two ladies will do a side by side by side swing/step to the slower part. The band will then start the faster song and the man will alternate between the two women in one of two fashions... either arms linked at the elbow and swing around each other, or hands joined and do an under and over routine... either way, the man rotates from one woman to the other.

The over and under routine is much smoother and better looking. From this you can easily progress to things like throwaway rocks and wraps, spins, turns and dives, either with one or the other or both women.

I have personally done the jive with up to five women at a time, often in very crowded situations, but with absolutely no collisions with other dancers. (If you need to picture how it is done imagine three women being led in my left hand, and two in my right) I usually start with one woman and extend my right hand out as an invitation for a new woman to join in... after a bit of dancing with two, I then place the second one in the same hand hold with the first woman and extend my right hand in an invitation to the crown for a third to join in... and continue again with the fourth and fifth. After the fifth woman has joined in by herself on the right hand, I move her over to the left and momentarily have five there until I bring two back to the right side.

Although I have only got up to five for the jive, I have managed six for a polka (three in each hand) and had a blast doing this on a crowded dance floor with more than 300 other dancers.

Start slow and build on what you have... don't try anything real fancy, just do the basic moves and do them well, then add another woman.

Try to turn each woman the same direction for one turn (both clockwise) and then the next time turn one clockwise and the other counterclockwise. If you have time in the music to try another turn, then alternate and turn both women counterclockwise. This way the women will try to wait for your lead rather than anticipating that you are going to do the same thing all the time... and if they anticipate, they are leading and when you have two leaders on the floor there will be mishaps.

I have had the opportunity to do these things with women that I have never danced with before in brand new cities and dance halls that I have never danced in before either... but that is only possible because of the really solid grounding I have in the basics.

[pygmalion]

Hi, aflairwithdance! Welcome to the forums. :D Yours sounds like good advice. Thanks.

Jenn :D

[KevinL]

I took a class on Double Dipp'n (I think that is what it was called) at the 2001 Oakland Swing Dance Festival. The swedes taught how to dance with two followers at one time, and I've used it several times since then. I've also started leading two followers in Cha Cha, which is a lot of fun as well.

It's more challenging because you only ever have one point of contact with the follower. Having only one point of contact makes it hard if the follower doesn't continually reset to face toward the leader, because they end up facing random directions and it's hard to get new dancers facing the leader again without them thinking that you are trying to lead a turn.

Kevin

[SDsalsaguy]

It's more challenging because you only ever have one point of contact with the follower. Having only one point of contact makes it hard if the follower doesn't continually reset to face toward the leader, because they end up facing random directions and it's hard to get new dancers facing the leader again without them thinking that you are trying to lead a turn.
Excellent point Kevin!