How do you keep going after a missed step/move?

[ShyDancer]

I find that with growing confidence on the dance floor, that a lot of the people asking me to dance are way more advanced than I am, the one problem I have with this is that sometimes their leads are either very vague/light or very late and Im missing them, then my partner will still try and force me out into a move im not prepared for being on the wrong foot or inbetween another step.
Thats when IT happens ..... I get flustered, stop dead in my tracks and cant get back into the rhythm. Then the whole dance stops mid-song and we go right back to the beginning. That is such a huge let down!

What am I doing wrong? Should I just keep my feet going to the beat of the song no matter what steps they do (I could invent a new one right? :lol: :lol: ) and try and get back into it, or should I just stop and start over?

Help Help Help!

[youngsta]

Yeah you've gotta keep moving. I'm pretty good at adjusting to the ability level of my partner so that doesn't happen to me much, but when it does I'll tend to release her into a free spin (if she's not off balance) OR I'll take us into a playful pause for 1/2 or full count...then we smoothly start going again.

[Sagitta]

I find that if I can't keep to the beat everything else falls apart. If I keep to the beat I usually can recover, but then this is a leader's perspective. :)

[DanceMentor]

I think it is important to look for the next break or rock step. Both in swing and in salsa, there is a place where the lady goes back on the right foot. As the leader, one way to get back in step is to purposefully move forward on the left foot and maybe even give a little signal with the left hand that the lady should rock back on the right foot. As the follower, simply be on the lookout for any signal that the rock is coming. Usually you won't be off for more than a few beats if you use this method.

[Sagitta]

If a follower is less experienced then me and she fumbles I never force her into another move, but play with a pause to get back onto the right feet and on the beat.

[salsachinita]

What am I doing wrong? Should I just keep my feet going to the beat of the song no matter what steps they do (I could invent a new one right? :lol: :lol: ) and try and get back into it, or should I just stop and start over?

Keep going to the beat. If you are on time (and hopfully he would be too) it's easy to get back, by doing what DM just explained.

Don't ever stop. I used to do it when I get confused. BAAAAD......!

Over the years I've become quite good at turning mistakes into some sort of new tricks (at least to most of the audience)! Doesn't always work, but it's all fun 8) .