Left-handed or right-handed? Prevalence in B/R dancing?

[Merrylegs]

Pnoisette started a thread asking which astrological sign we all are and it got me thinking about the number of left-handed ballroom/latin dancers out in the world.

At a previous studio I danced at on a random weeknight I counted 20 left-handed people out of about 35 or so. That's an amazingly high number! I wonder if the numbers are that high for the whole ballroom community or if it was a crazy coincidence at that particular studio.

So, are you left-handed or right-handed?

I am a lefty.

[etp777]

Interested to see where this goes. righty here.

As point of reference, believe normal incidence of left-handedness in the world population as a whole is around 10%.

[Merrylegs]

As point of reference, believe normal incidence of left-handedness in the world population as a whole is around 10%.

I know! That's why I was so surprised at the high number of lefties.

[Corne]

Righty here.

[ChaChaMama]

Lefty.

[latingal]

Righty

[reb]

Right handed.

[delamusica]

Right.

[LucyDiamond]

right handed

[Becca]

I'm right handed and my partner is left handed.

Out of all the dancers I know of:

Paul Killick and Darren Bennett are both left handed.

Michael Malitowski, Hanna Karttunen, Victor Da Silva, Karen Hilton, Barbara McColl, Timmy Howson, Lyn Marriner, Domenico Soale and Gioia Cerasoli are all right handed.

[chachachacat]

Righty here.

[cornutt]

Born lefty, but switched in elementary school.

[waltzgirl]

Right.


I wonder if two left-handed partners have ever tried reversing the hold, so that their left hands were the more functional ones.

[etp777]

As long as they don't try to change direction of LOD too. :)

[waltzgirl]

People seem to me to follow line of dance naturally. I've noticed in situations where a group of people are told to walk around a room, without being given any directions, most will walk in line of dance.

[rjcbear]

Righty here

[etp777]

Maybe it's opposite in southern hemisphere waltzgirl, just like flushing the toilet? :)

[rjcbear]

Maybe it's opposite in southern hemisphere waltzgirl, just like flushing the toilet? :)

:uplaugh:

[danceronice]

Interesting question.

I write with my right hand, and my right eye is my dominant/sight eye (ie were I shooting a gun I would generally fire right-handed and use my right eye to sight the target.)

I say generally because I can and have shot (handgun, admittedly, which is easier to pick up either way) left-handed without thinking about it. When I did it, my dad stared at me for a minute and then said "Aren't you right-handed?" I hadn't noticed until then I was holding the gun in my left hand and had obviously sighted left. I've also occasionally used tools like kitchen knives and hammers with whichever hand was closer, sometimes my left. This is usually done without thinking.

In skating, I'm what's termed a lefty. For those unfamilar, in figure skating we only spin (and consequently rotate jumps, which are backspins done in the air) one direction, either clockwise or counter-clockwise. The majority of skaters, about 75% or so, are "righties"--they spin counter-clockwise and land on their right leg when jumping. I'm one of the oddballs who spins the other way. That means I do forward spins on my right foot, backspins on my left, always rotating clockwise, and were I to jump, I'd land on my left foot. I can do a forward spin the other way, but it feels very weird and is harder to center. Most skaters can't even do that. I know of one skater who can do multi-rotational jumps his bad way, and he doesn't do them very often. (I can't jump on my off-side. My right knee is the one I broke and would not enjoy landing stress.) Handedness does not seem to correlate to spin direction, though slightly more left-handers than right-handers seem to spin clockwise.

So I'm sort-of right handed. Kind of. But I'm weird. And yes, going from skating to dance and having to spin both ways is REALLY weird. There are times I will go the wrong way on a turn despite all lead to the contrary because I like turning that way!

[Stagekat]

I think like a lefty.. but physically I'm overwhelmingly right side dominant.

[cornutt]

I say generally because I can and have shot (handgun, admittedly, which is easier to pick up either way) left-handed without thinking about it. When I did it, my dad stared at me for a minute and then said "Aren't you right-handed?" I hadn't noticed until then I was holding the gun in my left hand and had obviously sighted left. I've also occasionally used tools like kitchen knives and hammers with whichever hand was closer, sometimes my left. This is usually done without thinking.


Are you sure you weren't switched at an early age? Because this sounds like me. I write right-handed, but when using the computer I mostly mouse with the left hand these days. I work on electronics a lot, and I've found that I'll alternate between soldering right-handed or left-handed, depending on the angle I need the iron at.

[danceislove]

righty. this should be a poll so it would be easy to tabulate the answers...

[Merrylegs]

righty. this should be a poll so it would be easy to tabulate the answers...

Good suggestion. I hope I set it up correctly...

[NielsenE]

I'm a natural lefty, but was trained to be right-handed from an early age.... I tend to answer "neither" to which hand am I as a result. (Neither rather than both, intentionally)

[RIdancer82]

righty

[danceronice]

Are you sure you weren't switched at an early age? Because this sounds like me. I write right-handed, but when using the computer I mostly mouse with the left hand these days. I work on electronics a lot, and I've found that I'll alternate between soldering right-handed or left-handed, depending on the angle I need the iron at.

Nope, I've always written right (and while I can block-print with my left hand, it's not easy.) My parents have nothing against lefties that I know of, and none of the left-handed kids were switched at the school I went to--I still remember the shuffle for left-hand desks in some classrooms. So I can't think who would have done it or why.

[cornutt]

My parents have nothing against lefties that I know of, and none of the left-handed kids were switched at the school I went to

I thought I'd ask. When I was in elementary school (early '60s), it was common for schools to attempt to switch left-handers.

[Spitfire]

Right handed

[Katarzyna]

right handed here as well :)

[jwlinson]

Righty, although most tasks (writing, mousing, etc.) I can do with the left as well.

When I was little I used to help my dad split wood during the summer for the BBQ. He asked me why I was swinging the axe lefthanded. I tried doing it righthanded, and it didn't feel right so I went back to left!

[Cal]

I'm a Lefty - and a "goofy" snowboarder, too. Not sure if there's a correlation.

Pro is ambidextrous, but primarily Lefty. And he's a "goofy" snowboarder as well.

And one female coach is a Lefty - but can't recall if she is "goofy" or not (if she were a snowboarder, that is!).

[pnoisette]

Lefty kids are more likely to test high on creativity and math.

French researchers have noted a large number of lefties among famous atheletes particularly those in one on one sports. Also, unfortunately, lefties tend to be more prone to substance indulgence,Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and schizophrenia say the scientists.
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=498707

For what it's worth researchers are interested in whether there are links between Left-Handedness and Homosexuality. Apparently, Canadian scientists analyzing a number of studies, er conclude that male homosexuals are about one third (31%) more likely than heterosexuals to be left-handed (2), while lesbians are almost twice as likely (91%) to be left-handed as heterosexual women.
http://www.narth.com/docs/lefthand.html


Don't have a clue as to how all this relates to dancers!:confused:

[Ithink]

Righty. My partner is a lefty. So is my husband who is a WCS dancer...

[jennikins]

I'm a righty, but I'm left footed.

[reb]

I'm a righty, but I'm left footed.
At least you only have one left foot . . . ;)

[meow]

I am right-handed although I do a couple of things with my lefthand, like washing and drying dishes, using telephones - I guess I use both hands for most things but am mostly a righty.
My maternal grandfather was ambidextrous and my father is left-handed but 'trained' in school to write with his right-hand. His left hand was tied behind his back in school - apparently this was common back then. So, he now writes with his righthand but does everything else left-handed.

[shortnsassy]

I bat, bowl, throw Frisbees, use forks, skip stones, shoot, paint, and apply make-up with either hand. I prefer writing with my right hand but can use my left (i don't like dragging my hand through what was written) . When typing with one hand I will use my left.

right by convenience.

[ChelD]

I'm ambidextrous but generally function as right handed since things tend to be designed that way.

[reb]

I'm ambidextrous but generally function as right handed since things tend to be designed that way.
I wonder what this might mean for those videos . . . :D

[DennisBeach]

Righty, but my left arm/hand has become a lot stronger and more coordinated, since we started ballroom dancing.

[ChelD]

I wonder what this might mean for those videos . . . :D

Comes in handy if I have to run two cameras at the same time! ;-) Don't worry, I don't actually do that.

[fascination]

lefty...sinestra...sign of the devil

[bjp22tango]

As point of reference, believe normal incidence of left-handedness in the world population as a whole is around 10%.


I think this often quoted percentage is underestimated. There are so many cultures that discourage lefties from using their left hand (including ours until the 60's, my mother told my 1st grade teacher NOT to make me write right handed) that I think it would be hard to get an accurate count.