Does your partners height matter?

[ShyDancer]

While dancing a progressive dance the other night, I was spun off from one partner and when I looked up to greet my next partner all I saw was a really nice black shirt! :lol: :lol:

This guy was huge, I barely reached his chest! Im not very tall at all and most guys are taller than me and Ive never found dancing with them akward, but with this guy I really had trouble with, I noticed he had to bend down ever so slightly to be able to dance in ballroom hold, it was difficult to dance the rotary chasses.

So that got me thinking...does height matter in competion? Would it be difficlut to dance at your best with someone who didnt "match" you in height? What would judges think?

[Genesius Redux]

Yes, absolutely height matters--but not just height in the absolute sense, the length of arms and legs. And the style you're dancing. But it's only one consideration, too--and in Pro/Am I think not the most important one.

[salsachinita]

Not that I do comps or anything :oops: , but lately I have finally realised the importance, or rather, the difference it makes in partners' heights.

I've always been one of the taller girls (defying genetic streotyping) but until CapricornDancer pointed out ("Shelley is the tallest salsera here, so she should be able to lead all of you with ease." :shock: Not that I lead).

Having spent years dancing with mostly Latinos, most of whom are either my height or shorter, I have unconciously 'lowered' my stance to fit with their heights.

In recent years I've started dancing with taller guys. They do feel different to dance with; as I now have to stand up tall & shift my centre of gravity slightly higher (depending on the style).

Dancing with taller guys who have longer arms means I can easily follow some complex Rueda/Casino moves sometimes *very* difficult with the others........

[Genesius Redux]

:lol: A friend of mine recently suggested that her roommate, who is around 6', come salsa dancing with us. Her first question--"Will there be any tall guys?"

I told my friend to say, "It's a salsa club. Frequented by people from Mexico, Columbia, Latin America. The tall guys are over 5' 7"!" And also, to add, "There are many shorter guys there dancing with taller women; they don't seem to mind the view."

Then on second thought, I figured that wasn't a good thing to add! :lol:

[Sagitta]

As a short leader it is harder to do some of these moves in rueda and salsa with taller followers. That is true. :(

[cocodrilo]

I will freely comment on this topic. I am 5'8" WITHOUT my dance shoes, and living in Japan where most guys I dance with are like 5''7" or shorter. Don't mind it, but they seem to have difficulties when trying to get their hands over my head for spins and NEVER attempt to dip me (as I would crush them??? :o )...The "vertically challenged" latino guys I dance bachata with often try to snuggle their face in my "upper body pride", which so happens to be conveniently located at their nose-level :x

[Flat Shoes]

The "vertically challenged" latino guys I dance bachata with often try to snuggle their face in my "upper body pride", which so happens to be conveniently located at their nose-level :x

Mostly I don't, but some times I envy them their experience. :twisted: Being close to 6'3", I don't very often meet girls taller than myself.

I have on several occasions been 'dancing alone' though. :lol:

[cocodrilo]

Hey, if the guy's cute, I don't mind :lol: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Flat Shoes]

Hey, if the guy's cute, I don't mind :lol: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:D

Doesn't help me though, any girl that much taller than me would be a giant. :shock:

I have to settle for the normal closeness, but that ain't so bad either. :D

Btw: I'm cute! Just look at my picture!

[SDsalsaguy]

Cudly too I take it? :lol:

[Flat Shoes]

Cudly too I take it? :lol:
Definitely :P

[Danish Guy]

Sure it matters. You have to adjust.

Using a converter I figured I’ll be about 6,4’’
And I’ll dance with everybody.

It’s awesome to get the opportunity to dance with a lady with the same height as myself. I actually have to lift the arms leading the turns.

And the automatic reaching out for the hips or shoulder better have to be adjusted to the lady’s height. :oops: :oops: :oops:

Dancing with the smaller lady’s can need some adjustment to the usual patterns, where I have to go under the arms, or we are entangled in some fancy pattern. Then you improvise something. Throw her hand as a lead, instead of keeping the contact and loose balance.

From the salsa festival I saw sizes was no excuse at all. Tmy workshop teachers clearly showed that. The tall guy Moory danced with a small assistant, and there was nothing holding them back. And Charlemange could move and turn, even though he weights twice of what the doctors recommend. What an inspiration. :D :D :D

[mellody43]

There are challenges to large height differentials. Either he's looking at my ta-tas, or he's really tall and has loooong arms/legs (which means, GENERALLY, larger moves/bigger steps)... There is definitely a range that works best for me but it's typically just the extremes I struggle with.

[Jack]

Im 6-1 I like women 5-5 5-8

[Danish Guy]

or he's really tall and has loooong arms/legs (which means, GENERALLY, larger moves/bigger steps)...

Did that too. But got the hint that it was my own fault the lady ended with a distance. Realising that, and adjusting the lead accordingly, so now I can keep her close. :)

[jon]

Im 6-1 I like women 5-5 5-8

I'm 6'3". I like partners who are fun to dance with, and have not found any connection between their height and how fun they are to dance so long as I don't have to bend down to hold hands.

But I have noticed considerable risk of the weed-whacker effect when leading spins with women near my height who have shoulder-length hair :doh:

[etchuck]

Beware the woman who wears a pony tail. One of my good friends with whom I dance is maybe 5'5" while I'm 5'7". However, when I turn her or spin her, her pony tail whips up and brushes my face at eye level. I wear glasses, but it still is very distracting. At least it's not a braid.

[ShyDancer]

Beware the woman who wears a pony tail. One of my good friends with whom I dance is maybe 5'5" while I'm 5'7". However, when I turn her or spin her, her pony tail whips up and brushes my face at eye level. I wear glasses, but it still is very distracting. At least it's not a braid.

I went and cut my hair for this reason .... used to be all the way down my back, and I kept hitting my partners with it. I noticed one day when practicng with my teacher that he kept pulling himself away when I turned, so I decided that for the sake of dancing I could cut my beloved hair to shoulder length (ok so I cried for 2 days but Im over it now :wink: )

[Danish Guy]

However, when I turn her or spin her, her pony tail whips up and brushes my face at eye level.

Ahh, another spice to the dance. 8) :oops:

[Genesius Redux]

Beware the woman who wears a pony tail. One of my good friends with whom I dance is maybe 5'5" while I'm 5'7". However, when I turn her or spin her, her pony tail whips up and brushes my face at eye level. I wear glasses, but it still is very distracting. At least it's not a braid.

You're lucky that's all! I knew a girl, one of the instructors at my old studio, who had hair down to her waist. She'd put it in a single braid--and watch out, man, that hair was a lethal weapon. Especially doing tuck turns. :roll:

[Sagitta]

You're lucky that's all! I knew a girl, one of the instructors at my old studio, who had hair down to her waist. She'd put it in a single braid--and watch out, man, that hair was a lethal weapon. Especially doing tuck turns. :roll:

If they have such a long tail take advantage of it man!! Don't let her use it to take advantage of you! :wink: :) :twisted:

In closed position keep a couple fingers on that thing, while leading turns use it to make sure she does not get away from you, instead of a hand wrap try out a hair wrap... Man you will be the only one doing such things on the floor, the envy of the dance crowd!

[delamusica]

it can be pretty easy to adjust for height differences in salsa, swing, and latin - but it's next to impossible to dance ballroom well with someone who is too much taller/shorter than you. the hold is so close that if your legs aren't of a similar length, it can be a really bumpy ride! not that you can't enjoy a few dances with people of different heights, but i've never seen a couple with mismatched heights dance ballroom seriously.

[dancingdragon]

My partner and I are the same height (about 5'7) and he is also a little on the "chubby" side, whereas I am pretty slim and well proportioned (if I do say so myself! :lol: ). He reckons that his height (or lack thereof relative to other guys) and heavy build is a disadvantage to him in competitions, because he feels that he doesn't catch the judges' eyes as much. From the competitions I've seen, it seems that the girls are very petite and the guys are taller than their partners but still pretty narrow in the hip and shoulder, with slender frames - you don't see that many short and rounded blokes on the floor, so he might be right!

I find it's fine dancing ballroom with him, a little harder dancing latin because I can't always get under his arm comfortably and sometimes feel myself ducking a little bit which probably doesn't look that good. I only notice it from time to time. Sometimes his arm catches my glasses and knocks them sideways, or brushes my head and messes up my hair!!!!!!! :? But that's about the worst problem I've had! Dancing with taller guys I do find they take ginormous steps and I think that is something that taller guys need to be conscious of - it's a technique issue, and they can do something about it.

BTW I used to have short-short hair but have been growing it so I could put it "up" for competitons ... I am despairing as it's still not long enough to do anything with, but actually it sounds like shorter hair is actually safer for my partner! :lol:

[delamusica]

that's a good point - being short myself i didn't think of it from a tall follow's perspective :oops:

[Swing Kitten]

last night I got to dance with a lead's wiast to my belly :lol: sorta fun

[Flat Shoes]

He reckons that his height (or lack thereof relative to other guys) and heavy build is a disadvantage to him in competitions,

It is. It is not a ballroom dancing thing, it's general for all sports where subjective judges are judging a performance.

Atheletic looking guys will always be judged higher than non-athletic looking guys with equivalent performance.

It's not fair, it's just how it is. :?

[etchuck]

He reckons that his height (or lack thereof relative to other guys) and heavy build is a disadvantage to him in competitions,

It is. It is not a ballroom dancing thing, it's general for all sports where subjective judges are judging a performance.

Atheletic looking guys will always be judged higher than non-athletic looking guys with equivalent performance.

It's not fair, it's just how it is. :?

Well, make up for it with excellent technique and line emphasis on performance. One fellow who is 5'4" (college amateur) and his partner (similar height without heels) took 2nd or 3rd place in all the Latin dances among the college cohort here a month ago. Or maybe he was 5'3".

[Flat Shoes]

He reckons that his height (or lack thereof relative to other guys) and heavy build is a disadvantage to him in competitions,

It is. It is not a ballroom dancing thing, it's general for all sports where subjective judges are judging a performance.

Atheletic looking guys will always be judged higher than non-athletic looking guys with equivalent performance.

It's not fair, it's just how it is. :?

Well, make up for it with excellent technique and line emphasis on performance. One fellow who is 5'4" (college amateur) and his partner (similar height without heels) took 2nd or 3rd place in all the Latin dances among the college cohort here a month ago. Or maybe he was 5'3".

Absolutely! But the higher the level of competition the smaller the margins. And when the margins become smaller, your physical appearance becomes more and more important.

That's why, as the level gets higher, it becomes more and more important for ballroom dancers to get that tan, and that's also why the guys look more and more similar in the way they're buildt.

Athletic looking people just looks better when performing.

But that shouldn't stop people from striving for excellence and having fun competing, if they enjoy it.

[etchuck]

True point. But with higher levels of competitions, the competitors do more and sacrifice more for their dancing outside of dancing. You know... bronzing, make-up, waxing that chest...

Otherwise, concurring with previous statement.

[Tasek]

..waxing that chest...


Tasek shudders :? :shock:

[Genesius Redux]

In closed position keep a couple fingers on that thing, while leading turns use it to make sure she does not get away from you, instead of a hand wrap try out a hair wrap... Man you will be the only one doing such things on the floor, the envy of the dance crowd!

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Danish Guy]

..waxing that chest...


Tasek shudders :? :shock:

Tasek is not the only one http://www.clandisa.dk/forum/images/shake_125.gifhttp://www.clandisa.dk/forum/images/yuck_125.gif

[Flat Shoes]

... bronzing, make-up, waxing that chest...


:roll: :uplaugh: :roll: :uplaugh: :roll: :uplaugh:

This is one ... no ... three reasons I could never become a competition ballroom dancer. I could never bring myself to do any of these. :nope:

[Sakura]

Cudly too I take it? :lol:
Definitely :P

Oooh, fuzzy... *pet, pet* :roll:

I'm about a head or so shorter than my dance teacher, and that works out just fine for me. If my (eventual; once I get my drivers licence, learn salsa, and become old enough to legally get myself into a salsa/latin club :wink: ) partner were much taller than that, I'd be worried about the limb length, as Genesius pointed out, because if we were dancing to a very fast, upbeat song, obviously, small steps must be taken, but his small steps might be one of my normal-big steps, which could mean some bad news for my toes! (As Genesius well knows.... :oops: :D But that was my fault... Heh, heh!)

*laughs* Well, I have to finish reading this post, I just wanted to put in my two-cents... Which by the time I finish reading may well be worth less or more, depending on economical state, coin-collectors boredom, and people actually paying attention to a single word I say! :twisted: :D 8)

Sakura Kitty :kitty:

[Sagitta]

... bronzing, make-up, waxing that chest...


:roll: :uplaugh: :roll: :uplaugh: :roll: :uplaugh:

This is one ... no ... three reasons I could never become a competition ballroom dancer. I could never bring myself to do any of these. :nope:

ND would!! Wonder why he hasn't participated in comps yet.

[salsachinita]

ND would!! Wonder why he hasn't participated in comps yet.

I bet he would, once he moves to NY & train with his partner...... :P

[ShyDancer]

Personally, I have a big thing for those competitors with bronzed, waxed chests.... definantly a draw card for the girlies :D

[10Dancer]

it can be pretty easy to adjust for height differences in salsa, swing, and latin - but it's next to impossible to dance ballroom well with someone who is too much taller/shorter than you. the hold is so close that if your legs aren't of a similar length, it can be a really bumpy ride! not that you can't enjoy a few dances with people of different heights, but i've never seen a couple with mismatched heights dance ballroom seriously.

I dance mostly International ballroom and latin and will have to agree that height differences are of great signifigance in this venue. Generally speaking, I find it more difficult to dance with anyone over 7 or 8 inches taller than me (and at a whopping 5'2" that isn't hard to achieve). But, I will happily dance with men of any height :D

I did want to comment that it is possible to overcome the odds of height differences and a number of professional couples have done so. Two come to mind, the current U.S. National Ten Dance Champions, Igor and Polina Pilipenchuk, and also Andrei Gavrilene and Elena Kruchkova who were the 2002 British Open Rising Star Latin Champions (Blackpool). In each of these couples, the men are about 6'2" and the ladies about 5'2".

I've seen both couples perform and compete and they are quite a joy to watch, but they do have to make many adjustments to their dancing to accomodate for the height difference. :)

[Vince A]

Yup . . . those waxed chests . . . definitely a sign of a follower with "heavy arms" . . . be careful . . . :wink:

[Sagitta]

welcome to df 10 dancer!! :D

[Sakura]

Personally, I have a big thing for those competitors with bronzed, waxed chests.... definantly a draw card for the girlies :D

Heh, bet Fabio thinks they're great! =^__^= Nothing agianst Fabio of course; to those of you who are fans of him.

Welcome to the DF, 10Dancer! I liked your post quite a bit, so I hope to see more of them! 8)

Sakura Kitty :kitty:

[10Dancer]

Thanks for the welcomes! :D

[Sakura]

8) 'Tis the pleasure of those of us whom are situated here! :wink: :lol: We wuv our new members, yes we do!

Sakura Kitty :kitty: