Incredibly frustrating-and-yet-funny dancer experiences

[WaltzElf]

At the studio I train at, there’s one group class a week which I join in. It’s a good one for going over technique and involves a lot of exercises.

There’s one guy that comes along to this class, and inevitably gets frustrated and complain because “we don’t learn enough steps.” Admittedly the class will generally only progress two or so figures an evening, and a single dance will take 10+ weeks to put together, but the teacher expects technical precision, and most of the people there do struggle.

This guy in particular. I watch him and I feel sorry for the women he dances with – it must be bone crunching work. There is no technique whatsoever, and he misinterperates leading for... ripping.

During the class – the teacher often uses me to help her demonstrate what the figure will look like, and then has the men follow me as the ladies follow her – he’ll make smart comments like “you better be doing this right because I’m following you” (yes, that’s why I’m in contra position and you’re straighter than a brick wall), and then inevitably after the class he’ll come up and say “do you know this dance?” – The way he phrases it makes it quite clear that he thinks there’s only one choreography for each of the dances... like they’re New Vogue, really.




Any way, this fellow has to be the most frustratingly amusing characters I’ve ever seen in the dance world. Now your turn for amusing-but-frustrating stories!

[Tenehill]

On a social dance that is held monthly, there is a gentleman who dances only in one way to all dances. He walks along the line of dance with his partner lady doing a figure that can be described approximately as progressive underarm turns with switch of direction of turn every 2-4 measures. They do it often off the beat.

But he puts on happy facial expression, is gentle and clean in lead, and ladies usually dance with him that way. However, they are evidently less happy than he is.

[cornutt]

There's a lady in town that I occasionally see at community events. She exaggerates her smooth frame to the point of self-parody. She has a death grip on her partner's right arm; her own right arm is extended to the point where it looks like her shoulder is about to pop out of joint, and I'm sure she can't lay on her back in bed because she leans back with her head at nearly a 90-degree angle. I've never asked her to dance because, honestly, I'm afraid to. I don't want to be the one dancing with her when her spine snaps. :shock: The sad thing is, I think she thinks she looks elegant. I don't know if nobody has had the nerve to tell her otherwise, or if she won't listen.