The best dancer personality

[pygmalion]

I've been reading through these forums for quite a while, and I've often wondered this, after noticing all the different types of people we have as DF members. Is there an optimum personality for a dancer? You know, a way of being that makes it easier to success at dancing? Do extroverts or exhibitionists or gregarious people or goal oriented people, for example, have an advantage over other people? Or can anybody succeed at dance, regardless of personality? What do you think?

[Angelo]

Sounds like a question for Jonathan Niednagel

[tj]

extroverts or exhibitionists or gregarious people or goal oriented people

I think all of the aforementioned personality traits help. We all have met those missing some of those traits who never progressed in their dancing and have since dropped out of the scene.

On Tuesday, I was dancing with a beginner who didn't know the basic step, and she was definitely an introvert. Poor thing didn't look like she was having a good time, and spent most of the night sitting. Happens all the time especially at this location (lots and lots of UofW students).

[Sagitta]

Okay. I consider myself the quiet type but I do dance a lot!! :? :)

[dr daffy]

lol, i'm incredibly talkative, energetic, and hyper... and i LOVE to dance.... guess there's a lot of different dance personalities :P

[Genesius Redux]

Wasn't there a personality test thread and practically all of us who took it were extroverts?

I'd say someone who's not afraid to make mistakes.

[SDsalsaguy]

Many, but not all GR. Although relatively social I, for one, test as an introvert on all Myers Briggs type tests.

[Kitty]

Wasn't there a personality test thread and practically all of us who took it were extroverts?

I'd say someone who's not afraid to make mistakes.

I don't think I agree.

People who don't like to make mistakes are perfectionists, and do often quite well. People who just have fun and don't care if the details are quite right become great social dancers, but often don't do so well in competition (until they start paying attention to those details).

[pygmalion]

Hmm. Is it possible you're both right? I can see where you're coming from. I have a friend for whom both things are true. He's a perfectionist, and his dancing overall is getting to be so beautiful. But his Latin motion stinks! And it's because he just can't stand to watch himself looking stupid while practicing the drills in the mirror. There's no other way to break through with Latin motion, that I know of.

So perfectionism is working for AND against him. Just a thought. 8)

[dancin_feet]

OK I am a perfectionist - I admit it! Though I no longer beat myself up for not being perfect. I just recognise that something could be better and work on making it that way.

I am actually quite an introverted person. But get me on a dancefloor, and my personality does a complete 180! Though I wouldn't consider myself flashy (arm styling is something I can take or leave) if I go all out, it will be as near on perfect as I can make it, or I won't do it!

I'm not overly talkative to my instructor during our lessons, he is usually the one to start a conversation. I would be quite happy to do the entire lesson without talking, just dancing (though that is quite impossible!). :D

[salsachinita]

I've been thinking about this one for sometime.

Maybe there are a few categories here.....? I mean, different 'ideal' personality for social or competition dancers, or even different dance genres.......?

For me personally, as a social dancer only for salsa, I would say security within self.
Positive self-talk yet humble attitude.
Stirving for perfection yet understand & accept that non of us can actually be perfect.
Out-going social butterfly personality yet deep enough to be introspective.
Take serious actions yet not have a serious attitude.
An exhibitionist without ego.

[goldfish]

I've been thinking about this one for sometime.

security within self.
Positive self-talk yet humble attitude.
Stirving for perfection yet understand & accept that non of us can actually be perfect.
Out-going social butterfly personality yet deep enough to be introspective.
Take serious actions yet not have a serious attitude.
An exhibitionist without ego.

yesssss!! more to work towards :D :D :D :D :D :D particularly for social dancing because it's...well... social :P that list is a recipe for good company and good dancing together

[MacMoto]

For me personally, as a social dancer only for salsa, I would say security within self.
Positive self-talk yet humble attitude.
Stirving for perfection yet understand & accept that non of us can actually be perfect.
Out-going social butterfly personality yet deep enough to be introspective.
Take serious actions yet not have a serious attitude.
An exhibitionist without ego.
:notworth: :notworth: :notworth:

[Genesius Redux]

Wasn't there a personality test thread and practically all of us who took it were extroverts?

I'd say someone who's not afraid to make mistakes.

I don't think I agree.

People who don't like to make mistakes are perfectionists, and do often quite well. People who just have fun and don't care if the details are quite right become great social dancers, but often don't do so well in competition (until they start paying attention to those details).

Actually, I said people who are not afraid to make mistakes. 8)

[pygmalion]

Hmm. That' leaves me out. :shock: :lol:

[Kitty]

Wasn't there a personality test thread and practically all of us who took it were extroverts?

I'd say someone who's not afraid to make mistakes.

I don't think I agree.

People who don't like to make mistakes are perfectionists, and do often quite well. People who just have fun and don't care if the details are quite right become great social dancers, but often don't do so well in competition (until they start paying attention to those details).

Actually, I said people who are not afraid to make mistakes. 8)

I am afraid to make mistakes. I do make mistakes all the time, of course, and it does bother me, however, I can put up with it if I don't exactly know how to fix it. However, if I do know how to fix a certain mistake I'll practice my butt off :) before I'll dance that dance on social floor again.

[dr daffy]

i'm afraid to make mistakes all the time but when i actually make mistakes, i'm happy to learn from them :P

[dancin_feet]

I'm not afraid to make mistakes. From my point of view that's the best way to learn. When I make one though, I'll find out the right way and practice practice practice as best I can so that it doesn't happen again!

[dr daffy]

good for you :D

i should be like that

[jamaicanspice]

Wasn't there a personality test thread and practically all of us who took it were extroverts? I'd say someone who's not afraid to make mistakes.

where is this test? I would like to take it cause I don't think I'm an extrovert AT ALL!! I'm an introvert!!!

[jamaicanspice]

i'm afraid to make mistakes all the time but when i actually make mistakes, i'm happy to learn from them :P

when I make mistakes on the floor I dance out of them or turn it into something 'new' :lol: :lol: ....hmmmmmmmmm 8) matter of fact that's how my dance partner came up with some of our moves :lol: :lol:

[danceguy]

I do this all the time in Salsa. Last night for instance, when I found myself off-beat I just did a bunch of toe taps and hesitations steps, and suddenly I was back on the 1! My partner gave me this look like "hey, pretty cool" but I whispered to her "those weren't shines, I had to get back on the beat!"

Either way...maybe that's how most of those steps were invented. :roll: :P

SG

[squirrel]

SG... I always do this... :)

But my shines are invented by me anyway... I cannot stand learning a pattern and then dancing it... shines is my moment of freedom, of improvisation... what if they're not 'usual'? I don't care... it looks good, people tell me...

[MacMoto]

when I found myself off-beat I just did a bunch of toe taps and hesitations steps, and suddenly I was back on the 1!
I do this too! For some reason I have a tendency to slip into the leader's timing during shines and use syncopated steps to get back to the correct timing. Another handy trick (for the follower) is hip roll/wave/guppy wiggle type stuff -- sexy body movement to detract attention from your feet while you wait for the 1. Guys love it!

Wasn't there a personality test thread and practically all of us who took it were extroverts?
My non-dance friends/family all think I'm an introvert, painfully shy and quiet, while my dance friends think I'm an extrovert. They are actually both right. I'm an introvert with a dance alter ego, who is cheerful, outgoing, flirtatious and a bit of a show-off.

[dr daffy]

i'm afraid to make mistakes all the time but when i actually make mistakes, i'm happy to learn from them :P

when I make mistakes on the floor I dance out of them or turn it into something 'new' :lol: :lol: ....hmmmmmmmmm 8) matter of fact that's how my dance partner came up with some of our moves :lol: :lol:

hey, i do that too! most of the time, lol.... i still am afraid of making them, lol

[jamaicanspice]

My non-dance friends/family all think I'm an introvert, painfully shy and quiet, while my dance friends think I'm an extrovert. They are actually both right. I'm an introvert with a dance alter ego, who is cheerful, outgoing, flirtatious and a bit of a show-off.

:lol: :lol: this sounds exactly like me!!! when my non-dance friends/family found out I did latin dancing they were like :shock:


I do this all the time in Salsa. Last night for instance, when I found myself off-beat I just did a bunch of toe taps and hesitations steps, and suddenly I was back on the 1! My partner gave me this look like "hey, pretty cool" but I whispered to her "those weren't shines, I had to get back on the beat!"

8) oh I got a good one. There is this move that my partner and I call the 'swoop' 8) We were dancing one night and at this one point we went into an 'open break'...the intention was for him to pull me into a double inside spin that would end in a dip...what happened is when he pulled me in and did the double inside spins...(still connected by one hand) we MISSED each other's second hand hold. I was falling backwards and he just reached out and I grabbed his hand...the momentum had me swinging along the ground like a pendulum and because he eased back I ended up NOT touching the ground in the process....he just rotated his feet a couple inches and then used my momentum and his turn to pull me right back up and into a spin and then we went straight into a basic :lol: :lol: Everybody was like "WAHOOO"...we were like 'what the hell was that!!' :lol: :lol: in then end we practiced it and then named it the swoop. One of these nights I will have take a picture of it to show you guys :lol: :lol:

[pygmalion]

That sounds like a blast Jamaicanspice! Surprising for you, at least the first time, but tons of fun! :D

[MacMoto]

Wow, that sounds spectacular, Jamaicanspice! I wish my mistakes were as good as yours.

[dr daffy]

lol, same here... that's awesome

[pygmalion]

Wasn't there a personality test thread and practically all of us who took it were extroverts? I'd say someone who's not afraid to make mistakes.

where is this test? I would like to take it cause I don't think I'm an extrovert AT ALL!! I'm an introvert!!!

He's talking about the Myers-Briggs and ballroom dance thread, or something like that. The Myers-Briggs definition of introvert is a little different. (Correct me here, guys 8) ) My understanding is that introverts, by the Myers-Briggs definition, recharge or gain energy from solitude, while extroverts recharge from being around other people. Nothing to do with shyness or comfort around strangers.

[Sagitta]

That is aboslutely correct Pygmalion!! You hit the nail on it's head once again. :)

[SDsalsaguy]

Yup, that's exactly what is meant by Introvert and Extrovert on the MBTI. The other point worth adding is that these variables are considered linear, not binary (i.e. everyone falls somewhere along the spectrum from total Introvert to total Extrovert, it's not just A or B. Also, as far as the MBTI is concerned, such things are tendencies, not absolutes. So, a strong extrovert would be much more likely, in a random scenario, to menatlly & emotioanlly recharge via social interaction.