Dance Handicaps

[ballroomdancertoo]

Is shorter legs a handicap? Is a shorter neck a handicap? Being born with short arms a handicap? If not then when the instructor says lenghten your neck but thats the most you can stretch is that the limit of your dance abilities?
Just some curious thoughts.

[Chris Stratton]

Some of those things are more about configuring your body for efficient usage than they are about the absolute distance obtained.

[waltzgirl]

Is shorter legs a handicap? Is a shorter neck a handicap? Being born with short arms a handicap? If not then when the instructor says lenghten your neck but thats the most you can stretch is that the limit of your dance abilities?
Just some curious thoughts.

It may be the most you can stretch today, but you can do body work to expand that capacity.

On one hand, yes, every way in which one's body is not the "ideal" ballroom body (whatever that is) could be regarded as a handicap. But so what? Everyone has some of those "handicaps." You can't trade it in, so you've just got to work with the body you've got.

[TallTenDancer]

I would argue (as a taller dancer) that having longer legs, longer arms, and so on can be just as much of a handicap as being shorter, if not more so. It's all about how well you present yourself, not necessarily how far you can go.

[ballroomdancertoo]

so to dream of looking somewhat decent to look at and at the same time being realitic enough to realize you cannot look like them?

[fascination]

I never find it prudent to reflect upon my liabilities and limitations...it is goo to know what they are and to do what I can to minimize them...beyond that, i don't care to ponder it

[waltzgirl]

so to dream of looking somewhat decent to look at and at the same time being realitic enough to realize you cannot look like them?

I'd say, to dream of--and work at--looking the absolute best you can look and being realistic enough to realize that's what everyone is doing with whatever "handicaps" they have.

I'm tall, so I can tell you what some of the handicaps are:

--harder to balance
--avoiding gangly arms
--on a long torso, breaking a side is so visible it looks like it's outlined in neon
--harder to move fast
--harder to find a partner with the best-looking height differential

I'm sure I could think of more, but it's Friday night and time for me to take this long ol' body dancing!

[wonderwoman]

Even if you had longer extremities, you may not be able to achieve the lengthened appearance you aim for in ballroom dancing.

[barrefly]

(Let's see if I can pull this off and make some of you beleive I know
what I'm talking about. LOL)

Quality of dancing by a dancer is defined/judged by three aspects. Ability, artistry and esthetics. A dancer's lines falls under esthetics, (as well as costume, stage presence etc.) A dancer's body proportions and how they move/poise/extend is what gives them their lines.

Most dance forms have some sort of standard for the ideal body for optimal lines.


Is shorter legs a handicap? Is a shorter neck a handicap? Being born with short arms a handicap? If not then when the instructor says lenghten your neck but thats the most you can stretch is that the limit of your dance abilities?
Just some curious thoughts.

[Chris Stratton]

Most dance forms have some sort of standard for the ideal body for optimal lines.

Hmm, ballroom seems to get both tall thin champions and compact powerful ones. In that regard its nowhere near as genetically choosy as your typical ballet school/company, though of course everyone at the top has trained their body to peak athletic condition.

[barrefly]

How about if the members here give their optimal body proportions for the
Standard/Smooth dancer. (particularly the follow.)

Here is mine. Long neck, long legs/arms, between 5'5" to 5'7", a bit longer torso
than the ballet dancer, slim to average weight, medium bust, slightly on the border of athletic build but not too much. Slightly hyper-extended knees and elbows.

[Chris Stratton]

Here's mine: comparable to one's partner

Incidentali, hyperextension has essentially no role in standard and is quite at odds with the soft lines expected of the lady.

[ballroomdancertoo]

Barrefly are you refering to the man or lady regarding the heights? Isnt it a bit short for a man? I was thinking much taller like 5/8 or 5/9.....maybe we can give arm reach like in boxing because wouldnt that help in presenting a bigger hold?

[barrefly]

Here's mine: comparable to one's partner

Incidentali, hyperextension has essentially no role in standard and is quite at odds with the soft lines expected of the lady.

Though I do disagree, I won't argue the "slightly" hyper knees and elbows. However, I just spent some time going over photos of the current world standard champions. I'd say I have it pretty much pegged.
They all could be cut from the same mold. (perhaps, like everything, there may be exceptions.)

[Chris Stratton]

Try looking at the rest of the final, the recent one at blackpool for example.

All four elbows are visibly bent in hold and would tend to remain rounded when out of it. Legs shouldn't even get quite to fully straight (the cushioning flex is always in the healthy direction), hyper is seriously, seriously mistaken.

[barrefly]

Try looking at the rest of the final, the recent one at blackpool for example.

All four elbows are visibly bent in hold and would tend to remain rounded when out of it. Legs shouldn't even get quite to fully straight (the cushioning flex is always in the healthy direction), hyper is seriously, seriously mistaken.
Chris, hyper-extended joints can be seen in other positions. (such as in bent) Not just the straight arm/leg.

[Chris Stratton]

Chris, hyper-extended joints can be seen in other positions. (such as in bent) Not just the straight arm/leg.

As flexion is the opposite of extension, I would like to hear your explanation of how they can coincide.

[latingal]

Welcome to DF TallTenDancer!!

[barrefly]

As flexion is the opposite of extension, I would like to hear your explanation of how they can coincide.
Hyperextension is the movement or extension of joints,tendons, or muscles beyond the normal limit or range of motion.
I did not say or imply that bent elbows were the same as straight elbows.
There is more to movement of the joints than just back and forth.
Also, I correct myself by adding that hyperextension applies to all joints.

[Chris Stratton]

I don't think you realize what the word "extension" means. You've also failed to propose a mechanism or a utility.

We could for example talk about the need to misalign the knee by bending it slightly inside of the foot - but that is not hyperextension.