"Naturally" standard?

[pygmalion]

Another opinion question. (Facts are welcome, too, of course. :wink: ) Do you think it's possible for someone to be "naturally" wired to become a standard dancer versus a Latin dancer? Or is is strictly a matter of training and practice? If there are factors that make someone more naturally become one or the other, what so you think they are? Height? Build? Physical aptitude? Attitude? Self discipline? Something else?


Thoughts, anyone?

[Laura]

I can't stand dancing Latin, even socially (although I'll do rumba and cha cha when asked), and it's been this way since I started taking lessons years ago. I'll take Latin classes every so often just to see if I feel any differently, and in 7 years I haven't really changed my mind other than to like dancing Latin less and less as time goes on. I just gravitated toward Standard and Smooth. I don't know why, though!! And I do enjoy watching others dance Latin, I just don't like to do it myself.

[cl5814]

I can't stand dancing Latin, even socially (although I'll do rumba and cha cha when asked), and it's been this way since I started taking lessons years ago. I'll take Latin classes every so often just to see if I feel any differently, and in 7 years I haven't really changed my mind other than to like dancing Latin less and less as time goes on. I just gravitated toward Standard and Smooth. I don't know why, though!! And I do enjoy watching others dance Latin, I just don't like to do it myself.

Laura,

That makes two of us........i have done the same as you and although i have only danced for 4 years, still feel the same about Latin.. Will dance when asked but i am no fan of it.

I certainly feel that my height - long legs and arms - makes me just so much more of a standard dancer than a latin dancer. I will say physical build has something to do with it.

[Chris Stratton]

I think there can be an almost "cultural" bias in ones self image towards one style over the others. I can sort of get into latin, and my experience as a standard dancer gives me a good basis in the mechanics of dancing with which to understand it's details, but it's never going to feel as much a part of me.

In terms of physical ease, I think there can be some large apparent differences the appropriatness of someone's reflexes for one style or another, but a lot of that does change with practice. I keep catching myself with parallel feet in latin - but I see a lot of problematic turnout in other's standard. I think even some of the body image/social comfort issues actually are trainable too. One thing that can be suprisingly helpfull with that is good costuming advice - not for competition extremes, but in terms of finding (modest) things to wear which can seem to have their own subtle ability to encourage the dance style.

[Laura]

I am short, with average-length legs and short arms, so maybe build isn't the deciding factor?

[Chris Stratton]

I certainly feel that my height - long legs and arms - makes me just so much more of a standard dancer than a latin dancer. I will say physical build has something to do with it.

There is certaily a stereotype of needing to be short/compact to have the speed for latin, but I've seen some tall folks do it well.

One thing I found is that my standard practice/conditioning left me with moderately strong feet and ankles, which I want to instinctively use to sneak a lot of extra power into steps beyond the more visually obvious amount contributed by the legs. If I don't remember to turn this off for latin, I end up letting my feet/ankles launch me right past the target point, and loose time waiting to settle into the correct balance. For me, doing something like an unembellished jive basic properly seems to require outrageously understated foot action. Perhaps with a more refined knowledge of timing extra energy could be added by the feet at just the right instant, but without that kind of advanced knowledge it's easy to overdue things with ungainly results.

[chachagirlie]

pygmalion wrote:
Do you think it's possible for someone to be "naturally" wired to become a standard dancer versus a Latin dancer?

I love both standard and latin! Perhaps that is the key...

Funny thing is... when I go to study standard, the teacher usually will tell me I should be a latin dancer...when I am getting coaching for latin...what do you think that coach says? I should study standard! :roll:

[Sagitta]

Well for AT I've heard that short is the way to go. Lower center of gravity. I know that I'm more disposed to latin then standard, simply because I like latin muisc. However, I don't like ballroom latin as much as street latin, once again because of the music that gets played.

[DancingMommy]

Another opinion question. (Facts are welcome, too, of course. :wink: ) Do you think it's possible for someone to be "naturally" wired to become a standard dancer versus a Latin dancer? Or is is strictly a matter of training and practice? If there are factors that make someone more naturally become one or the other, what so you think they are? Height? Build? Physical aptitude? Attitude? Self discipline? Something else?


Thoughts, anyone?

will come back to this later....

Coming back to this now....

When I first started dancing, I was told that I was a "natural" for rhythm/latin because I'm "compact and energetic" (read = short).

I was told more than once to specialise in rhythm as I would *never* (HAH!) do well in smooth/standard because I was so *cough* short that I would never be seen on the floor.

*ahem* I now dance exclusively standard and I dare say we can move along the floor as well as any "tallie". In fact, I can't imagine ever dancing anything *but* standard.

Check this little known fact out: my darling husband used to despise smooth (such a dance snob). Anyways, the more advanced he is getting at standrad, he diceds he might want to "try out" smooth for a "challenge". :shock: I told him he better take some acting classes, lol! His "Jet Li poker face" might work for standard, but he needs to be able to "emote" for smooth, muahahahaahhhahah :twisted:

[ShyDancer]

What a question! My first reaction was probably... however when I think about about it a little more then maybe not...

I love all 3 styles and I cant pick a favourite between them as the physical connection and feel to all 3 is different, Standard is grace and beauty, NV is elegance and flair and latin is fun, romantic and strong.

Im small, the stereotype of a latin dancer, however I feel more comfortable (as in body, not attitude) in the standard and new vogue and the nv is my strongest style. I feel I carry myself better than in the latin where I sometimes feel jerky and uncoordinated, especially in cha cha and rumba.

Maybe it has more to do with how you emotionally attach yoursef to a dance/style?

[Warren J. Dew]

Very few people I know like both latin and ballroom equally; most strongly prefer one or the other.

I think it's more a matter of personality and musical preference than anything else. In fact, I know a few people who are much better at the style they don't like as much.

[robin]

I don't think people are "naturally" predisposed to latin or ballroom if by natural you mean genetic.

You find all sorts of heights and body shapes in all styles of dancing. At the top level everyone is quite athletic, but still there are tall and short dancers in all styles. Discipline is required for all styles of dance to be successful.

I actually think that most people who are successful at ballroom or latin *could* have been successful at the opposite discipline, the deciding factor is probably preference rather than aptitude. From preference comes more training and thus better results.

The question why someone prefers one style over another is probably to do with their personal experiences, preference of music, culture, etc. etc.

But in general i think that at most people might be wired to be "good dancers" as the underlying skills are quite similar in all forms of dance...

[Becca_Jellybaby]

Dancing for me has a lot to do with the kinds of music you can dance it to...I love jiving to The Contours "Do you love me?"...as there seems to be really good latin music, I have become better at latin...if only I could find good standard music, then perhaps I would become better and enjoy standard more... :roll: ...at the moment I am only a big fan of foxtrot (because of Nat King Cole, Sinatra...) and Quickstep (Glen Miller, Benny Goodman, Cherry Poppin' Daddies, Big Bad Voodoo Daddies...)...what good tunes are there for VW, W and T?

[pygmalion]

what good tunes are there for VW, W and T?

I think there are a couple older music recommendation threads that may help. I know there's one for Viennese waltz, for sure. I'll search, then post. Maybe you'll find some music suggestions you like. :D

[DancePoet]

I feel it has something to do with the music.

I much prefer Tango, Foxtrot, and Waltz music. Like Laura, the Cha-Cha and Rumba are my preferred latin/rythum styles. I have taken lessons in Mambo, Meregue, Salsa, and Samba, but the music does not seem to have the same sense of feeling and emotion. ECS has music that isn't a favorite either. WCS is much more sensual, and I'm going to give this a try eventually. I grew up on Hustle music at dances when I was a teenager, and the stuff just moves me. ArT music sounds very good, and I'll eventually be trying some lessons in this soon. V Waltz and Quickstep are what I'm taking some lessons in now, and the music is ok, but neither of these styles has found it's way into my favorites yet.

On a tangent, I heard a true ArT piece of music at a social dance the other night, and tried dancing American Smooth Tango to it. Very tricky, but still very neat.

[dancingdragon]

For me it's about personality. I love all three styles and would find it hard to choose a favourite, but don't think I'm naturally cheeky enough for Latin dancing - my dance teacher has described my Jive as "too polite"!!! :roll: Personally, I feel uncomfortable with displaying the attitude that Latin demands, so I'll probably never really excel in it, whereas the poise and elegance of ballroom and NV is much more "me". So in that respect I think you can naturally tend towards one style but not because of your physical build.

[Joe]

I'm with Laura.

[virginiadancegirl]

For me it's about personality. I love all three styles and would find it hard to choose a favourite, but don't think I'm naturally cheeky enough for Latin dancing - my dance teacher has described my Jive as "too polite"!!! :roll: Personally, I feel uncomfortable with displaying the attitude that Latin demands, so I'll probably never really excel in it, whereas the poise and elegance of ballroom and NV is much more "me". So in that respect I think you can naturally tend towards one style but not because of your physical build.

I have the opposite "problem"...I use my dancing as a release, and "permission" to be as sexy as I can be! I like standard, but have great difficulty in accomplishing the look I am supposed to have....

So...I have to say, latin is much more "ME"...... :)

[Kitty]

I can't stand dancing Latin, even socially (although I'll do rumba and cha cha when asked), and it's been this way since I started taking lessons years ago. I'll take Latin classes every so often just to see if I feel any differently, and in 7 years I haven't really changed my mind other than to like dancing Latin less and less as time goes on. I just gravitated toward Standard and Smooth. I don't know why, though!! And I do enjoy watching others dance Latin, I just don't like to do it myself.

I have a question then:
Do you generally dislike latin or do you just dislike dancing it?
Do you enjoy watching advanced latin couples or do you just not like the idea of latin?

[Laura]

Not to be snide, Kitty, but the answers to your questions are in the part of my message that you quoted above.

[Kitty]

sorry, you are right.

I just know too many people who don't like to even watch one style or the other. And I have no idea why.

Then a different question.

What is there missing for you in latin that makes you like dancing standard better?

Myself, I liked standard in the beginning because 1) I was better at it and 2) I always liked connection with a partner much better in standard. In latin I just could never feel as connected (with exception of samba). It is probably because I just didn't and don't do it right in latin, but still.

[LauraB]

I'm with dancingdragon on this one. For me, it's personality. I just don't feel comfortable with acting "sexy." But part of it is the training factor. I haven't had much training in latin/rhythm compared to smooth/standard. My ballet background also contributes to me feeling uncomfortable with cuban motion, etc. I do like dancing latin socially, but I'm not comfortable performing in that style. I love watching it, though!

[DancePoet]

I feel Dancingdragon and Laura B have a good point here. Maybe attitude and personality really do impact my preferences, and maybe as much as the music does if not more. Very interesting to ponder!