Do you have more fun with beginners or advanced dancers?

[huey]

I've realised that I have a lot more fun dancing with beginners than I do with advanced dancers. I'm a leader who's been dancing an average of around three times a week for nearly 2 years.

What is your experience?

[Flat Shoes]

It depends on the personality of the dancer more than the dancers level, as long as the follow at least can follow basic stuff.

But the most fun is with really good dancer that are able to play and improvise and give lots of input to the dance. Or just a really high tempo dance with perfect connection, when the follow responds well to everything crazy thing I throw at her.

So a matching personality is more than half the fun. But matching persoanlity and great dancing skills combined, are even better.

But one thing about beginners are that they are easier to satisfy. It's easier to have a fun dance with someone who are grateful for just a stable. Good follows tend to expect more, and may be more difficult to satisfy.

This is one reason I often start the night by asking beginners to dance. It's an easy way to get going and getting into the right dancing mood.

[newbie]

I've realised that I have a lot more fun dancing with beginners than I do with advanced dancers. I'm a leader who's been dancing an average of around three times a week for nearly 2 years.

What is your experience?

For ballroom I mainly dance with people whom I've been knowing for years and years, being in the same dance school. I have much more fun with them than with beginners.
I can't see what fun you can have dancing with a beginner. Dancing with me when I was a beginner was no fun for advanced followers.

[cocodrilo]

I can have fun with both, but generally, if someone is a decent dancer, knows how to lead and can keep time to the music, it is much more enjoyable that dancing with someone who is all over the place. I never refuse to dance with anyone, no matter their level, and I've had some pretty amazing dances with latinos who don't know a bit of salsa, but can still spin me, spin themselves, do some great dips!

[Sagitta]

Both are fun. I find that beginners, rather then intermediate followers, adapt more easily to a leader's style of dancing. They also are easier to give a good time.

[MacMoto]

There have been threads about dancing with partners at different points of their learning curve, and looking at DFers reponses, the majority opinion seems to be that a dance is generally more enjoyable when the leader is more experienced than the follower. At least, a lot more leaders have said they enjoy dancing with beginners/less experienced dancers/non-dancers than followers... do you agree?

When talking about *fun*, personally I find musical leaders -- leaders who have a feel for the music and the ability to pick up on mood changes in a song -- more fun to dance with. I have found that not all advanced leaders are very musical. I suppose there are beginners who are potentially very musical, but not many beginners know how to express their musicality effectively enough.

[tsb]

i generally prefer dancing with partners whose skill level approximates my own, but having positive/negative feelings for the other person is an even more signifcant factor. i will go to great lengths to avoid dancing with someone if i have negative feelings about them regardless of their skill level. and if i have very positive feelings for someone their skill level is irrelevant when it comes to asking them to dance.

[squirrel]

I prefer advanced dancers, but we have to "click"... otherwise, I don't enjoy it! I clicked with beginners and intermediates, so...

Funnily enough, advanced dancers here also prefer begiiner or intermediate leads... the best female dancers sit down far more than the rest! I wonder why... When I dance with advanced leaders, they like to try their most complicated moves and are very pleased to see I can follow... :) But they very rarely invite me...

When I dance as a leader, I dance with either dancers from my school (regardless of their level) or with complete beginners or intermediates from the club. I tend to avoid the best female dancers, as I don't consider I know enough "moves" and would bore them... interesting, none ever complained... and they even said they loved dancing with me!

[blue]

It depends. In AT I currently avoid dancing too much with advanced leaders. They ask too much from me! When so large portion of the stuff they do is new to me, I have to concentrate really hard and still I know I loose some of my posture etc simply because it is too much. On the other hand I have done pretty much of very simple walking tango by now. Maybe I go to the wrong place, but there seems to be very few leaders in like optimal level for me. Funnily enough, one of the guys I dance really well with now I didn't like at all the first time! because he kept telling me what to do all the time. I don't like verbal leads! but he's more silent now.

[Purr]

It depends on the individual leader, regardless of their level.

[alemana]

it's different for me with ballroom versus salsa.

i'm much more tolerant in social dances like salsa of skill level variations.

for ballroom, let's face it, there's a right way and a wrong way to do things, and beginners almost never do them right (myself included.) I find it highly stressful to dance with a ballroom leader who is incapable of either dancing a figure or leading me satisfactorily. all i can think about in those scenarios is, this is all wrong.

in salsa, on the other hand, there's a lot more room for play. in addition, you can always break away from a poor partner and just do shines for a while - sometimes partners who can't partner-dance yet are terribly interesting solo dancers

[tj]

All things being equal, I'd prefer an advanced dancer.

I guess what stands out is that things often aren't equal. Advanced dancers tend to have a lot higher expectations, and worse attitudes.

Like I've said before... for me, attitude is the most important. Skill is second.

[dTas]

i agree with most everyone else... attitude is everything.

no one likes to dance with a "snob" give me a beginning dancer anyday over an arrogant advanced follow.

plus arrogant follows tend to not to really know how to follow rather know how to "show off".

[pianoman]

if it's ballroom, I prefer an advanced dancer... almost to the exclusion of any other consideration (after all, if I'm dancing Ballroom, I don't have to look at her, right?)

But Salsa, Swing, Jive, and most of the latin dances I've had on average equal fun leading a new dancer as an advanced dancer

[megaproto]

alot of dancer reject me just because im 16 :@ they think im young, HUH?!?!? I'll show them those !@#@$@#!#!#@ :@:@:@:@




laterz

[hopelessly_addicted]

When talking about *fun*, personally I find musical leaders -- leaders who have a feel for the music and the ability to pick up on mood changes in a song -- more fun to dance with. I have found that not all advanced leaders are very musical. I suppose there are beginners who are potentially very musical, but not many beginners know how to express their musicality effectively enough.

mmm MacMoto, you're really spot on with who can be real fun to dance with! When I was out dancing tonight, I felt my limitation in expressinve musicality in fact.. I've got some background in classical music and musicality was not the hard part when dancing salsa for me.. it really frustrates me when i cannot express what I hear..

I've had some awesome dances with latinos who just do basics but would use all of the floor space, feeling the music. They're not "advanced" dancers in the eyes of trained dancers, but what a fun to dance with them :)

oh one more thing to add. I like dancing with leads who also like dancing with me regardless of their level :lol: it feels good to be appreciated really...

[tacad]

I can have fun with both, but generally, if someone is a decent dancer, knows how to lead and can keep time to the music, it is much more enjoyable that dancing with someone who is all over the place. I never refuse to dance with anyone, no matter their level, and I've had some pretty amazing dances with latinos who don't know a bit of salsa, but can still spin me, spin themselves, do some great dips!
:rocker:

[TemptressToo]

Advanced. I like learning new things and I appreciate a more advanced lead's experience and demeanor.

[tacad]

Beginners. I always seem to be bumping into follows if they are more advanced than myself.

[chachachacat]

Beginners. I always seem to be bumping into follows if they are more advanced than myself.

I hope that this doesn't mean you won't dance with me someday! 8)

[kansas49er]

I really prefer somebody just a little better than I am. I am not a good enough leader to help beginners that much. It works, but it is difficult. However, if a follower has a pretty good idea of what's happening, I can do okay. Too far advanced, i don't even ask, except for a couple of friends. WHy bore them and embarras me? As far as those champion level dancers, hahahahahahaha!

[tacad]

Beginners. I always seem to be bumping into follows if they are more advanced than myself.

I hope that this doesn't mean you won't dance with me someday! 8)
No problem! :wink:

[Phil Owl]

I've realised that I have a lot more fun dancing with beginners than I do with advanced dancers. I'm a leader who's been dancing an average of around three times a week for nearly 2 years.

What is your experience?

My experience is definitely mixed, I've danced with advanced dancers who were WONDERFUL and FUN to be with (great personality, easy to lead and very creative and fun) but also some who were a FREAKIN' NIGHTMARE (as in huge ego, arrogant and condescending, wouldn;t let you lead, questioning your EVERY move, literally!). I've danced with some AMAZING beginners (who had an ungodly natural ability!) and with some beginners who coud be challenging to say the least. It's down to the individual person, I definitely can't make generalizations here.

[Phil Owl]

i agree with most everyone else... attitude is everything.

no one likes to dance with a "snob" give me a beginning dancer anyday over an arrogant advanced follow.

plus arrogant follows tend to not to really know how to follow rather know how to "show off".

AMEN TO THAT!!!!!! :rocker:

[salsachinita]

..... beginners are that they are easier to satisfy. It's easier to have a fun dance with someone who are grateful for just a stable. Good (SC's interpretation: expereinced) follows tend to expect more, and may be more difficult to satisfy..

You've hit the nail on it's head here (from a leader's point of view, that is), Flat Shoes :D !

From a follower's perspective, however, since the need to rely on decent leads (which are generally given by more experienced leaders), they tend to perfer more advanced/experienced guys.

At a social (read: club) situation, decent leads can do a fair amount of things to a relative newbie during a dance, yet a follower can do little to a newbie leader who is still struggling with staying on beat & executing moves at the same time.

:shrug: Just the nature of partner dancing, I guess.

[huey]

There have been threads about dancing with partners at different points of their learning curve, and looking at DFers reponses, the majority opinion seems to be that a dance is generally more enjoyable when the leader is more experienced than the follower. At least, a lot more leaders have said they enjoy dancing with beginners/less experienced dancers/non-dancers than followers... do you agree?

MacMoto,

Can you help me find these earlier threads? It would be interesting to read them.

[huey]

But one thing about beginners are that they are easier to satisfy. It's easier to have a fun dance with someone who are grateful for just a stable. Good follows tend to expect more, and may be more difficult to satisfy.

This is one reason I often start the night by asking beginners to dance. It's an easy way to get going and getting into the right dancing mood.
Flat Shoes,

Yes, I often start with beginners too, for the same reason. 8)

[huey]

I can't see what fun you can have dancing with a beginner. Dancing with me when I was a beginner was no fun for advanced followers.
If they have energy and feeling for the music, it can be great fun, as long as I stay in tune with them and keep it simple. And it's easier for me to have fun than with beginners than with advanced followers who know a lot, and perhaps expect more from me.

So, as a leader, I have fun with beginner followers. But, like you, it seems that advanced followers don't have fun with me.

[huey]

I've found a few other threads which relate to this discussion. These are primarily about less experienced leaders dancing with more experienced followers.

Threads about dancing with people at different levels

Asking experienced followers to dance
Started by Jamie in the Salsa forum on
Sun Oct 03, 2004 7:55 am
http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=5675

What can an experienced follower do to help?
Started by Pygmalion in the General Dance Discussion forum on
Sat Nov 08, 2003 2:11 pm
http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=1289

Effects of Dancing with an Excellent Follow
Started by aimerrouge in the Salsa forum on
Sun Mar 06, 2005 10:24 pm
http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=7957

the perfect follow/lead
Started by Vin in the Salsa forum on
Sun May 09, 2004 4:44 pm
http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=3537

To dance with a complete beginner
Started by Ron Obvious in the Salsa forum on
Tue Apr 12, 2005 2:29 pm
http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=8555

I find leading advanced follows difficult. Help please.
Started by tacad in the General Dance Discussion forum on
Sun Oct 17, 2004 8:53 am
http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=5851

Beginner leads and experienced follows
Started by blue in the Tango Argention forum on
Thu Jan 06, 2005 10:03 pm
http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=6909[/b]

[huey]

At a social (read: club) situation ... a follower can do little to a newbie leader who is still struggling with staying on beat & executing moves at the same time.

:shrug: Just the nature of partner dancing, I guess.
Hi salsachinita,

I am an 'intermediate' leader who is confident about staying on the beat and executing moves. But generally I only have fun with beginner or intermediate dancers, not advanced ones. And they don't seem to have fun with me either :(

[huey]

More thoughts, then I'll shut up for a while :wink: ...

Thinking back to some of the dances I had last week. I had four amazing dances. In each case, I could tell the girls were enjoying it as much as I was, if not more. One said during the dance 'I love this music', another smiled throughout and kept making noises like 'mmmm...', another constantly gazed into my eyes. I remember I couldn't stop myself smiling. 8) :D

Two were with beginners and two with intermediates. And something they all had in common was energy. My follower and I were both putting energy into the dance. It felt as though we were both feeding off each other's energy. With the intermediate girls it was 'bounce' which is a big part of a lot swing music. With the beginner girls it was their focus on me and the music. It felt like a 3-minute love affair. In contrast, I never seem to get the 'bounce' or '3 minute love affair' energy from the advanced girls. I feel that I'm not receiving any energy from them (this is what I mean by not having fun) - is this down to me or them? :?

[chachachacat]

There have been threads about dancing with partners at different points of their learning curve, and looking at DFers reponses, the majority opinion seems to be that a dance is generally more enjoyable when the leader is more experienced than the follower. At least, a lot more leaders have said they enjoy dancing with beginners/less experienced dancers/non-dancers than followers... do you agree?

When talking about *fun*, personally I find musical leaders -- leaders who have a feel for the music and the ability to pick up on mood changes in a song -- more fun to dance with. I have found that not all advanced leaders are very musical. I suppose there are beginners who are potentially very musical, but not many beginners know how to express their musicality effectively enough.
I agree about musicality!
And I agree with your first point, too. Of course, there's a different perspective whether you are leading or following. It seems most followers want to dance with someone better! We are naturally restricted to what is lead.( Or attempted.) It is only natural to want to "fly as high as you can."

[Kuriin]

I tend to stay away from the beginners unless they're serious about learning; because, beginners usually think the type of dancing that I do, is stupid.

[randomMysh]

For me the play factor is more important than the level. True, the more experienced dancers are more polished and easier to follow, but I'd take a playful beginner over a stiff and full-of-himself advanced partner any day of the week.

[new-ish]

It's so hard to make generalizations like this.

I often like the better follows because you can be more "playful" and aren't spending all your energy trying to lead simple moves.

But I have been doing some dancing with a new follow who just lights up doing simple patterns. It's so much fun dancing with her.

I guess the fun comes from the connection that you have with a given partner no matter what level you or they are at.

[Ms_Sunlight]

I tend to stay away from the beginners unless they're serious about learning; because, beginners usually think the type of dancing that I do, is stupid.

How do you tell if someone's serious about learning if you don't know them, Kuriin?

[Flat Shoes]

My follower and I were both putting energy into the dance. It felt as though we were both feeding off each other's energy.

That is the best dances, when both of you are adding energy and inspiration into the dance, in the way that you sort of feed of each other, try new moves and just plays around. Difficult to explain with words.

Usually one needs an advanced partner for this, though.

[MacMoto]

My follower and I were both putting energy into the dance. It felt as though we were both feeding off each other's energy.

That is the best dances, when both of you are adding energy and inspiration into the dance, in the way that you sort of feed of each other, try new moves and just plays around. Difficult to explain with words.

Usually one needs an advanced partner for this, though.
Hmm, I don't necessarily agree with your last statement, Flat Shoes... for me it tends to be more about the way the person dances and whether its compatible with your style or not (whether you and your partner "click") than skill level. An advanced dancer who puts energy into the dance can really lift the dance to another level, for sure, but you can still have the sort of dance Huey has described even when neither you nor your partner is "advanced".

[Flat Shoes]

My follower and I were both putting energy into the dance. It felt as though we were both feeding off each other's energy.

That is the best dances, when both of you are adding energy and inspiration into the dance, in the way that you sort of feed of each other, try new moves and just plays around. Difficult to explain with words.

Usually one needs an advanced partner for this, though.
Hmm, I don't necessarily agree with your last statement, Flat Shoes... for me it tends to be more about the way the person dances and whether its compatible with your style or not (whether you and your partner "click") than skill level. An advanced dancer who puts energy into the dance can really lift the dance to another level, for sure, but you can still have the sort of dance Huey has described even when neither you nor your partner is "advanced".
I'm not sure wether we disagree, or wether I wasn't able to express what I wanted to say.

Yes, it's very possible to have great dances with lots of energy with some beginners. But what I wanted to say is that there's a way of adding to the dance where you and your partner is building on each other and inspiring each other to do new and fun stuff. In the way that you are doing some move. Then your partner picks up on that move and add something new to the dance based on what you did. And then you do the same, and together your builiding on each other and get inspired to do a lot of stuff you've never even thought about before, and that you'll never remember to do again.

This way of dancing, when everything really clicks, I've only really experienced with experienced partners. I think that beginners usually are not enough confident in their basic dancing ability to let themselves go like that. Beginner follows tends to get confused when too much strange and weird stuff is going on.

Beginner follows with great energy and lots of fun does exist. But my thoughts here went to the 'adding' part of your comment, just as much as the energy part.

Anywaym that's my experience. Personally it took me a long time of dancing before I was able to let go of the security blanket that learned patterns can be, and started to play around. And I still need to be in the mood before really letting go.

[hopelessly_addicted]

I think that beginners usually are not enough confident in their basic dancing ability to let themselves go like that. Beginner follows tends to get confused when too much strange and weird stuff is going on.....

I agree with you flat shoes on the above point. Today, I just realised that it's been 8 months since I started salsa. I start feeling more comfortable doing shines or solos when I break off with the leads; before I just hated not having that security of doing whatever the leads tell me to do. I feel more secure in playing around than before as I gained more experience.

I know that certain leads that I enjoy dancing with now may not have fun dancing with me a few months ago just cause my experice of salsaing was few months less. However, I still feel like a such a beginner.. I wonder if this feeling ever goes away?.. so much room for improvement!

[Flat Shoes]

... Today, I just realised that it's been 8 months since I started salsa. ... However, I still feel like a such a beginner.. I wonder if this feeling ever goes away?.. so much room for improvement!

8 months is not a long time. I've been dancing Lindy for around three and a half years, and even though I now share classes with people who judge themselves as advanced dancers, I still just feel like a little above intermediate myself. And I know there are so very many things I could learn, and could do better. But I also feel very much like a better dancer than I was a year ago. I have improved all the time, but still have a long way to go. I think that's part of the fun.

If you're dedicated and have talent, I've seen world class dancers use four to five years from nothing to the top. But I don't think that means nothing more to learn either. There's always more. :D

[hopelessly_addicted]

8 months is not a long time.

Yes, 8 months doesn't sound like a long time on its face value.. especially compared to those who've been dancing for decades. But it feels like forever with so much dancing squeezed within last 8 months.. like if you go out dancing from Wednesday to Sunday say, and then when you get to the end of Sunday, you feel like the Wednesday was like 1 week ago.. does that make sense to you?!

Anyways I'm enjoying being on the rapidly increasing learning curve stage and hopefully that'd continue for a long long time. I feel that I can enjoy dancing with beginner leads better now than few months back, because now, I have better understanding of what they're trying to do and so can do a better job in following (without backleading). Also, knowing how certain moves suppose to look like helps me enjoy dancing better compare to those times when I felt that I'd been dragged around the whole song.

[Twilight_Elena]

Advanced leads stress me out, even if they're not trying to get me to do too much - I was dancing a rumba with a teacher the other day and I was so afraid I'd do something wrong I must have been staring at the space all the time, counting my steps! :?
Beginner leads stress me out too, because I have to be extra careful so as to follow their signals, keep the rhythm, balance, spin on my own if I have to, generally help the lead as much as possible without backleading (which I don't ever do, strange). Phew! What a rollercoaster...
Erm. So am I having fun when dancing? :shock: :shock: :shock: Pure fun, I think only with my own teacher, because she understands me and knows me and I feel safer dancing with her.

Twilight Elena

[hopelessly_addicted]

Advanced leads stress me out, even if they're not trying to get me to do too much - I was dancing a rumba with a teacher the other day and I was so afraid I'd do something wrong I must have been staring at the space all the time, counting my steps! :?

Perhaps those people who gets you to do too much are not so advanced afterall... Advanced leads are those who can discern the level of their partners and adapt accordingly. :)

[Flat Shoes]

8 months is not a long time.

Yes, 8 months doesn't sound like a long time on its face value.. especially compared to those who've been dancing for decades. But it feels like forever with so much dancing squeezed within last 8 months.. like if you go out dancing from Wednesday to Sunday say, and then when you get to the end of Sunday, you feel like the Wednesday was like 1 week ago.. does that make sense to you?!

Yes it makes sense, but I've nver had the chance to do that much dancing, so I don't know how much faster you can progress then.

My first 8 months were relatively slow. There was less dancing (a couple of times a week, class + social), and were I started out everything was really new, so we had no really experienced teachers to learn from.

[hopelessly_addicted]

Yes it makes sense, but I've nver had the chance to do that much dancing, so I don't know how much faster you can progress then.

My first 8 months were relatively slow. But there was less dancing, and were I started out everything was really new, so we had no really experienced teachers to learn from.

Up to now, i've had minimal group/private lessons.. Most of my salsa education took place when dancing socially and I must say, DF has been a valuable source of learning for me! :D

If I'd taken classes, I'd have improved more I guess, but with so much dancing socially, I haven't time to do so and frankly don't see a lot of point in taking group lessons when i can dance with various leads socially and learn more new moves that way - I guess that's an advantage as being a follower.... Anyhow, I'm not competing with anyone here in terms of improvement, so I'll take my time.. :D

[MacMoto]

h_a, yes it's definitely one of the major advantage of being a follower... you can learn a lot from dancing socially with lots of different people, and have fun at the same time :wink:.

Having said that, there are many things that are hard to "just pick up" through social dancing which good teachers can teach you, so my recommendation is to combine the two if possible. If there are teachers in your area (or visiting teachers doing workshops) who go beyond "the turn pattern of the week" and teach fundamentals of lead-follow skills, take their lessons! Even if that means you have to cut down the number of nights you dance socially, it's worth the sacrifice.

[Flat Shoes]

Even if that means you have to cut down the number of nights you dance socially, it's worth the sacrifice.

At least it is worth trying. You might be surprised and find much more than you expected, both increased skill and more inspiration.

[hopelessly_addicted]

h_a, yes it's definitely one of the major advantage of being a follower... you can learn a lot from dancing socially with lots of different people, and have fun at the same time :wink:.

Having said that, there are many things that are hard to "just pick up" through social dancing which good teachers can teach you, so my recommendation is to combine the two if possible. If there are teachers in your area (or visiting teachers doing workshops) who go beyond "the turn pattern of the week" and teach fundamentals of lead-follow skills, take their lessons! Even if that means you have to cut down the number of nights you dance socially, it's worth the sacrifice.

Can't agree more MacMoto! I'm gonna take a private on improving my spin + following (especially on being a ligher follower) very soon as I see these as what I cannot pick up just from dancing socially and reading articules.. also, gosh my spins.. am I ever gonna do it so effortlessly :x

am sorry am sidetracking the topic here.. ill shut up now :oops:

[MacMoto]

also, gosh my spins.. am I ever gonna do it so effortlessly :x
According to one of my teachers who is an amazing spinner:

- The human body is not designed to spin. It's not a natural thing to do, so it's no wonder we can't spin well without working hard at it.

- It took her years of practice to get to where she is, and she still practises spinning every day to stay at that level. :shock:

So there's hope for us all hopeless spinners. :lol:


Now you can get back to the topic folks. :lol:

[Sagitta]

h_a, yes it's definitely one of the major advantage of being a follower... you can learn a lot from dancing socially with lots of different people, and have fun at the same time :wink:.

Having said that, there are many things that are hard to "just pick up" through social dancing which good teachers can teach you, so my recommendation is to combine the two if possible. If there are teachers in your area (or visiting teachers doing workshops) who go beyond "the turn pattern of the week" and teach fundamentals of lead-follow skills, take their lessons! Even if that means you have to cut down the number of nights you dance socially, it's worth the sacrifice.

Can't agree more MacMoto! I'm gonna take a private on improving my spin + following (especially on being a ligher follower) very soon as I see these as what I cannot pick up just from dancing socially and reading articules.. also, gosh my spins.. am I ever gonna do it so effortlessly :x

am sorry am sidetracking the topic here.. ill shut up now :oops:

Just a slightly wandering path, that's all. :wink: :)

All I got to say is the more we dance the more we will end up having fun. Nature of the game as until you have danced with a person you really don't know how ell you'll dance together if you look for the connection. :cheers: :)

[huey]

h_a, yes it's definitely one of the major advantage of being a follower... you can learn a lot from dancing socially with lots of different people, and have fun at the same time :wink:.

Hi MM,

That makes sense.

Actually, what you said made me think about another aspect of this discussion - followers dancing with each other. I quite often see followers dancing with each other, and they always seem to have fun. But, thinking about it, it's usually an experienced follower leading a less experienced one.

And thinking about some of the advanced followers that I don't have fun dancing with, they don't seem to dance with each other, although I know many of them can lead. So perhaps they have the same problem having fun leading advanced followers that I do?

[Twilight_Elena]

Advanced leads stress me out, even if they're not trying to get me to do too much - I was dancing a rumba with a teacher the other day and I was so afraid I'd do something wrong I must have been staring at the space all the time, counting my steps! :?

Perhaps those people who gets you to do too much are not so advanced afterall... Advanced leads are those who can discern the level of their partners and adapt accordingly. :)

No no no no, you got me all wrong here. :P When I say advanced leads, I mean either teachers or students that are very very good. There's not an issue of whether they are actually advanced, because they are! It is a vey common thing fo rme to follow steps I've never been taught; I know 3 syllabus steps at every ballroom dance, plus their variations, but when I dance at my practice parties I do a lot more! Sometimes my teachers ask "do you know the 6th?" I say "no", then they say "you just did it"! :shock: :D So it's not an issue of being pushed too much. I already said that even when they don't get me to do steps I don't know, I still feel stressed out, because I feel like have to be very good.
Kind of makes me wonder if I am enjoying even half of my dances.

Twilight Elena

[tacad]

All I got to say is the more we dance the more we will end up having fun. Nature of the game as until you have danced with a person you really don't know how ell you'll dance together if you look for the connection. :cheers: :)
I had some really nice connections Saturday night. In the pre-dance lesson for rhumba, my instructor ktold us to look each other in the eye. Some women were up to this and we had some great rhumbas! Man they were nice!

[hopelessly_addicted]

Actually, what you said made me think about another aspect of this discussion - followers dancing with each other. I quite often see followers dancing with each other, and they always seem to have fun. But, thinking about it, it's usually an experienced follower leading a less experienced one.
And thinking about some of the advanced followers that I don't have fun dancing with, they don't seem to dance with each other, although I know many of them can lead. So perhaps they have the same problem having fun leading advanced followers that I do?

I think when 2 followers dance with each other, that in general happens when they have no choice but to dance with each other (when great song's on and no lead to dance with, etc). Personally, I've lead by some experienced followers, none of them beat mediocre leads actually :wink: Just a matter of them not getting enough practise on leading I guess..

However, there's a female international instructor residing in melbourne that I LOVE dancing with... she knows that I'm unfamiliar with her moves so she goes easy on me when dancing 8) I can't imagine that she'd have fun dancing with me :oops: I think she agrees to dance cause she's an instructor and she feels obliged to do so.. anyways, she's always super nice and cool :D

[squirrel]

Well, lack of practice as a leader is bad... I practice as much as possible, and most girls told me they prefer me over the intermediate/beginner leaders...

I am supposed to know how to lead well, though, as I am an instructor...

And when I invite girls I do it 'cause I want to lead, not 'cause there's no leader I can dance with... I also dance with girls who practice their lead... :) and try and help them a little if asked to...

[hopelessly_addicted]

And when I invite girls I do it 'cause I want to lead, not 'cause there's no leader I can dance with... I also dance with girls who practice their lead... :) and try and help them a little if asked to...

Raluca, I didn't mean that all girls who lead dance cause there is no lead to dance with! :) (just to clarify.. :wink: )

Female instructors (there aren't all that many here) in melb don't dance with followers so much except for this other instructor that I just mentioned.. I think she much prefers leading than following :lol:

She's much more approchable than male salsa instructors - in fact, I don't think I've ever asked to dance a male instructor before! :shock: Honestly, they appear to be just so cool and above us beginner followers.. unless the followers take classes from them, they don't seem to be willing to do the asking.. it's not like they're in such high demand that they don't need to do the asking..

[lil.riceboi]

lolz, beginner or advanced dancers, as long as they enjoy dancing, I'm down with them

[dancin_feet]

I have more fun with advanced leaders. Simply because I love the challenge dance gives me and advanced leaders make me challenge my own style and ability. I stuff up, I laugh, I gain new skills, I enjoy.

Not that it's not fun dancing with beginners but I always feel a certain responsibility to help them and praise them to make them feel good and keep them coming back so they can be advanced dancers. While I enjoy expanding someone's idea of their own ability, it's not always fun. Especially if they are very down on themselves and apologise all the time. No need for an apology, everybody started somewhere. Just dance! :D

[emanuela]

I have to say that at the last practice I was really happy to dance with a beginner (more beginner than me), as I could practice basic steps and therefore it was also more relaxing ... On the other side, I was seriously avoiding that guy who claimed of being dancing for 7 months, but that still had to count 1-2-3 ... weird!!! And he would not get up and invite anybody either! Terrible terrible dancer! I, instead, invited on the floor the beginner several times. Thank God for good beginners! :wink:

[Twilight_Elena]

The most enjoyable dances I've danced were the ones with leads who understood and respected my level and tried to adjust to it accordingly so that we both had a good time. Plus, I like the ones who were nice as people as well (not only good dancers).

Twilight Elena

[Sobrero]

Hi evrybody!

It is natural to like dancing with adavanced partners because usually they are better leads. However, I found myself enjoying dancing with newbies really enjoying it! :) :)
The most important think is the attitude of your partner; when he seems to think that he is the best and that everybody else is beneath him, he is getting into my nerves :x :evil:
I also think that the chemistry between two people is very important!
I know a teacher who obviously knows how to dance , :roll: ,but I just do not enjoy dancing with him! I feel that there is no connection! Like we both dance but in different worlds!! Our styles and the way we see dancing are totally different and I would certainly prefer dancing with a beginner instead of him :wink:

[hopelessly_addicted]

Not thinking too much of what others (and myself :wink: ) wrote earlier, I'll respond to the topic...

I am a follower. Assuming that beginners mean not so competant leads in general, I don't know how I can prefer (and have more fun with) beginner over advanced leads?!?

[Sagitta]

Not thinking too much of what others (and myself :wink: ) wrote earlier, I'll respond to the topic...

I am a follower. Assuming that beginners mean not so competant leads in general, I don't know how I can prefer (and have more fun with) beginner over advanced leads?!?

Come to US and try me and you'll see why dancing with beginners is fun. :wink: :)

[tacad]

The most enjoyable dances I've danced were the ones with leads who understood and respected my level and tried to adjust to it accordingly so that we both had a good time. Plus, I like the ones who were nice as people as well (not only good dancers).

Twilight Elena
Oh, this is so true of follows as well!

[hopelessly_addicted]

Not thinking too much of what others (and myself :wink: ) wrote earlier, I'll respond to the topic...

I am a follower. Assuming that beginners mean not so competant leads in general, I don't know how I can prefer (and have more fun with) beginner over advanced leads?!?

Come to US and try me and you'll see why dancing with beginners is fun. :wink: :)

hey but you must be more than a competant lead! :roll: :wink:

[Sagitta]

Not thinking too much of what others (and myself :wink: ) wrote earlier, I'll respond to the topic...

I am a follower. Assuming that beginners mean not so competant leads in general, I don't know how I can prefer (and have more fun with) beginner over advanced leads?!?

Come to US and try me and you'll see why dancing with beginners is fun. :wink: :)

hey but you must be more than a competant lead! :roll: :wink:

I don't know about that. Depends on what you mean by that. To illustrate Thursday night I only had 3 good dances... :? :( :cry:

[hopelessly_addicted]

I don't know about that. Depends on what you mean by that. To illustrate Thursday night I only had 3 good dances... :? :( :cry:

well, I've read enough of your posts to know that you're not a beginner a least by my standard :)

actually today, I had fun dancing with a beginner lead who is my friend :) I don't know why but being a friend makes a whole lot of difference...

[cocodrilo]

I don't know about that. Depends on what you mean by that. To illustrate Thursday night I only had 3 good dances... :? :( :cry:

well, I've read enough of your posts to know that you're not a beginner a least by my standard :)

actually today, I had fun dancing with a beginner lead who is my friend :) I don't know why but being a friend makes a whole lot of difference...
It DOES make a difference, doesn't it? I always enjoy dancing with my friends, polished dancers and total beginners alike, always fun! :D

[chachachacat]

It DOES make a difference, doesn't it? I always enjoy dancing with my friends, polished dancers and total beginners alike, always fun! :D
Yes, I enjoy dancing with my friends more, too. The only time I will lead is when one of my friends wants me to lead them. I goof up and we laugh, but they like dancing with me for some reason. Must be the fun factor. :lol:

[Sagitta]

It DOES make a difference, doesn't it? I always enjoy dancing with my friends, polished dancers and total beginners alike, always fun! :D
Yes, I enjoy dancing with my friends more, too. The only time I will lead is when one of my friends wants me to lead them. I goof up and we laugh, but they like dancing with me for some reason. Must be the fun factor. :lol:

It is the connection. You have another dimension available to connect with your partner and it helps. This is why I like dancing with my lady friend. :D

[Twilight_Elena]

It DOES make a difference, doesn't it? I always enjoy dancing with my friends, polished dancers and total beginners alike, always fun! :D
Yes, I enjoy dancing with my friends more, too. The only time I will lead is when one of my friends wants me to lead them. I goof up and we laugh, but they like dancing with me for some reason. Must be the fun factor. :lol:

I think it's simply the fact that you friends treat you better than anyone else and respect your level and skills. It's what makes it a good dance in the end. The fact that they treat you right and respect you means you get to relax and enjoy. :D

Twilight Elena