What creates that "Magic?"

You know what "magic' I'm talking about . . . the one that takes place every once in a while . . . probably not every dance you do, but every now and then? The one dance that just clicks with the one you are dancing with. The one that has your dance partner smiling like it's their last one smile?

Why do some leaders/followers just "flow" with you? Why doesn't everyone of them feel this way?

Is it the "looks" of the leader/follower? The body? The face? The outfit? The hair?

How about their "centering"on you? Does that make it magic?

Maybe it's the leader's great "body leads?" Or the leaders "oh-so-light finger-tip leads?"

We've already have a long-lived discussion on "pet peeves," so, I'd like to turn this around into a positive discussion, and for the lack of a better term, call it "Pet Pleases."

Care to contibute to what makes "the magic" happen for you?

I think I especially feel it when I feeel like I've reached a new level of understanding about the dance (or a new level of partnership). I don't know how to characterize it very well, but it's a feeling that things are coming together all at once in a really good way.

It's the "magic times" that make it all worthwhile, isn't it?

Since I started dancing, I've had three of what I call those "peak moments" on the dancefloor. Once in an exhibition performance, once in a formation performance, and once in a nightclub.

It's going to sound weird, but when I walked onto the floor, everything felt normal. Then click! All of a sudden, my body, mind and spirit were connected and I felt at one with myself and the universal. Then it was like I was on another plane, in a circle of light. An intensely personal and spiritual moment for me. And everybody around could see that there was something very special happening.

You want to know how I got there? Very mundane, but it was preparation. Weeks of it. Practice. Frustration, practice, self-pity, practice. Practice, practice.

Then, when I walked on the floor, all the practice kicked in, my mind clicked off and I was in a special place.

It's like a drug. It doesn't happen often, but once it does, you have to keep going, to get it to happen again.

Wow.

Something I don't expect. When my partner throws out things I hadn't thought of in the music, that's when I really know they're paying attention to it, and I feel inspired to see what more I can find as well.

-FF

Once I had a wonderful dance with someone I've never danced with before at a dance convention. I couldn't tell you what he looked like today. He compelled me to lock onto his eyes and dance-- totally involved with what each was doing. We flowed very well even though he was a much better dancer, I seem to be able follow his every move like he could read me. It was a wonderful experience and I walked off the dance floor in a daze like....WOW!! I love dance conventions because you meet people from all over the place and it's such fun to dance until you drop!

Now we're getting to the core of this question . . . but, what really causes this . . . Does an absolute physical attraction start that "magic." Or can anyone honestly say that "physical attraction has nothing to do with it?"

I know I'm stretching the question, but something "happens . . ."

I don't think it's necessarily a physical attraction at all.

I have danced a bunch of really stellar smooth dances with a female
teacher (to whom I had no attraction at all) where I felt like I was flying
across the floor. It was just the moment and the connection to my partner.

She is also a very confident leader, and I trusted her completely as a follower. Then I felt my own power as a dancer. It was great.

Of course, we all feel different things. Maybe the physical thing is a catalyst for some.

pygmalion,
You mentioned three key words . . . connection . . . confident (or confidence) . . . and trust.

I agree.

First, if the connection is there and there is no fight, my (secondly) confidence in the follower, as well as myself intensifies.

Lastly . . . trust . . . mutual trust. Trust from the follower that they know that I know what the heck I'm doing. My trust goes up . . . knowing that they know that I know they know what they are doing.

Does that make sense???

For me, it's all about power ... MUAHAHAHAHAHA!

Well, leg power and torso power (or "core strength", as some say.) If the follow has those two qualities, you can lead her through just about anything. Spin em 4 times, and they'll stop on a dime with a look of "What, that's the best you got???" on their face. They can match your longest stride, swing their hips with ease, and settle so hard they could wake the dead. Dance Latin with them, and you'll feel like you have a tiger by the tail. Dance smooth/standard, and you lap everyone else on the floor many times. Can't say I've ever had a bad dance with one of those ladies.

For me those moments come when I am feeling confident about my dancing, the music speaks to me, and my partner is feeling these things as well.

I have had some of these moments when dancing with people I do not know very well. However, most have occured when dancing with my boyfriend. We dance together up to 5 nights a week, and therefore are probably more tuned in to each other and can feed of each other's energy.

:lol: :lol: Yeah, you two are magical! Especially when you bicker! It's adorable!

ha ha :lol:

Okay, SwinginBoo, now I've got to meet you and this boyfriend of yours. Adorable bickering.

Do you think the magic has to do with love or sexual tension, or something, for you? Is that why it's with your boyfriend usually? Just curious. Since I've never had a boyfriend who danced, I wouldn't know. *shrug* I have felt magic, but it was more like I was getting energy from the audience, which gave me an intense high.

That incredible high feeling often does come partly from an audience. However it wouldn't be there at all if the music and partner weren't right. You can get this from dancing with any partner, as long as you can connect on some level.

For me the magic happens when I'm dancing with my boyfriend. It's a pretty special thing we have going. You see, he's taught me everything I know. So it's really special when the both of us are so right *on* and everything flows. We start laughing when we pull off a particularly difficult move, or when one of us does something funny or creative that works so well in the music. It's such a wonderful feeling.

Yes. That's what I thought. You're in LOVE! There's other stuff going on too, but you're in love. Love is such a wonderful thing, isn't it?

But yeah, that feeling of pulling off a move that was tough or even impossible before is SO great. And that's an internal feeling, so I guess it doesn't really matter who your partner is, as long as there's a connection.