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Champion's mindset, it's not unrealistic... It's what you should do. You don't practice until you get it right, you practice until you can't get it wrong. Consistency is a pretty reliable way to smooth out the variables of a judging panel, competition circumstances, and all the uncontrollables...

I've heard of a similar technology used in a test to anonymize subjects, create dummy/blank slate avatars, and replay for a group of judges to judge dancers of different skill levels from the avatar playback. The results were as expected... Dancers of higher skill level scored higher. I don't...

I've been keeping up as they come out. I enjoy hearing his thoughts and opinions. The episodes are probably a bit long for the average listener, but I don't really mind. It feels like sitting down with a fellow dance geek who has an absurd amount of experience and listening as he thinks out loud...

I've found it best to treat connection level as a negotiation and calibration. Couple patterns usually give me enough information about where our connection is going to live. And we build from there. I used to have more trouble with a follow's level of connection, but I think in the last 6-8...

Also to add one other interesting tidbit, you've possibly seen events where they run a semi final, and then they have to rerun it, with maybe just 1 or 2 fewer couples. What happens there is they start with something like 13 couples, results come back, there is a clump of couples with the same...

Largely chairperson discretion, but there are some rules (and exceptions allowed). Largest final allowed is 8. Callbacks must be at least 50%. However, when numbers are close, exceptions are allowed so they are not creating an extra round for one or two couples. For instance, in the example you...

Jordan and Tatiana have brought some zouk influence into WCS over the years, and vice versa, as they have a big presence in both worlds. I think what you see is mostly an influence of slower contemporary movements and latin rhythms present in the music as David mentioned. There is more slow...

Totally valid preference, just not the only one. Kyle and Sarah PoV is follow maintains frame, leader manages frame, so she does less absorption on her side. Nicole absorbs to an extent in the arms as she's getting closer, but once in compression, maintains the angle of the elbow and absorbs the...

Maybe historically, but that's not how it's taught or danced these days. Whether the elbow goes behind the body or not is a choice based on how we're managing the distance, how we're paneling our bodies, where we want to create contrast, etc. Elbow most certainly can and does go behind the body...

Yeah noodle arms is probably not what's wrong, your leader was likely not setting good boundaries for you, and that's a complaint I've heard about some advanced leaders. In a sugar push, personally, I don't like to create a wall either, I prefer to absorb the weight, but I will adjust to my...

Noodle arm lead is not uncommon. Many instructors teach, the leader should connect through their back, not try to manufacture a connection through their arms. To maintain the bend in the elbow, some eccentric contraction is expected of course, as the follow reaches the end of the rope. But...

I do both lead and follow a fair amount as well, and this is something I've been trying to sort out myself, so here are my thoughts. It doesn't matter if I'm leading or following. It is not possible for me to shut my brain down. It will think about something. What I *can* do is direct my...

You kind of have to understand where Benji is coming from. He started WCS as a kid. His parents were already swing legends. He then diversified his own training (probably was encouraged to), delving into many styles, ballroom, contemporary, jazz, tap etc. I think he has done 9 years of tap. He...

Came here to tell you about this podcast, but you're already on top of it. There are a few things he said that really resonated with me regarding the current climate. Like what he said about late night dancing resembling a cosplay of a spotlight J&J. That is exactly what it looks like, the...

I was sitting a few people to your right.

For preliminary rounds, dancing with at least 3 different partners is pretty much the norm in WCS J&J's. In bigger heats, it's sometimes even 4 partners. For finals, you get to keep your random partner for all songs. Adjusting quickly to new partners is part of the skill progression. I'm at a...

Yeah, the norm is routines, but there are plenty of exceptions. It's case by case depending on everything from instructor to student to levels, dance experience, and goals. I always had comp routines, but toward the end of my ballroom competition years, I started to hate them. It's certainly...

Sorry, late to the discussion. Exactly what happened is unclear to me, it sounds like you were dancing a roll in roll out to a catch. But your hand typically wouldn't be on the shoulder blade for that, unless it's a less common over the shoulder catch. So I'm not entirely sure what the move was...

You feel like you don't look like the other dancers, you feel like you're missing something, but can't figure it out, you analyze other dancers but don't know what they're doing different, you feel like if only someone would tell you a trade secret you could change the way you dance and find...

Not much to it really. use the rock step as a prep to then turn the follow into tandem, don't change your weight, go into the basic. That's it.