Ballroom and Mixers

elisedance said:
true - but if I'm going to work on anything at a real social, its expression - by that I mean not the fake kind necessary for competitions when you are petrified, but the real one - and that comes from zenning into the dance which, when you come down to it, is surely what this is all about.... or should be??
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I've made great progress on my honest to goodness panic'd look ;-)
 
welcome to DF...my 2 cents would be this; it isn't how many steps one knows or how fancy they are that makes one look kindergarten or not...it is how well one holds one's own frame, how one's arms are related to one's center and how one uses one's feet and knees and hips and ankles, etc....and those things cannot be easily learned at parties or in groups...
 
Fred Astaire NOT! said:
Most everyone is very kind, but I am in a BIG hurry to advance beyond charity case to decent dancer.
I am dancing everyday and going to every party., Any advice on how to build my repertoire of forms up more quickly?
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Do a bunch of bronze-level competitions, preferably with an amateur partner.

- it's ultimately practical - you work on it until you can do it and then you do it

- you'll have a sufficient collection of material in each dance

- you'll shift focus and grow comfortable with the idea of doing core things rather well, instead of trying to have lots of shallow variety

- you'll find yourself moving from the newbie category in the scene to that of someone with sound capability and confidence

- oh, and you might enjoy it...
 
It looks like you are doing that basic bronze of each of the dances. To me it is more about how you do the steps then actually how many you do. I think it is better to think quality then quantity. You can't do a lot of movement at parties anyway. I do think most ladies would feel more safe when a gentleman dancing basic really well rather than trying to do some higher level steps that are not done well. I must say I don't do a lot of social dancing, but when I do, I do prefer to dance simple stuff so I can relax and enjoy the moment.

I would suggest you working on the technique. It might be an idea to take some private lessons. All the best:)

Dancepro
 
Fred Astaire NOT! said:
Oh yeah, I always keep smiling and say "I meant to do that" when I miss step or get out of rhythm.
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No need to say anything, just keep going. No need to apologize, and certainly no need to pretend like you're doing something on purpose that you're obviously not.

When I dance with new dancers at parties, my repertoire consists of a waltz box step in the middle of the floor, foxtrot SSQQ basic, american tango basic, or the rumba box, cha cha side basic, and swing basic, all done out of the way of other dancers who might run into us.

Your problem is not that you have a limited repertoire--your problem is that you don't really know well how to do the things you already know. Adding more figures will only add confusion and frustration. Increase your repertoire as you get better at your current figures, but don't just add more figures without adding the knowledge of how to do the ones you already do. You may feel you are progressing slower this way, but take the advice of most everyone who's commented on this thread--QUALITY matters more than QUANTITY! :-)

It seems that many men have their priorities all wrong when they dance socially. Their primary goal when dancing is to try and dance every figure they know how to dance. Because many haven't learned how to really dance the figure and lead it, 90% of their figures (at least) make them and their followers look terrible, and ultimately the men are the ones who end up looking foolish. I think it's linked to ego, the feeling of having something to prove or show off. I used to feel the same way, but then when I became a capable dancer socially, I then lost the need to have to "show off" and so I'm quite content to dance basic figures with newer dancers rather than drag them around the floor trying to get them to do things that even the perfect leader couldn't get them to do.

The primary goal of a good leader socially, IMO, should be to have as enjoyable a dance as possible, while giving the lady clear signals that SHE can follow, and first and foremost keeping her free from harm such as being stepped on, running her into people or objects, and so on.
 
exactly josh...I would far prefer to do the basics with a man with good frame than fancy stuff I can't follow because his arms do not seem to be attached to his body
 
Agree, absolutely love a guy that does basics well. So much nicer than being dragged through a bunch of halfwitted stuff the guy doesn't know. And I totally get the "need for more moves." Even though as a girl and a follow, I absolutely KNOW that I prefer a guy that does basics well, whenever I try learning to lead, I always feel like, "I need to know more stuff!!" So I get the urge to learn more moves, but I'll agree with those that say to fight the urge and instead concentrate on learning how to do what you already do better and better. You'll eventually realize that when you see couples that look like they're doing a bunch of fancy stuff, often it's actually basic stuff done really well, making it look fancier than it is.
 
I appreciate dancers like you. :) I've met bad followers who can't even manage the pre-bronze figures I'm leading, assume I don't know any more, and then attempt to "teach" me gold/open figures.
 
elisedance said:
I wonder what happens when bad follwers match with bad leaders? Might be fun to watch.... :shock:
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Most of the time it involves the follows throwing themselves wherever they think they should go, and dragging the leads along with them. Yay backleading!

I also had a follow try to force me into the pattern she liked in tango by pulling me up over her center of gravity, she kicked me a lot.
 
I agree with the suggestions so far.


My priorities are:
  • Safety is #1. Safety of my lady trumps anything else.
  • A good lead using good technique. I totally agree with quality over quantity.
  • Thank the lady for a good dance.
 
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