The thing I'm beginning to appreciate more and more as I get into competitive dance is that fat or thin is not the issue. Fit versus unfit is the issue. To be a competitive dancer, you have to be aerbocially fit at a minimum. And having good muscular development and control is a big plus.
Dancers Bodies
- Thread starter pygmalion
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pygmalion said:
Everybody has thoughts, but oftentimes guys won't actually share their thoughts on this topic...
What's allowed to show? That very much depends on the venue, and the type of dance, I think. Brazilian Samba is done in beaded and feathered bikinis, while often ballroom competitions have women fully clothed. At Lindy in the Park, or in really humid areas, as little clothing as possible is acceptable.
What's attractive? That is much too personal a question for anyone to answer for anyone but themselves. Personally, I like swimmers bodies, what someone else described as "thick" - muscular and fit. However, I also like thin women and women with curvy bodies as well. (OK, so I mostly find all women attractive, so sue me, 8^) I find really overweight people (men and women) less attractive because I know that their weight limits what they can do, and threatens their health.
How important is physical attractiveness in a dance partner? Unless you are talking extreme body odor, "attractiveness" doesn't come into play. The only criteria I have in a dance partner is if they look like they want to dance? Sometimes locally there are extra guys at dances, so I'll ask the guys to dance. One of my favorite dance partners in California was obese, probably around 300 pounds. I liked dancing with her because she enjoyed it so much, even though her body, and lack of fitness, really limited what we could do together.
pygmalion said:
Dancers tend to exercise a lot, and therefor are thinner? I don't know. Dancing a lot certainly hasn't helped me! According to a recent Body Mass Index chart I need to lose 45 lbs...
Sagitta
Well-Known Member
Yes I tend to agree with you Pygmailion that fitness plays a big role. When I dance with those who aren't quite there I feel them beginning to lose it during the dance, and that's not much fun!!
I've dance with some people whom my "ignorant" acquaintances would never ask for a dance, because they look old and may not be that physically attractive!!! BUT, right from the start the lead-follow connection is perfect, I can completely feel what my partner is doing and it's like being in paradise!!
I've dance with some people whom my "ignorant" acquaintances would never ask for a dance, because they look old and may not be that physically attractive!!! BUT, right from the start the lead-follow connection is perfect, I can completely feel what my partner is doing and it's like being in paradise!!
Jus for kicks, I googled "ballroom dance fat," and guess what I got? A listing of curriculum requirements from the BYU ballroom dance programs, which sets maximum and minimum body fat percentages for men and women. Hmm. What do you think of that?
http://ar.byu.edu/dept_academ_advise/gemajor/98/mr/663930mr.html
http://ar.byu.edu/dept_academ_advise/gemajor/98/mr/663930mr.html
Vince A
Active Member
Of all the dancers that I have competed against from BYU (individual Pro-Am and dancers from "Fire and Ice," let me tell you that each one of them was at the peak of conditioning . . . no one was (is) too thin or overweight!
If you have never seen their dance teams perform, then you are really missing some well-choregraphed routine dance and dance-skits!
I can understand why they have such demanding standards . . . it prevents anyone from just applying because they want to dance . . . you also need to look the part and have the body well-conditioned enough before you began . . . each student knows this from the get-go!
It's like having a "disclaimer statement at the very beginning" (hint) of the class decription. Yes? No? Kinda-sorta maybe?
If you have never seen their dance teams perform, then you are really missing some well-choregraphed routine dance and dance-skits!
I can understand why they have such demanding standards . . . it prevents anyone from just applying because they want to dance . . . you also need to look the part and have the body well-conditioned enough before you began . . . each student knows this from the get-go!
It's like having a "disclaimer statement at the very beginning" (hint) of the class decription. Yes? No? Kinda-sorta maybe?
SDsalsaguy
Administrator
They also have height and waist/hip measuremnts for their respective teams (I'm not sure if this is for all teams or only there trop two though...)
One thing this *does* achieve, is a very clean look to their formations...
One thing this *does* achieve, is a very clean look to their formations...
Pacion
New Member
My Dancesport teacher (from a thousand moons ago) said that some bodies suited ballroom better than latin and vice versa. It was all to do with the centres/power.
A good latin dancer has their centre (of gravity I guess?) closer to the floor so that you get that sexy, sexy hip action, which basically translates into shorter legs :?
A good ballroom dancer has a longer back and their centre is higher up so that they can hold that frame (?) in their upper body and their legs just glide around the floor
As much as I loved the ballroom dances, he felt that my bodyshape was better suited to latin - nothing to do with my personality/temperament
(okay, so I loved latin more and eventually conceded that latin was more me, but I still enjoyed the ballroom
)
A good latin dancer has their centre (of gravity I guess?) closer to the floor so that you get that sexy, sexy hip action, which basically translates into shorter legs :?
A good ballroom dancer has a longer back and their centre is higher up so that they can hold that frame (?) in their upper body and their legs just glide around the floor
As much as I loved the ballroom dances, he felt that my bodyshape was better suited to latin - nothing to do with my personality/temperament
(okay, so I loved latin more and eventually conceded that latin was more me, but I still enjoyed the ballroom
)dancin_feet
New Member
I have always been relatively skinny, people think on first sight that I could be anorexic, until they see me eat! I recently have had a couple of comments from people saying that I have gotten even skinner. Panicing I checked my weight and it hadn't changed, so I think that it is just moving around because of my constant activity. It is a bit disconcerting though. Thought I couldn't get any skinnier!
One of the best Street Latin dancers at our studio, who is also a good friend of mine carries a bit of weight, but you wouldn't notice when she dances. During an exam late last year, the examiner told her she couldn't fault her samba at all!
One of the best Street Latin dancers at our studio, who is also a good friend of mine carries a bit of weight, but you wouldn't notice when she dances. During an exam late last year, the examiner told her she couldn't fault her samba at all!
Dancer's Bodies
First of all, I just read all four pages to this topic. I wanted to read everyone's opinion because this topic about body size has always been a fascinating one to me. I do agree with most of the posts about performance dancing that being thinner is better for competition because the judges can focused on the dance, technique,etc...
However, with social dancing that's a different story all together. To me social dancing has always been sensuality, movement , and communicating with your partner in a way that words could never express. Since I've been dancing salsa, I've noticed that women who are curvy, voluptuous, shapely(or whatever adjective you want to use) tend to express those qualities I just mentioned. I know some women are going to read those last few sentences and say that's typical for a man to write. However, it's not just a lustful, sexual thing I'm writing about.
Men and women's bodies are different and dancing to me is one of the best ways to reveal that difference. I have seen older couples..where the woman is quite round and the man is skinny as a pole but when they dance together and they now how to dance..I can help but smile in delight because I can see the interplay to those bodies moving together. I can't describe it...maybe it's subconscious. But it looks right and it feels right.
Unfortunately, a thinner woman or woman who is shaped like a man doesn't bring that same quality when they're dancing with their partner.
I know there is a whole cultural aspect to body shapes and sizes. The sad part to me is we have all different body shapes and sizes for a reason. Our body types are inherent to who we are and yes you can lose or gain weight for a certain period. However, our body shapes are natural and we should be more concern about being healthy and accepting your body for what is.
Also, I disagree with the notion that beauty comes just from the inside. Beauty comes the from inside and outside. Both qualities are important into making you a whole person..not just one-dimensional.
Thank you for this topic..I believe this is a very important issue!
First of all, I just read all four pages to this topic. I wanted to read everyone's opinion because this topic about body size has always been a fascinating one to me. I do agree with most of the posts about performance dancing that being thinner is better for competition because the judges can focused on the dance, technique,etc...
However, with social dancing that's a different story all together. To me social dancing has always been sensuality, movement , and communicating with your partner in a way that words could never express. Since I've been dancing salsa, I've noticed that women who are curvy, voluptuous, shapely(or whatever adjective you want to use) tend to express those qualities I just mentioned. I know some women are going to read those last few sentences and say that's typical for a man to write. However, it's not just a lustful, sexual thing I'm writing about.
Men and women's bodies are different and dancing to me is one of the best ways to reveal that difference. I have seen older couples..where the woman is quite round and the man is skinny as a pole but when they dance together and they now how to dance..I can help but smile in delight because I can see the interplay to those bodies moving together. I can't describe it...maybe it's subconscious. But it looks right and it feels right.
Unfortunately, a thinner woman or woman who is shaped like a man doesn't bring that same quality when they're dancing with their partner.
I know there is a whole cultural aspect to body shapes and sizes. The sad part to me is we have all different body shapes and sizes for a reason. Our body types are inherent to who we are and yes you can lose or gain weight for a certain period. However, our body shapes are natural and we should be more concern about being healthy and accepting your body for what is.
Also, I disagree with the notion that beauty comes just from the inside. Beauty comes the from inside and outside. Both qualities are important into making you a whole person..not just one-dimensional.
Thank you for this topic..I believe this is a very important issue!
fabulous thread!
i'm a social dancer, 6'3 ft.. 205 lbs. with hardly an fat.. in that context i dont care much how relatively good/or bad that is .. or how biologically fit for a certain dance over another etc.. but i do care for how i feel in motion alone + w/ a partner.. very very much so.. and if that feels right then, hey, i love it no matter what shape/size i am .. or what shape/size u are.. just so long its smooth, light and smelling goooood.. just give me my chemistry, a little 'salsa love' and i'll be your dancing slave
i'm a social dancer, 6'3 ft.. 205 lbs. with hardly an fat.. in that context i dont care much how relatively good/or bad that is .. or how biologically fit for a certain dance over another etc.. but i do care for how i feel in motion alone + w/ a partner.. very very much so.. and if that feels right then, hey, i love it no matter what shape/size i am .. or what shape/size u are.. just so long its smooth, light and smelling goooood.. just give me my chemistry, a little 'salsa love' and i'll be your dancing slave
salsachinita
New Member
Pacion said:
I had this very same conversation very recently as well. This angle has never occuredto me before...but it makes a lot of sense.
Being (relatively) tall & leggy my centre of gravity would have been higher than some of the other girls who seemed to just 'get' salsa so much more easily (I'm refering to newbie stage), whereas I've always had to work so much harder/longer to get the same results.
Another interesting point that has been brought to my attention: being accustom to dancing with Latinos (who tend to be my height or shorter)most of my dancing life, I've subconciously adopted a somewhat "shorter" stance :!: so I feel shorter than my real height when I dance with someone tall.........
Then I got told that my body shape would have been naturally more suited to ballroom :shock: ........!
(just thought I'd share that here in this thread....)
bordertangoman
Well-Known Member
redhead said:
I beg to disagree with this as a thin man. I am often complimented on my smooth lead, the last time by a ballet dancer.
Of course Newton's law of Motion apply so a larger person will require more energy to slow down and speed up and they will develop greater inertia. Fat and muscle stretchiness are not connected
F=M*A
Dancers' bodies
Well, it certainly seems that all sorts of opinions are expressed here, and rightly so. Not everyone has the same attitudes toward bodies and weight and I'm glad to see it's not all biased in one direction.
As for a competitive dancer, there is certainly something to be said for a lighter and fit body. It helps to move better for sure. I've been on both sides of the weight issue. When I first got into ballroom dancing, I was about 80 pounds heavier than I am now. Loving dancing so much, I was quite inspired to lose the extra weight. I work out regularly in a gym, have lost all extra weight, have developed muscle tone and needed strength, and oh yes, work on cardiovascular exercise too so that I have great endurance for dancing. I remember when I was heavier the extra stress on my feet and ankles and also the extra effort it took to move quickly. It's definitely nicer to be lighter on my feet and not to be self conscious when I dance in front of others.
Someone mentioned here that shorter bodies are better suited to Latin and taller better for smooth. Yes, I have observed this. Shorter limbed people do move quite well in Latin/rhythm. I love the quick moves in rhythm and Latin, and even though not a tall person, I keep plugging away at smooth. I've seen very short people (pros) dance it extremely well. Just pay attention to technique!
:banana:
Well, it certainly seems that all sorts of opinions are expressed here, and rightly so. Not everyone has the same attitudes toward bodies and weight and I'm glad to see it's not all biased in one direction.
As for a competitive dancer, there is certainly something to be said for a lighter and fit body. It helps to move better for sure. I've been on both sides of the weight issue. When I first got into ballroom dancing, I was about 80 pounds heavier than I am now. Loving dancing so much, I was quite inspired to lose the extra weight. I work out regularly in a gym, have lost all extra weight, have developed muscle tone and needed strength, and oh yes, work on cardiovascular exercise too so that I have great endurance for dancing. I remember when I was heavier the extra stress on my feet and ankles and also the extra effort it took to move quickly. It's definitely nicer to be lighter on my feet and not to be self conscious when I dance in front of others.
Someone mentioned here that shorter bodies are better suited to Latin and taller better for smooth. Yes, I have observed this. Shorter limbed people do move quite well in Latin/rhythm. I love the quick moves in rhythm and Latin, and even though not a tall person, I keep plugging away at smooth. I've seen very short people (pros) dance it extremely well. Just pay attention to technique!
:banana:
I know this thread has been dead for more than half a year, not sure if it is along DF standards to revive old threads?
Well, it was a few years ago that some American clothes companies admitted they had gradually changed the sizes of their clothes, simply because people get happy and buy more if they fit into a smaller size. Maybe your dance clothes manufacturers did not follow on this?
What social dancing is concerned, I suppose overweight people often (but not always) feel uncomfortable about their bodies and because of this are less likely to get involved in physical activities where they feel others will judge both their performance and their appearence.
And regarding elite dancing - anorexia is actually quite common in young female athletes in ceratain sports. Gymnastics, diving and long distance running comes to my mind. One part is physical advantage of a light body, that might be true for all these sports - and possibly also in dancing. Another factor is sports where the body is very visible and the performace of the body is being judged in itself, rather than measured by the marks after your feet in a box of sand or a ball placed in a basket. The last thing is true for dancing also; both in competition and in social dancing (yeah, we are judging the dancers we are watching all the time. Right?) It would be a fair guess that dancing makes people more aware of their bodies and appearance. It could be both good and bad I guess, and almost anything taken to it's extreme is harmful...
pygmalion said:
Well, it was a few years ago that some American clothes companies admitted they had gradually changed the sizes of their clothes, simply because people get happy and buy more if they fit into a smaller size. Maybe your dance clothes manufacturers did not follow on this?
What social dancing is concerned, I suppose overweight people often (but not always) feel uncomfortable about their bodies and because of this are less likely to get involved in physical activities where they feel others will judge both their performance and their appearence.
And regarding elite dancing - anorexia is actually quite common in young female athletes in ceratain sports. Gymnastics, diving and long distance running comes to my mind. One part is physical advantage of a light body, that might be true for all these sports - and possibly also in dancing. Another factor is sports where the body is very visible and the performace of the body is being judged in itself, rather than measured by the marks after your feet in a box of sand or a ball placed in a basket. The last thing is true for dancing also; both in competition and in social dancing (yeah, we are judging the dancers we are watching all the time. Right?) It would be a fair guess that dancing makes people more aware of their bodies and appearance. It could be both good and bad I guess, and almost anything taken to it's extreme is harmful...
