thespina13
New Member
I have no real experience, other than just watching, with ballroom dance. Can someone tell me the reason for/origin of the lady's head tilt? it's beautiful but peculiar.
Newbie question
- Thread starter thespina13
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When I first learned to social dance, I didn't know where to look --- it seemed so embassrassing to look into the eyes of a stranger throughout a song --- so i would turn my head to the left a bit. I wonder if that's the origin? 
But in dancesport, definitely for counter-balance and the desire to create big and bigger topline. If you watch video of top pros 10 years ago, the lady's head position was not nearly as exagerated.
But in dancesport, definitely for counter-balance and the desire to create big and bigger topline. If you watch video of top pros 10 years ago, the lady's head position was not nearly as exagerated.
Twilight_Elena
Well-Known Member
saludas said:
Oh, true. You wouldn't believe the number of times I said that when I was giving an amateur lesson to a friend of mine. (Turned out that she really thinks I'm a good teacher.
)Twilight Elena
LXC said:When I first learned to social dance, I didn't know where to look --- it seemed so embassrassing to look into the eyes of a stranger throughout a song --- so i would turn my head to the left a bit. I wonder if that's the origin?
But in dancesport, definitely for counter-balance and the desire to create big and bigger topline. If you watch video of top pros 10 years ago, the lady's head position was not nearly as exagerated.
Yes you are right about that! I watched a video of a couple dancing on some television station, and I was surprised at how laid back everything was, but it was all still so beautiful. I wonder then if maybe they didn't make Ballroom more technical with the advancement of competitions etc., because yeah it wasn't like that 10 or more years ago!
DancerForLife
Member
My old coach used to explain the head tilt as follows: when ballroom dances were forming, it was still the time of young ladies going to balls with chaperones. Ladies were required to wear gloves as it was inappropriate to touch a man's hand with bare hands; also, the couple wasn't allowed to look at one another - keeping the heads off to the two sides was easy for the chaperones to follow and make sure that nothing indecent (i.e. whispering, kissing) was going on.
Not sure how much of it is true, but a fun story nevertheless...
Not sure how much of it is true, but a fun story nevertheless...
Chris Stratton
New Member
Try dancing with your heads aligned and you'll quickly see why they are offset.
Twilight_Elena
Well-Known Member
Chris Stratton said:
Same goes for the rest of the body, actually. Isn't the follow supposed to be a little bit more on the right side of her partner?
Twilight Elena
The lady also uses her head weight as part of her movement and it's more "usable" if it is extended outward rather than held straight up. It helps to counterbalance her partner and makes the couple more of unit in motion than two people standing up completely straight would be. Head weight plays a role in centrifugal force on turns. Shifting head weight helps control the movement from closed to promenade, too. I didn't really get the importance of head weight in bronze, but it's become very important in silver.
NielsenE
Active Member
Even more interesting, try dancing with a yardstick stuck through a belt loop on the left side and without offset....
(One of the many explanations I've heard for why right side offset was established versus left side was to avoid the gentleman''s sword... Having danced while wearing a few varieties of scabbards I can safely say that right side offset works better than any other option and natural turns are very simple compared to reverse turns.....)
(One of the many explanations I've heard for why right side offset was established versus left side was to avoid the gentleman''s sword... Having danced while wearing a few varieties of scabbards I can safely say that right side offset works better than any other option and natural turns are very simple compared to reverse turns.....)
DennisBeach
New Member
When our teachers worked with us on the head tilt, they said it improved the connection. When we tried that, it did feel better and made me feel we had a better connection and leading/following was improved.