"routines" for freestyles?

[VinceraVivere]

I have a question for all of you who compete in open and closed freestyle heats.

Is it common to have a set routine out for each freestyle you dance? Even at bronze level, though not necessarily.

At the Ohio Star Ball, my teacher and I danced full bronze and pre-silver American everything, and bronze International everything. I also danced in the Junior American Smooth world championship (we had no business being out there!) and we had NO ROUTINES for anything. We just went out there and freestyled everything.

That's how we've always done it, and I've always felt uncomfortable with it, but I never said anything because I figured that's how it was done. I never knew any better - this was only my second year at Ohio, and I've only been dancing for about a year and a half. So I never knew any better, but when I was talking to people from other studios, they were horrified - they said that most people have routines for everything, especially when it gets past the Bronze level.

So what are you guys' opinions - do you usually have routines set out for every freestyle? Because all we do is run through the patterns a few times and call it a day. Do I have a right to be dissatisfied?

Thanks for your thoughts!

-Sarah

 

[waltzgirl]

I would say, AFAIK, almost all ballroom competitors at every level dance routines (or base their dancing on routines, in the case of smooth and standard where they need to adjust for floorcraft at times).

 

[fascination]

welcome to DF...most do have routines or know each other so well that they might as well be routines...I don't know about "right to be disatisfied", but I'd be concerned...again, welcome

 

[mamboqueen]

I have done both, although I actually prefer lead-and-follow.

 

[fascination]

gasp...ya mean the way you're supposed to do it?...or as pro reminds, it's still possible (in theory) to lead and follow w/a routine

 

[mamboqueen]

gasp...ya mean the way you're supposed to do it?...or as pro reminds, it's still possible (in theory) to lead and follow w/a routine

my former teacher would only do a routine in paso. he didn't want me to get used to routines...and I'm grateful for it. new teacher uses routines in paso and samba, but otherwise, I'm primarily on my own. there are certain moves that always go together for me at this level, alemana + hip twist or alemana + rope spin, fan + hockey stick, etc., so sometimes I'm prone to jump the gun. But, it's much better for me to not know what is coming as I tend to either be ahead or flat out lead the move myself!

 

[fascination]

agree...at a certain point it doesn't matter...I know what his meesage is either way, but as a newb at ohio, I would say it would be a disadvantage, though in the long run making for a better dancer....in my case, when ya dance this many hours a week with someone, ya know waaaaaay to much about what's gonna happen either way

 

[mamboqueen]

agree...at a certain point it doesn't matter...I know what his meesage is either way, but as a newb at ohio, I would say it would be a disadvantage, though in the long run making for a better dancer....in my case, when ya dance this many hours a week with someone, ya know waaaaaay to much about what's gonna happen either way

I'm sure you know far more than you care to!

 

[fascination]

yea, and worse yet, so does he...very annoying...

ANYHOW, bottom line, if it ain't broke...

 

[misteria]

Until bronze I never had routines. Now my teacher and I have few routines in each dance and level, but he always forgets them and dances some weird combination of all of them and I still have to follow.
Frankly, I wouldn't compete now without knowing my routines beforehand. I guess it's ok at bronze or pre-silver level where there is limited number of steps you're doing and you have distinct leads. It's harder in open, where in latin you often don't even touch your partner, and in standard you have soooo many possibilities, and yet the lead is not that clear.

 

[fascination]

hmm...as hard as standard is...I find the lead clearest there...granted I am only in pre to intermedeiate silver just now...but I find it hardest to mess up in standard (at least in the steps, not the shapes)

 

[Chris Stratton]

There is little that is not ultimately leadable in standard, but there is a lot that is easier to initially survive if you both know what it is going to be.

 

[fascination]

agree, awfully nice when it isn't a wrestling match

 

[SlowDancer]

When I was competing in country western, we always had set "routines" but my ballroom teacher and I just had amalgamations/patterns but not really an honest-to-Pete routine.

I prefer learning actual routines for a competition. It feels more like performing, whereas lead-and-follow just feels like social dancing in a front of a lot of people. Which is not a bad thing, but I like the challenge of memorizing a routine (and hoping that neither I nor my teacher forgets it in the heat of the moment).

 

[tanya_the_dancer]

We practice things in a certain order (especially for standard), so in that sense we have routines, but I have to be ready for traffic-avoiding maneuvers, so in that sense it is still lead and follow.