Such a newbie question...

L

LilSammie89

New Member
Ok I have been dancing since March - 2 classes and private lessons - and come along a fair way (I'm being taught routines that my teachers 3rd class do, they have been dancing for 2 years)

This is so a silly question but in ballroom position, I can't seem to not be "heavy", how can I stop this?

I'm not to just not pull on the mans arms or lean on them, I know I don't with my left arm, but the right may cause problems... any advice?

Also would it be to do with height difference? When I dance with my teacher (who I am taller than with my heels on) she says I am light, when I dance in the classes with my Boyfriend (whos 6'2" and has been dancing 11 years) he says I'm heavy...

Sorry to be so Beginnery :oops:
 
Rather than thinking of keeping your arms up, it may help to think of keeping your torso up. Here's an exercise that I do with people sometimes. Put your arms in dance position, and have someone support your elbows with their hands. Now totally relax your arms and shoulders, and put the whole weight of your arms into the partner's hands. Finally, engage your lats - the muscles in your back going horizontally along the bottom of your shoulder blades. At this point, your partner can remove the support from under your elbows, and you will be able to feel that you are mostly using your back muscles, rather than arm and shoulder muscles, to hold them up. This allows you to keep light arms with just enough tone to follow, but not rigid and heavy. (If you're not used to using your back muscles this way, it will be very tiring until you build them up. Don't despair - it will get better.)

You can also visualize your arms as being made of balsa wood, and/or as having "bird bones" - very light, but still strong. This helps some people get the right amount of tone and responsiveness in the arms.

All that said, I would listen more to your teacher than your boyfriend, and not fret too much about it. Most ladies are more than a little heavy for their first few months or years - you will grow out of it.
 
oooh thats great advice actually, something for me to try!

I'm about 5ft but my heels give me an extra 2 and a half inches (still small :wink: lol)

its just that i'm paranoid about the heavyness because so many men at my school moan about their partners being heavy and making their arm ache, hehe cheers for the replies! :)
 
Being heavy?? I think I know what the guys are talking about. I've been taking a couple of classes and the instructor lately has been emphasizing on "connection", the way he describes it is for the ladies to lean forward so that they have "toned" arms, in a sense. But a lot of the girls are having difficulty distinguishing between "having connection" and completely leaning into the guys - making them heavy & basically hanging on the guys' arms. I wonder if that's what's happening??
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Dance Ads

Advertise on Dance Forums Reach dancers, teachers, studios, event organizers, and dance-friendly brands. View ad options
Back
Top