Ultimate differences between competition and social dancing?

[tsb]

Not tonight. After a late night last night I've got to get some sleep tonight. But have fun!

i've been meaning to ask where you went. i stayed home last night.

 

[tacad]

I went to the Glendale Moose Lodge with someone I know from PBDA. The band was corny but the company was nice. We had a good time.

 

[tsb]

I went to the Glendale Moose Lodge with someone I know from PBDA. The band was corny but the company was nice. We had a good time.

michael donovan teaches there. did you go to the lesson? & did renee mention michael donovan's dance on the 13th? i may go there instead of back to LDLA that night.

 

[tsb]

anyahasayo
konichiwa
zao
daw seen
jo sun
guten tag
bonjour

 

[tacad]

I hate to rank on social dancers, but the truth is I've never social danced with anyone who was skilled enough to play. It's always people who just came out of an 8-week group class intro program who are thrilled if they can just box step around the room. Don't get me wrong -- when I'm in the mood I actually really like dancing with such people because of their sense of pure enjoyment and wonder and enthusiasm. So I have to ask -- where are all these good social dancers who can actually express musicality and play and that sort of thing? Tell me where they are and I'll gladly check them out when I have the opportunity!

Laura, I dance Smooth in LA. Here it depends on the studio. There are two instructors that I'm aware of that teach Smooth(I take lessons from one of them) that turn out highly competent dancers. So these dancers dance at their studio's parties. Through them (and also thanks to tsb who lives relatively close, all hail his magnificence :notworth: ) I've found a few places where they dance.

I'm kind of disagreeing with this now. I've heard that there are more high level social dancers in Orange County. Chachachacat lives there. But here in LA there is no real community of high level dancers that I've seen. Rather they get a partner and dance with that partner all night. And there might be 7 or 8 couples if you're lucky. But very little switching of partners. Now there are a few succesful dances with what I'd call medium dancers. These don't have correct technique but they are stylish and certainly know way more than 8-week graduates. At the moment, I count myself among these. Then there are a number of dances with low level dancers. I may stop going to the venues that high level dancers go to here. Even if I have my own partner (which I did tonight, and we did have a good time) I prefer the larger social dances.

EDIT: I foresee two consequences. First, my technique will only go up so far without some motivation to continue improving my technique. And competitions don't interest me. Second, I will probably branch out more into salsa and swing, though I will always prefer ballroom I think.