What can an experienced follower do to help?

[pygmalion]

As everybody probably knows by now, I love dancing with newbie leaders. Lots of personal satisfaction there. I feel that many followers like me, who have a little more dance experience, often want to help new leaders. Problem. How do you help? Do you dance the patterns he intended to lead? Do you give constructive feedback? Do you backlead? Hmm. What's a follower to do?

Another interesting link which gives some suggestions. Anyone have others?

http://www.eijkhout.net/lead_follow/help_each_other.html

 

[Sagitta]

the best way their partners can help is to follow their lead, even if it's wrong, rather than "compensating" for a bad lead.

Right on! As long as it is safe. If the follow does what I want the lead wants him/her to do without me proper leading then the leader could try something even more dangerous.

 

[Sagitta]

I love dancing with newbie leaders. Lots of personal satisfaction there. I

I wanna dance with you. I wanna dance with you :bouncy:

 

[youngsta]

Please, do NOT backlead a new leader! That's not going to help him/her one bit. All you can do is follow the lead to the best of your ability. That's the way we can find out what we're doing wrong. :wink:

 

[SDsalsaguy]

Please, do NOT backlead a new leader! That's not going to help him/her one bit. All you can do is follow the lead to the best of your ability. That's the way we can find out what we're doing wrong. :wink:

Amen!

 

[bouncybouncyweee]

I dunno... I'm in a salsa class where some of the guys have this strange idea that I'm that much better than they are. When they get to me and make a mistake, they almost seem to expect me to correct it-- ask me questions while they're moving. Or they get really frusterated. I'm not exactly sure what how bakleading works... but I get the feeling when I've gone through the move with them four or five times and they still don't have it, they want to be put in the right place. Is that wrong? This is only a very few guys, and once they get into the right position, they figure it out on their own. Is that back leading?

 

[Swing Kitten]

back leading is the follower doing what he/she thinks the move should be instead of what is actually lead.

generally not a good thing

 

[Sarah]

back leading is the follower doing what he/she thinks the move should be instead of what is actually lead.

generally not a good thing

I understood that backleading was where the follower was not only going where she thinks she should be, but pushing her partner to where she thinks he should be too. I'd agree that 99.99% of the time its a really rude thing to do.
But....
I do find that it can be a good teaching tool for a kinesthetic learner if you are supposed to be teaching them (ie. they asked for help or I'm taking the lesson) and if you explain that that is what you are goint to do ahead of time - saying something like `I'm going to put your body where it should be so you can feel how it goes - then you can try leading me a few times yourself.'

Cheers
Sarah

 

[Sarah]

Do you dance the patterns he intended to lead? Do you give constructive feedback? Do you backlead? Hmm. What's a follower to do?

It all depends!
Sometimes the NL needs encouragement[1] more than technique, so I'll do my damndest to dance what I think he might have meant to lead. When he gets a bit more confidence I can move into my preferred mode of following what was actually led rather than what (I guess) was intended.
I'll give verbal feedback if it is asked for or if NL is doing something uncomfortable or dangerous[2]. I'll take over leading sometimes if NL is showing signs of mental exhaution - some guys like it <shrug> and on rare and exceptional occasions I've even been known to backlead.

Cheers
Sarah

[1] It might be the difference between him coming back again or not.
[2] you'd think that most people would realise which way elbows bend by the time they reach their late teens or so.

 

[pygmalion]

I see what you mean Sarah. The true newbie guys do need encouragement most of all. On the rare occasion I backlead, I generaly tell the guy what I'm going to do, so effectively, I'm not just leading it, I'm showing him how to lead it. Then I'll relax and see if he leads it again, which he generally does.

 

[Vince A]

I truly hate it if I get a backlead from a follower. Period!

However . . . a hijack is MOST WELCOME . . I like to follow on occasion, and if it doesn't happen everytime I set a pattern or move, it's OK.

Now, if we're just just hanging out, playing and the follow want to initiate something playful or a move, this to is OK. I can follow or take a hint real well. But once she gives me her anchor, she's mine!

 

[pygmalion]

I agree Vince. I don't think that backleading is a good idea. I think it's better to just dance what the guy knows how to lead. But for those rare moments, I have a script. "Do you want to lead a turn now? Yeah? Okay. Just raise your hand like this, and I'll turn under it. That's how it works ...." and so on. By the end of the song, I'll generally have the guy leading, and a bit more confident too.

And you know what funny thing I learned about me and hijacks? I can't do them with my coach. I'm so used to submissively following whatever he leads, that I just can't bring myself to hijack. :shock: Now with anybody else, it's a different story. :lol:

 

[Sarah]

However . . . a hijack is MOST WELCOME . . I like to follow on occasion, and if it doesn't happen everytime I set a pattern or move, it's OK.

As I understand it a hijack is a swing thing where the follower takes over leading on the fly. Is that right?
Salsa doesn't really lend itself to that sort of thing so when I do it so I will actually verbally ask if he'd like me to take over the lead for a bit. The look of relief on some guys' faces is downright comical at times. Often it end up that we'll swap several times in a song - I'll lead something a few times then he'll give it a go.

Cheers
Sarah

 

[Vince A]

However . . . a hijack is MOST WELCOME . . I like to follow on occasion, and if it doesn't happen everytime I set a pattern or move, it's OK.

As I understand it a hijack is a swing thing where the follower takes over leading on the fly. Is that right?
Salsa doesn't really lend itself to that sort of thing so when I do it so I will actually verbally ask if he'd like me to take over the lead for a bit. The look of relief on some guys' faces is downright comical at times. Often it end up that we'll swap several times in a song - I'll lead something a few times then he'll give it a go.

Cheers
Sarah

Thanks Sarah,
I thought you could hijack in any dance . . . which really says I don't Salsa that much, but after watching SDsalsaguy dance a few weeks ago, I'm inspired to learn!

 

[pygmalion]

You can hijack in salsa. I only know because I learned how at the Jesus Morales workshop a few weeks ago. I'll ponder a bit, then come back and try to describe.

Edit: Okay. Here's the combo we did (peachexploration, correct me if I forgot something) X body lead, gentleman flicks wrist to lead lady to face away from him. While facing away, she hijacks the lead and does whatever she wants -- a little bend and accentuate the bootie, arm stuff, shoulder shimmies, whatever she wants. Then she swivels to face the man when she's ready and times it so she's on the correct foot to do a basic on the one (or two, depending on the style of salsa).