What is the benefit of social partnership ?

[dancingirldancing]

Hi,

I am just wondering for those who formed social dancing exclusive partnership and not really romantically involved.

What is the benefit of doing this ?

I understand competitive partnership just not social ones.

Especially for those who are not married or dating each other.

 

[DL]

Hi,

I am just wondering for those who formed social dancing exclusive partnership and not really romantically involved.

What is the benefit of doing this ?

I understand competitive partnership just not social ones.

Especially for those who are not married or dating each other.

I've had the same partner for several years now. Our dance partnership is our only relationship.

Regular practice with my partner is a key factor in whatever improvement in my dancing I have to show for those years.

In some sense all dancing is "practice." But explicit practice/training time provides opportunity to work on new things, experiment, get stuff wrong, sort out who's doing what (in)correctly, etc. For some reason, at least in my area, it seems tough to engage in that kind of learning without a regular partner.

Perhaps a desire to compete is my partner's primary reason for participating in our partnership, but I wouldn't say it's mine. I just want to keep getting better at dancing. I do some of that dancing on a competition floor, but most of it on a social floor. <shrug> Good dancing is good dancing either way, right?

As for "exclusive" -- we're not that. Each of us has occasionally practiced, even competed with other people. I do much more social dancing than she does (as far as I know), and dance with a wide variety of people at socials.

Hmm. So I'm actually not sure how well my experience fits the mold of your question.

 

[ErsatzWaltz]

I believe I fall into this category. Well, I do it because:

1) I'm by no means a competitive dancer, but I find having a dedicated partner advantageous when trying to progress to higher levels. I needed someone to grow with me. Switching partners every so often (as I have done in the past) has really not been helpful because I'm starting with a blank slate each time, and it takes time for a casual partner to reach my level.

You see, where I live, I have a hard time finding a partner at my level (very few people continue past beginner's classes). The only way to have a partner at the same level as me is to actually find someone who is rank beginner, but who is dedicated, and then take classes with them. When you cannot "find" a good partner, you have "grow" one, I suppose.

2) I'm introverted, so having a string of partners with whom I can relate superficially does not appeal to me. It wears me out emotionally. With one partner, I can get to know their personalities, their preferences etc. A partner isn't just a body to dance with -- they're real people too.

Yes, I realize I might pick up bad habits from dancing with the same person exclusively, but it's better than not having the chance to practice regularly with one person.

3) I'm pretty short (for a lead, 5" 4'). Fortunately, I found a girl who was 5" 1', so I clung to her, knowing that I'll never find a partner that short again. ;-) I know people say height differences don't matter -- well, that's not entirely true (especially if you're the lead and you're shorter). I agree that height differences per se aren't dealbreakers (because you can compensate for them through the use of proper technique), but you have to admit that certain ranges work better than others.

Also, my relationship with my DP is an exclusive one only because it's so hard for me to find another DP that's such a good fit for me. We have similar personalities, backgrounds, and body types -- we get along well. Otherwise she's fine with me partnering with other people.

My DP and I don't interact outside of dance at all, but as dance partners, we work well together and I really appreciate her. To me, it's a win-win arrangement.

 

[waltzgirl]

I have had practice partnerships, too, but I read the question as a partnership for going social dancing. No, I don't have one and don't know anyone who does. The only time it would seem to be advantageous if you were in a situation where the dance community was all (or most) couples.

Where my sister lives, the one adult ballroom organization is couples-only. You have to have a partner to join. I'd imagine that most are married couples, and I don't know if they dance only with the partner they came with. I suggested that she try to find a dance partner, so she could attend these.

 

[waltzguy]

One can form a social partnership for the same reason as one forms a competitive partnership. To learn and improve together. There's not always a dichotomy between social and competitive dancing. In both, there's the desire to grow and learn.

 

[davedove]

It would seem to me that an exclusive partnership kind of goes against the concept of a social. To me part of going to a social is to dance with different partners.

Now, that certainly doesn't mean that you can't have a preferred partner. There is one lady I like to dance with more frequently because we dance well together. We're almost the same height and the same experience level (and in the same classes), so we just "fit". But even though I dance a large chunk of the dances with her, I still like to dance with others as well.

 

[bia]

The only time it would seem to be advantageous if you were in a situation where the dance community was all (or most) couples.

Or where there is a significant imbalance in numbers between leads and follows. In either situation, having a social dance partner means that you can go out dancing knowing that you'll get to dance a lot, and you won't have to be scrounging for partners. This doesn't mean that you can't both dance with plenty of other people, just that you've got a default if you need it. (In addition to the previously-mentioned benefits of dancing regularly with someone you know and like and fit well with dance-wise, so you can improve together, especially if you also practice together.)

 

[FaceTheMusic]

For about a year and a half I had a male "dance buddy" from my studio. I was more advanced than he was, but not that much, and we were both determined to improve for our own reasons. For me at that time dance was a healing force. We went social dancing almost every week and sometimes practiced together too after group classes. Both of us were on the shy side and it was so much easier to go to social venues together - it can be really intimidating to walk alone into a room full of strangers who know each other already! But once there we were definitely open to mingling.

Over time we gradually became part of the community, to the point where I am comfortable going out socially by myself now, since I'll usually run into at least a couple of familiar faces. My friend and I didn't have much in common outside of dance but that didn't matter, and for better or worse there were no significant others in the picture to be taken into consideration.

My friend stopped dancing a while ago and I realize now how spoiled I was, getting to dance every song when we went out. Now I have to wait my turn along with all the other single women.

 

[Terpsichorean Clod]

So you get along quite well with your dance partner. It's just that he/she doesn't social dance. Or can't (it's some dysfunction that your coach has never been able to fix). Or can/does but is rarely in the mood. Or often begs off, claiming a headache. But you have needs. That simply aren't being met.

Enter the FWDB (Friend With Dance Benefits). He/she is someone you can count on for some mutually satisfying encounters at a social. You know each other's bodies so well. How your bodies fit together. How your bodies move together. In contrast to the clutching in the dark that swinging with some random stranger entails. And yet, there are no expectations. At the very most, you've tossed around the idea of a casual comp. But there's no real commitment. It's just some pleasurable NSA (No Strings Attached) dancing.

Maybe you meet at a particular time at a particular place each week. Or maybe it's a bit more irregular, depending on whenever one of you has an itch to scratch:
You: "I need you tonight. Now."
FWDB: "What's it going to be? Whips? Chaînés?
You: "Actually, I'm more in the mood for feathers."
FWDB: "Okay. I'll see you at the usual place."

 

[DL]

heh.

 

[nucat78]

One can form a social partnership for the same reason as one forms a competitive partnership. To learn and improve together. There's not always a dichotomy between social and competitive dancing. In both, there's the desire to grow and learn.

+1 :applause:

 

[fascination]

um...because they'd like to occasionally be right? ....because they'd occasionally like to dance for free with someone who chose them?...I can think of about a zillion reasons

 

[pygmalion]

I had a social dance partner for a while. Upside has been noted. Downside was that I got way too used to his lead/style idiosyncracies. (sp?) He and I had fun, but, after a while, it became difficult to adjust to other leads.

 

[fascination]

agree....I, uh have danced with a few other persons over the years who have regoular partners and I have thought, wow, I would not want to be uner the impression that this is what it is supposed to feel like....still, I think the benefit would outweigh the disadvantage...and yet, I will probably never know...meh....grass is always greener

 

[suburbaknght]

I had a social partner a few years back. It was great because I wasn't dating anyone at the time and while there were a lot of events for ballroom dancers, there were a number of other public events with dancing but where it wasn't really possible to show up stag and find someone to dance with. My social partner and I would go to these events as friends so we'd each have someone to dance with.