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Dance Technique

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I guess this is more about courtesy than dance technique but if you pretend it's dance technique, there's less likely that there will be bad feelings about it.

Closeness and the Frame

When dancing it's the woman (or follower) who determines how close the couple will be to each other. The man (or leader) offers their hand or the frame and the woman will fit themselves into it as she feel comfortable with it.

Some women like to snuggle up close if they know you or they don't want to get close to you at all (think B.O.). If it's a closed position, the man offers the frame, the woman steps into it, and then the man takes the hand and/or puts the other hand on her back. At the same time, don't take offense if the follower doesn't want to snuggle up close to the leader. Be a nice dancer for your partner and they may feel more comfortable with you in the future. 

 Personal hygiene is sometimes a factor in how close your partner will get to you. I suggest a shower and clean clothes when going dancing (and deodorant). I'm not sure I know anyone who wants to get close to someone who has sweaty skin or clothes.

Move your hands and feet, not theirs...

If you're a leader, when you lead your partner, move your hand or arm and not hers. Don't try to strong-arm your partner into doing the dance figure. If you move your hand, you're basically taking hers along for the ride. This results in a much more comfortable and understandable lead for her. If doing a Loop Turn or a Left-Side Pass, for example, your partner will better able to figure out where the lead (your left hand) is going; she won't get jerked into position.

Same thing with the feet, though it's for a different reason. In a Flick-Ball-Change or the Mooch, for example, you're suppose to kick out with your foot. I've seen many people move their leg instead and let the foot hang off the end of the leg; there's no energy in the foot. When kicking your foot out, move the foot, not your leg.: you have better control over what it does and where it goes. Take the leg along for a ride with the foot, instead of the other way around. At the very least it produces a much cleaner leg line and makes it look like you're placing the foot or the step on purpose. You're also less likely to kick someone.

The Push Spin

This dance figure goes under different names depending on where you learned it or what part of the country you live in. This is a six-count move. The leader brings in the follower on 1 with the left hand and stops on 2; he also stops the movement of his left hand and makes it immobile. The momentum of the follower causes her to run into the hand and she realizes that he's not going anywhere. That's the lead for the push-spin: the follower does a clock-wise turn (triple-step) and finishes with a triple-step in place (open facing position). At no time does the leader "help" the follower by pushing her into the turn/spin!  I've noted this particularly while judging Jack n Jills. I saw a gal miss 5 of those figures in a row and she figured out why.  If you try to help your partner into the turn, you're going to push her off-balance. You can, however, give her that solid anchor that *she* can push off of. As for the followers, do not count on your partner to help you along on this move. Dance on your own and work on your own balance so you can do that turn or spin without any external help.

Dem feet!

Your feet have been walking around for years without you paying a tiny bit of attention to them. They can continue to do so even while you dance. That means, don't watch them! Look up at your partner instead. Your feet will still do what you want without you looking down at them.

One particular tip for beginner leaders: move your feet more often. Do some syncopations. Swap your rockstep for a flick-ball-change. Do turns and spins. Try not to do single-step swing; do triple-steps when possible or at least a double-step/tap-step and keep your feet moving. Look alive and don't be just a prop around which the follower dances.

Keep your weight on one foot at a time. Never stop moving with both feet planted on the ground. If you have your weight spread out between both feet, it becomes harder to move in *any* direction because you always have to move to one foot anyways in order to move anywhere; that slows you down. You can have both feet touch the floor but most of your weight should only be on one foot.

Weight and Center of Gravity

When taking any step, be aware of where your center of gravity is; it should be over your feet.
 
One big mistake many followers do is to take a rock-step *past* their feet on beat 1.
You can see it clearly if they also lift their left foot off the ground between beats 1 & 2.
What happens here?  The follower is leaning, off-balanced, in the wrong direction. In order to get onto beat 2, they have to *pull* on their partner to get their weight on their left foot.
Sometimes the guy isn't that strong; many times it interfers with the lead and the leader gets a sore arm quickly. It certainly slows down the leader, however miniscule. Instead of thinking of the next move, the leader is bracing himself to pull the follower back to her feet. 
Regardless of who does it, be completely aware of your center of gravity is in relation to your feet. If your balance is over your feet at all times, it becomes much easier to move in any direction that you need to.

The "Rock" Step

One issue that seems to bother many teachers that I've talked to is the "Rock Step". One teacher tries very hard not to call it that because it encourages students to take a specific step, as opposed to a "step-step" that doesn't imply a direction or a distance. 
 
A common problem is the fact that many dancers take a *BIG* rock-step. (sometimes into another person because they're used to dancing a big rock-step, even on a crowded dance floor.)

A preferred "rock-step" has the free foot moving slightly backward so that the toe is about parallel with the heel of my other foot. There is not a 3 foot space between my feet at the end of beat 1!  Use either 3rd foot postion ( in swing ) or 5th foot postion ( like cross overs in cha-cha) depending on the direction of your rock step. Remember, a rock step can be danced in all 4 directions either foot.

Benefits of a small rock-step?

  • It looks nicer; ask any teacher.
  • Less chance of bumping into someone behind you.
  • It takes less time and energy!!! It takes a lot of time and energy to take a big rock-step because it requires *at least* the same amount of time and energy to get back onto the other foot. Sometimes that means you will have to rush to make up the time lost by the big rock-step. I'd rather use that time to "play", create more footwork, and dance.

    MEN.......Hand on the Shoulder Blade, PLEASE! 

    • Do you know of women whose backs hurt after a night of dancing with you?

  •  One cause of that is when the leader dances with his (her) right hand on his partner's waist or hip.
  • When the leader leads with his right hand, the woman's waist will come forward but her upper body will be delayed because her body will naturally bend in response.
  • The leader should dance with his hand on her shoulder blade. With this hold, the leader can move anywhere and the woman will get that lead immediately and be able to follow without any bending of the body. This technique keeps the woman from ending up with a bad back at the end of the evening.

    •  

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    Showing Off Your Cool Moves

    LESS is MORE
    Some women like to concentrate on dancing instead of trying to figure out all the moves that you have in your repertoire.

    There are some cool moves that you have to do, but they're supposed to be there to make her or the two of you look good, or they're supposed to make the dance more enjoyable or interesting. She isn't there to make you look good in front of your adoring fans.

    Ease up on the complex fancy stuff unless you know your partner knows them.

    Forget the acrobatics. If you're not performing and you're not dancing with your partner from your swing acrobatics class, don't endanger your partner by trying to flip her over your back. A friend told me that a certain guy flipped her over and around his back during her early dancing years. Definitely don't do that to a beginner  or anyone else for that matter. (unless your liability insurance is all paid up).  I don't care *what* they did in the GAP commercial; it's pretty darn dangerous.

    Any guy doing acrobatics and aerials on a social dance floor is immediately identified as a jerk while his partner is considered an idiot for letting him do it to her.

    Smooth is good
    Most of the women I've danced with seem to prefer a smooth dancer. What? You mean they don't like getting their arms yanked out of their sockets? Being called a "smooth dancer" should be the goal of every leader on the dance floor.

    A smooth dancer doesn't  pull or push their partners: they lead.  If your lead is smooth, your partner won't have to be a mindreader to figure out what you're trying to do and it keeps her from having her back in pain all night long.

    If the move feels jerky, then that's probably what your audience sees. Here's a suggestion: when you're executing a lead, move *your* hand, not hers. Her hand happens to be connected to yours so it'll come along for the ride; you just won't be transmitting as much power into her arm.

    Dancing WITH the music
    "A move is not DANCED unless it's done WITH the music."

     Unfortunately, many of today's dancers do not have the patience to practice and learn to dance with the music. Such lack of enthusiasm discourages teachers from holding dance technique classes where people can concentrate on dancing instead of just learning new moves.

      Dance Technique classes ARE A MUST.

    There are so many new dancers who would benefit from them ( I still take them as well as teach them)  I personally have a hard time remembering all the moves I've learned over the years so I spend more time making the ones I do remember feel better.  One thing you should be asking yourself: Are you dancing or are you just performing dance moves?

    Support your own weight!
    Okay, I'm sorry but I have to mention this again. Both women and men out there who need to support themselves on the dance floor. Some women  use their partners to pull themselves into position. For instance, on the Rock Step, after the first beat, the woman should be *OVER* her feet. Her center of gravity should not have passed beyond the center because then she will have to pull on her partner to get her moving on the second beat. This interrupts the lead because the leader has to take the time and effort to pull his partner back into position. Even more importantly, it tires the leader out quickly.

    Who did I just dance with?

    Looking at your partner during a dance is nice and will let your partner know this 3 mins is for them!  It's easier for dancers to follow body leads and the leaders can plan their next moves more precisely when they can see what their partner is doing.

     Don't be looking around for your dance partner for the next song while having a dance with someone.

    DRINKING AND DANCING

    WHY DO MANY DANCERS COMPLAIN ABOUT NOT HAVING GREAT PLACES TO DANCE, WHEN THEY DON'T SPEND MONEY AT THE CLUB ? 

    I'll be the first to say that you should support the establishments that bring in live music or D.J's for Swing, Salsa, Hustle dancing by buying drinks at the bar. On the other hand, many women have mentioned to me that they don't like to smell alcohol breath. The bar tab makes it worthwhile for the club to offer live music so consider buying MORE TO DRINK and TIP the bartender or waitress well. Note that a "drink" doesn't have to have a lot of or *any* alcohol.

    DO NOT SNEAK your own refreshments into a dance place where the main line of business is the bar, or go to the car to drink your water or mixed drink. 

    What are you, 15 years old?  No, you are just CHEAP! 

    STOP IT! 

    ENTIRE DANCE COMMUNITY PAYS FOR THIS BEHAVIOR.

    Want a mint?
    And on that note, one of life's little rules to live by is: "If someone offers you a mint, Take It!." There are many reasons to do so:

    • The other person might just be polite (offer one if you're going to take one yourself).
    • The other person might be looking for a reason to talk to you.
    • You needed a mint.

    Don't assume anything; just accept the mint and thank your partner for offering.

    • Nice guys do not finish last...
      Let's face it: life is too short to dance with people who hurt you.       I guess this is advice for the women. If the guy hurts you and continues to do so (like jerking your arm out of the socket), don't dance with him again. Tell him I said it was okay. Even better, point him out to all your friends so they'll be forewarned. Dancing is suppose to be fun and should never hurt. Seek out the guys who pay attention to how much the follower is enjoying the dance.
      Every leader should take a long look inside and ask if there is any possibility that they might be hurting their partner. If a woman's arm is yanked constantly throughout an evening of dance, her back is goIng to hurt long after the dance is over.

    Dance to the level of your partner

    DON'T SHOWBOAT!  WE ALL KNOW HOW GREAT YOU  ARE.  WE'VE SEEN IT ALREADY!

    MEN, if you want to impress a Ladies while dancing, save most of your "cool, smooth moves" until we have danced together several times. It is so scary for the gal when you are dancing for the crowd ane not with your partner.

    LADIES, LEARN TO PUT AWAY YOUR EGO  WHEN DANCING WITH BEGINNING MEN.

    WONDER WHY WE DON'T HAVE MORE MEN WHO ARE LEARNING TO DANCE WITH US? They might small while we dance the all around them, but trust me....THE MALE EGO HAS BEEN HURT.

     It takes them years to begin taking lessons, a very long time to get the guts to take the long walk across the bar to ask a girl to dance, and one second to say "Forget this!"  if he has been made to feel boring and clumby ( which all beginners are...and so you were you ).

     GALS, WE HAVE FAKED PLENTY OF THINGS WITH MEN, YOU CAN FAKE THIS 3 MIN SONG BY SMILING AND DANCING THE ONE OR TWO STEPS HE KNOWS. THE PAYOFF IS WORTH IT. SOMEONE DID IT FOR YOU WHEN YOU WERE NEW. TIME TO GIVE BACK

    I want a partners who are paying as much attention to my dancing as I do to theirs. The result is two people dancing together who watch out for each other.

     If one makes a mistake, the other dancer covers the mistake or continues dancing while the partner recovers. It feels good when you know your partner is there for you.

    I can't learn anymore from the local teachers...
    I forget where the original quote came from but the point is still important. Remember what a great dancer Fred Astaire was? Truly awesome. Until, of course, you remember that Ginger Rogers followed every one of his moves step for step (!) but she did it backwards and in heels. There's always someone else better and if that's the case, then there's something you haven't learned yet. Never assume you have nothing else to learn; whenever you do, that means you've only hit a wall that you need overcome to get to the next level. It takes a lot of energy to get over each hurdle but you get to enjoy the dance at a higher level. As for the teachers, these professionals have spent years (and a lot of money) to train and learn the material they teach. They're constantly improving their craft to allow them to advance the dance in their classes. There's always something you can learn from them.

    • *YOU* were once a beginner...
      I remember a woman who decided that she didn't want to dance with (most) of the beginners. When I found out that she had only been dancing for 6 months, I told her that she hadn't been dancing long enough (to earn the right) to be a snob. We were all once beginners and some of us even remember how intimidating it was to get out on the dance floor the first time, much less *ask someone* for a dance. Most beginners are intimidated by people who seem to know what they're doing. When you ask a beginner for a dance, it's not a lifelong commitment; can't you spare the 3 minutes of a song to make someone's day?
    • One last comment...I promise!
      While these suggestions (and they are only suggestions) are geared towards the social amateur dancer, don't assume I'm excluding dance teachers or professionals out of this, much less the regular dance attendee. If you're reading this article and thinking, "Gee, I don't do that!", take a look again.

    The Big Picture...

    How important is it to be the best dancer? On the professional circuit, very important. On the social scene? Not at all!
    The goal is "be the one with whom everyone else wants to dance". Your task, as a dancer, is to make the dancing enjoyable for your partner. If your partner has a great time dancing with you, that energy will carry over to your own dancing and you'll both have a good time.