Dedication,time and a lot of money.

practice, practice and more practice!!!

Anonymous. To be a great dancer. ( that is in the competition ) First you have to be rich. Second you need to be attractive .Third comes talent.

Looking in. I would not consider Gainer Fairweather to be particulary attrative. If you have the Talent you don't need to be rich. Not all teachers are money grabbers.

We can all have our moments of glory . I once had a Spiritual moment when I felt very close to our creator. We had just sat down to eat at a dinner dance when they played a beautifull foxtrot, the lovely wooden floor was empty. I had to get up and dance. We seem to float accross that floor as though we were on a majic carpet,every muscle and fiber and my soal was saturated with the music. It was effertless. It was euphoric. Some might say it was a release of morphin but to me it was a spirital moment.

Dave
This is the sort of experience that i think all dedicated dancers can have, in one form or another. To express deep inner feelings through music and dancing. Maybe this is the 'spiritual' element that anonymous's coach was referring to. It certainly goes beyond the physical and mental aspects.
In a big comp once, they played a slow waltz which was a tune i truly loved, and played a great deal for many years. We did well that day!

Yes the music can play a great part in the way we dance in competition. Sometimes we can be so tense that we don't know what piece of music was played.

John. How would you like to travel from Japan to Hong Kong to meet up with your UK coach who has flown out to take prearanged lessons, and for your final practice sessions for the British in Blackpool in May. This is like seven hours per day. Then to the UK for Blackpool. You will be back again in October for the International. Back again in December for the Worlds. Then there is the UK. coming up now in Bournmouth. You haven't eaten yet. What about a place to sleep. If you think the above is a bit exagerated. Think again. I know a couple currently 15th in the world who did and are doing just that. I would make a wager you would not even be able to afford the lessons unless you have a sponsor. You have not seen Gaynor in the past few years, not since the make over. I have one of there last demonstrations I took of Euro Sport. I was showing it to a lady who remarked how stunning she looked. I believe she is still teaches in Hong Kong. But putting that aside the list of attractive people making final, this is the man, and lady and as a pair. There are far more attractive people than there are unattractive. >

John. I dont know how your name came to be heading this posting above. Maybe I made a mistake. Don

I would like to think that being a good dancer, you need to to be mentally and physically able to groove to the tune and beats and rythem of the songs and dancees. However, being a great dancer, you need to have the passion. It is the passion to dream, to live, to breathe the art of that not only touches your soul, but your audience's as well. Poetry is like the art of dancing naked. Embrace poetry, and it could help feed your soul. Good Luck