Need to hear from the ladies if they like doing the dips. I heard a radio comentator say that she thought all ladies loved to be dipped. If this is true I will learn how to do a good effective dip. Can some of you male dancers help out here if we find that the girls do love and want to be dipped?

Also try to make sure the lady is holding her center together before you dip her. I've dipped 150+ lb ladies, and they felt light as a feather, and I've dipped 90 lb ladies, and they felt like a block of lead. If they feel too loose through the torso, it's a bad idea to try to dip them.

cal pauley:

Interesting . . . I have had females that do not know how to dip, even though I know my part very well!

twnkltoz . . . hit it right on the head. The female should be able to hold a dip by herself. If executed properly, the leader should be able to completely let go, and the lady (follower) should be able to maintain that dip.

If you properly place your hand, say the right, in the middle of her back, 'somewhere around' count 4, to hit a dip and a "break" on (the music's) count 5 in a WCS, the female should be able to support herself, thus allowing you to free up your left hand, thrusting it out for styling, all the while your right hand is over and across her front gently supporting her underneath on the back.

Some dips, such as a form of the dip, the "rag doll," takes lots of practice to lead and execute without physical damage to the female.

Keep doing the 'dips,' I've found that dips, done properly and sensually, are welcomed by a lady! Be sure to look directly into her eyes if social dancing, however, if you are posing on a break in competition, in that case, look at the audience directly in front of you

Good points, twnkltoz. Since I was never taught how to lead dips, that's not something you typically cover in syllabus classes, I don't do them. Maybe once or twice a woman has "shown" me back kind of backleading herself into one, but that was really rare and never happens anymore. There are also some dips that I probably wouldn't do even I was taught how to do them. Some seem a little too dangerous and I wouldn't want to put my partner in that danger. Taking the risk yourself is one thing, putting it on your partner is something completely different and I won't do that. However, standard picture lines aren't really the same thing and I like them, too. I happen to prefer standard anyway, so I generally like the look of standard lines over dips. I should learn a few more, too, even if without an exit and only to do at the very end of a dance. Hmm, I took a workshop on picture lines years ago, maybe I should dig out those notes and see if I've got enough experience now to be able to do some of the ones we covered decently well. So yeah, I think I'd second twnkltoz's comments -- learn the proper way to do dips before you try them. Otherwise use things like standard picture lines; some of them are even syllabus (e.g., waltz Contra Check, tango Oversway).

--
James Marshall
marshall@astro.umd.edu
http://www.astro.umd.edu/~marshall

twnkltoz:
You mentioned "picture lines" . . . I've never ever heard this term. What is it? Maybe I'm doing them and call it something else?

How did the jack and jills go on Sunday? Did you compete/win? Are those held at The Ballroom?

Vince, see the thread on picture lines...that should answer your question fairly thoroughly. I don't think they use that term in country dancing.

I would say that is the key.

I am in complete agreement with twnkltoz about taking that 50/50 plunge to the floor. I never got hurt when my lead didn't have control, but I figure if I ever land on my back I probably take him down with me.

I've only learned some very basic, slow dips. Then the other nite at a social--I was dancing EC swing with a very smooth gentleman and whoa! I missed the first one, then he said "just trust me" and I was dipped twice! Maybe this was a "ragdoll", I'm not sure, but I felt like I was doing a backbend and back up again! And I liked it! My friends applauded as I dizzily left the floor.
Only thing, I don't think I'd want to do this (or many other) dips with someone who doesn't know exactly what he's doing. Especially on a crowded dance floor!

I've found that most women love to be dipped.

I started doing dips after an hour-long class at a weekend swing workshop, and I thought I was doing well. Most followers loved what I was doing.

However, one particular follower thought that the kind of dip that I was doing felt an awful lot like a judo throw, and (although I didn't hurt her) she told me never to do that again and backhanded me on the shoulder when we finished dancing. She forgave me and we are still friends, but I am also much more careful about what I do while dancing.

After that potentially dangerous event I took a couple of private lessons where my only goal was to learn to do dips properly and safely. I've now got two or three that I am comfortable with, and that I feel I can lead safely and without danger to my partner.

However, when dancing with a new partner I always ask if they want to be dipped and a couple of times followers have told me about back problems that I did not know about. It is always safest to ask first.

I am presently teaching here in Vermont, but I normally do not teach dips. I'm starting with several wedding couples, though, so I feel that I need to be able to teach dips effectively. I'm going to take a couple of private lessons from another local teacher who has been teaching and dancing longer than I have so that I can learn how to lead other dips effectively.

In my experience women love to be dipped when they are physically able to do the dip, and when the leader is able to control the dip and protect the follower.

Kevin

Dronak, I have Victor & Heather's Picture Lines video tape--it's great! I haven't watched it in a while though, so I forget if it shows entrances and exits for them. A lot of them you can just straighten up, bring your feet together, and hover out of, or do a little ronde and slip. For the Left Whisk, an outside spin or runaround works well.

Kevin, I teach quite a few wedding couples. I usually give them a simple corte-type dip to start with, and if they do that well and are comfortable I'll have them rotate and lower a little until they find a line that looks good on them and is comfortable and safe for them to do. Usually I'll have them do the simple one during the song, and the showier one at the end.

The key is making sure the lady can support her own weight over one leg (usually the right), and that the man stands up straight instead of bending over her. He can go lower by bending his supporting knee and stretching out the other one (making sure that knee is also flexed).

[This message was edited by twnkltoz on 03-03-03 at 10:32 AM.]