Chaucer wrote "Patience is a high virtue." I seriously doubt that ol' Geoffrey ever did a feather step or a heel turn but his observation is still true about modern ballroom dancing.

I've read complaints in several posts on this forum concerning the coordination of the lady with her partner in the execution of various figures, usually those involving turns (telemarks seem to be favorites). Such problems are often blamed on a lack of understanding of the figure itself. I believe that responsibility lies elsewhere: the impatience of the students and, sometimes, of the instructor.

I need to preface the following discussion with the admission that what I'm about to say may not apply to cultures outside the US. Sadly, it is definitely true of ballroom dancing in America.

In the culture of instant gratification that has developed in recent decades, people have come to expect immediate results for any efforts or expenditures that they put forth. Dance teachers, most of whom are simply trying to make a decent living, soon learn that they must produce tangible results quickly or their students will become bored and start spending their money on Tae-bo.

The quickest way to produce visible results in ballroom and Latin is to teach the students routines ahead of basics and to have them perform in showcases. This approach may keep the students happy for a few years but it encourages a bad habit among them: memorizing sequences of figures without learning how to execute those figures properly.

In short, the men don't learn how to lead and the ladies don't learn how to follow. They just go through their movements together, trying to create an effect that looks like dancing.

Admittedly, a big part of this issue is economic. Many prospective Waltzers and Rumbatics ( ) can't afford more than one lesson a week or the hours of practice necessary to learn the fundamentals with due speed (which can be discussed in excruciating detail on this forum). For these people, developing proper framing, stepping, and shaping would mean that they wouldn't get to show off for a few years rather than six months. For the ladies, it would take them too long to get into "the dress."

When people point out that a man and woman don't come out of a telemark in the proper positions or seem to do their Progressive Links at different speeds, they're usually identifying either a failure to lead or an inability to follow or both.

It is the responsibility of the instructor to demonstrate correct form and movement. It is the obligation of the students to practice . . . and practice and practice.

Someone made a rather snide but true observation in a recent post that very few amateurs go to the trouble to obtain the manuals and to learn how to read them. A good instructor will encourage them to do so.

Having the manuals overcomes one potential obstacle to a good practice: being unsure of the steps. While there is no substitute for a competent teacher, amateur couples can develop their basic skills more quickly if they have some understanding of what they're trying to accomplish.

When a couple is having difficulty with a particular figure, they should adhere to a tried and true problem-resolution process.

First, the man should ALWAYS assume that a problem is his fault; the lady cannot follow until his lead is sound.
Is he stepping properly with the correct footwork? Does his frame remain solid throughout the figure? Does he signal his intentions with a good lowering movement? Is he turning his shoulders the right amount at the right time? Does he apply the correct amount of sway at the correct time? Is he generating movement from his center of gravity? Is he keeping time with the music?

Once the man is comfortable with his part then it's the lady's turn to examine her movements. Does she release her toe when stepping backwards? Is she capable of maintaining her own balance or is she leaning on him? Does she understand the difference between driving and leading and does she understand when she must drive and how? Does she know when to turn her head and why she needs to do so? Does she maintain both tone and flexibility in her frame?

When the man leads properly and his partner follows correctly, the figure will feel right to both of them. Of course, it always remains for the instructor to judge their progress at the next lesson.

I often come off as very cynical on this board but I know that good dance teachers love nothing more than to see REAL progress in their students. For their part, amateurs greatly increase the value they receive for their time and money when they apply their efforts to the basics.

More than anything else, they must be patient with each other . . . and with themselves.

jj

Thank you - - all of what you said made allot of sense and i really appreciate it

thanks

Vic

Vic,

Thanks for your positive response.

Happy dancing!

jj

Great information. Thanks.
Quick question, and you kind of touched on it, I think. When I'm teaching I try to make the couples understand that there should be resistance in the touch, or even on the simplest of free-flowing movements. You mention the woman understanding the difference between driving and leading. Would this be similar to when I am explaining resistance and how important that is? Or are you referring to something more than knowing how the hand-to-hand connection and arms should feel, and how your arms should create resistance of their own when flowing freely?

Over the years, I've had a number of instructors (one of whom also posts on this board), each of whom approached leading following in a different way.

I learned that driving comes from your center of gravity, what the taiji folks call the "dan tien" (sp?). The partner moving forward must initiate movement from this center (essentially the fifth point of contact) both to maintain contact between the torsos and to keep the upper body from intruding into the partner's space - a common problem for poor dancers.

Leading, on the other hand, comes from the frame - the arms and shoulders of the man. When the woman fails keep tone in her arms then the man has nothing with which to lead her no matter how strong his own frame may be. I've used the analogy of bicycle handlebars made of rubber. When the woman maintains this tone then she provides the resistance of which you write (that's a good word to use); she must understand that resistance doesn't simply mean pushing her right hand against the man's left. It really comes from the back.

In Latin, of course, there is much less body contact so the frame must be used for both leading and driving.

Thanks for your response. I think that it's important to discuss these issues, especially for new dancers.

jj

Personally i think that this information should be shared with new and old dancers,it just makes allot of sense, and you can learn allot from listening to others and get their opinion and ideas.

from this post i know I've learned allot - even the basic forward connection, coming from the back makes more sense than how i was perceiving it, and the bicycle analogy as well.

i think what allot of us do - is we tend to forget that ballroom dancing is not easy it requires allot of attention. if you want results you need to keep on practicing as much as you can.

for me as well i know that my instructor is setting the bar really high for me - and wants me to do really well, and learn every thing, even if it means going back to the basics every lessons. i have to admit that sometimes working on one thing over and over and over is hard and can get frustrating, but in the end it is always worth it.

thanks to all of you for this post!!!

Vic

k

JJ

Thank you for this post. I realized when I read this how lucky I am to have the instructor I do.

When I started ballroom two years ago, I thought my instructor was trying to milk the dollars out of me because I felt we were going much too slowly. I'm an older woman, and I wanted to make up for lost time -- never had the money or time to do this when I was younger, so let's have some progress, and fast!

In the beginning I begged him to teach me patterns of steps that I could memorize, but he refused. I'd never danced before, he reminded me, and he needed to teach me very basic things like how to transfer my weight, maintain balance, use my feet, and turn my head. He wanted me to learn how to follow, because I was always anticipating the next move and of course getting things all wrong. When I started to feel more comfortable, I'd beg him to teach me more complicated steps, and he refused again. You need to learn the basics so that it's second nature, he would tell me over and over. He would ask me to practice the basic steps on my own, and make me repeat them over and over in our lessons, adding more technique just when I thought I had everything down.

I would watch a lot of my colleagues at the studio learn two and three routines new routines for each showcase. He and I worked on only two showcase routines during my two years but they were completely different styles and he insisted that everything be done well. He drove me crazy.

I told him once that I didn't understand why I was doing the same steps as he was, but that I didn't look anything like he did. He told me that if I wanted to look better I had to trust him and follow his program. It was hard, but I finally gave in, stopped protesting, and did exactly what he asked me to do, over and over and over.

Now I realize he was so right. When we compete or perform, I feel really comfortable and confident. We place very well, even with the most basic steps. And although I'll probably never look like he does when he dances, when I watch the videos I don't look half bad! Now that he is teaching me more advanced material, I am picking it up much quicker than I would have even a year ago, and that makes learning so much more fun. My teacher is delighted with my progress, and that is a major accomplishment for me!

Ballroom is very challenging and demanding, but definitely worth it to me. If I hadn't followed his advice I probably would have given it up. I wish I could have had this post to read two years ago when I was starting!

Thanks again....

Thank you for a very thoughtful and candid response. I'm very glad that you listened to your instructor and perservered. You are indeed fortunate to have such a teacher. After two years, you are far ahead of your peers who have done little besides memorize sequences.

An advantage which you may or may not have yet realized is that you will be able to follow dancers other than your instructor. Even if those folks aren't as skilled as a professional, your ability to respond will force them to lead better.

I'm glad that you enjoyed my post. I wish that someone had said these things to me ten years ago.

Best wishes and keep dancing.

jj

jj. Lots of wisdom. Great job!