Hi. For a very long time I have this question: how it is possible to lead lady in syncopated figures. For example in cha cha or rumba, when I want to break the classical rhytm and do for example 2&3&4&1 or so, how to tell the lady? It is all about the precise work of leading (left) hand?

And similar question - how to tell the lady to flick, kick, do the ronde chasse, twist chasse and so on. Sometimes it works when I´m dancing, but I don´t understand the principle. I don´t like to dance prepared choreographies, I´d like to have more freedom and more understanding of what I´m dancing. I hope you can help me with this. Thank you. Jiri

Your mistake is getting hung up on specific rhythms. Forget rhythm for a second -- in fact, forget music altogether -- and just focus in on basic principles of leading and following. Think in terms of speed rather than timing.

If your partner is tuned into your movement, and is responsive and well-connected, she should be able to follow not only what you're leading but also the speed at which you're leading it. As a simple exercise to illustrate this concept, turn off the music and pick a simple movement, such as New York (Crossovers). Play around with different speeds from excruciatingly slow to blazingly fast, and everything in between. It only takes a few minutes of experimenting with this to get a feel of the timing and degree of intensity required in your own body in order to get the desired results from your partner.

Realize that a syncopated action is nothing more than a fast version of something slow. For example, a syncopated underarm turn is nothing more than a basic underarm turn. The only thing that's diiferent about the syncopated version is that it's danced at a faster speed... fast enough to cause the steps to align with a specific rhythm. Therefore, to lead the underarm turn at any speed, syncopated or not, is simply a matter of producing the exact level of speed through your body and/or intensity through the connection to achieve the desired rhythm. I hope this makes sense.

Regards,
Jonathan Atkinson
www.ballroomdancers.com

I'd like to know also. The only way I do know is to practice prepared "partner steps". I cannot imagine someone being able to follow as my right and left hand "led" them; too fast, and unless you are so heavy handed as to be unacceptable, the hand leads will be impossible to follow.

I'd like to know also.

Jerry

Jerry. I was always told that just a slight pressure is all that is needed, otherwise the signal will be lost. For an example . The lady is in the Fan position. You have actually put her there with a little pressure from your left hand. A little pressure to show you wish her to draw up . Off with the pressure she has got the message. Now a little pull to lead her out, that is it with the pulling. She knowes you want her to do the Hockey Stick. The mans arm is horizontal to the floor, fairly close to the body and is still in the same position that it was after and before the Cross Body lead which the lady was able to work off. If at the end of the Hockey Stick you want to do a couple of walks , then a slight push is all that is needed, ease off straight away. As it was so aptly put , Do you open the door for a lady and push her through. Of course you don't, she knows what to do. One of our leading dancers, so I was told, only has the ladies hand between his finger and thumb.

Yes, that IS the ideal I work toward but dont often achieve.

BUT! In Rhumba, I begin a cross body lead. First 4 steps as usual: SQQS. I want the next 3 steps to be Q And Q. Just a little back and forth movement- a 2nd position break for me, a rock step for her. This is easily led but only if the follower is familiar with it. Even in a Rhumba the syncopation is too fast to catch without prior practice.

And take the Cha-Cha variation posted in July 2004 here- it starts with Syncopated Cuban Breaks in fallaway position. I think almost anyone would need prior familiarization to get that right.

Not so?

Jerry

First of all you need to be familiar with the person with whom you are dancing. A lot of people dont spend an inordinate amount of time on syncopations so if after the first attempt it doesnt work either forget it or try verbal leads, they always work. Beyond that 'prepared choreographies' is about the only way. Within them you both learn lead and follow techniques

OTTO Mtoje. If we had been in the same class.I would then tell the girl quietly , (but don't make a big thing of it) Just whisper, Cuban Breaks, or Mambo Rubs coming up, or whatever. Exactly the same in Modern. In my opinion to haul the lady into this and that simply looks terrible. The lady has little chance of applying any technique or shape at all. She is flat out following. And I say this without any fear of contradiction . Your footwork and top line will also suffer.

I think the best solution is to just dance a lot with each other and especially use your arms as rhythm instruments without pulling out the arms of the lady. When you use your arms you give along the character of the dance (e.g. with paso doble you can't laugh as a matter of fact or people will think you're challenging a cow instead of a bull with your lady being a red towel). I think that showing the character of a dance will automatically make you a better leader, because it involves your whole body.