I've been dancing for 3 years now, took it first in college and been dancing since then. I'm seriously coming to a stand still in my dancing. I'm not getting any better, if anything, I feel like I'm getting worse.

How do you deal with hitting a plateau that just seems to be unpassable? I know most would just say keep practicing, and I would, if not for the other issues.

I'm suffering a huge burn out phase I think. I used to be really good with the West Coast, and people always had fun dancing with me or watching me dance, and I -especially- had fun dancing. Now, I can't even stick to a West Coast during a song, I tend to switch, I tend to lose confidence because my list of variations has gone dry for me. I can't even seem to come up with anything new, or worse still, remember all the moves I used to have.

I somehow think a plausible reason could be that I've lost all the close dance partners I've had. One way or another they've all left or decided to stop dancing all together. I can't find the connection which to me is essential at getting better dancing or dancing with your partner. Where do any of you stand in this? I've been told that who you dance with shouldn't matter, and I did give it a try, but it's just not working.

I'm teaching a progressive nightclub 2step lesson now, and even in that I don't connect with the person I'm teaching it with. I'm really into Argentine, but I've lost my partner too because she was my girlfriend but we broke up, and to me, for that you need a deeper sense of connection if you want to get better.

I'm finding it harder and harder to come up with new stuff. I'm beginning to lose sight of why I'm even dancing in the first place, or why I should keep dancing. I guess only I can find the reason to stay for myself huh?

But overall, I was just looking for someone to give some advice, maybe some push in the right direction or encouragement. I'm just at a loss, any help would be appreciated.

Chris: Sounds like a lot going on here. I would hazard a guess that we've all been here at some point. From my perspective, I would seek more leadable social patterns and perfect them so that they make your follow look good. Once you make your follow look good you automatically look good. People will take notice and for the right reasons. "He makes them look good" or "They look good together", After all "Tis better to give than to recieve".
So, why are you dancing in the first place??
I would challenge you to perfect your social dance skills as stated above.
When I am learning or teaching I find it hard to concentrate on anything BUT what I am doing and before I know it the night is over or the day is over or the week has gone by and so it goes.
If you are developing a new passion GET INTO IT, you will find a lot you have already learned can be applied or used in your neww passion. Better stop. Hope this helps. Owendancer

Chris. Who you dance with does matter. It sounds like you have been dancing quantity rather than quality. You need to set a path. Dancing for pleasure is fine but competetive dancing gives you the incentive to improve,the more you improve the more you injoy what you are doing and the more you want to learn. Try taking some lessons with a top women pro and learn a new dance. Hope this helps ,John

Hi Chris
You asked for advie, so here goes.
You can't dance without a partner, and the partnership is VERY important. It's important to do as much work on the partnership as on the dancing, because ultimately they are the same thing.
You need to find a partner with whom you can work and who can work with you.
Plateaus happen in all sports. Don't try to barge through them. All imporvements happen in stages. The road goes uphill, but not continuously, and sometimes the road dips for a while.
In other sports, the way to beat plateaus is to go back to basics. Get the basic right, then better, then perfect. You'll learn things you didn't expect to learn, and the improvement will carry through all your dancing. Feeling improvements will give you motivation.
It is very frustrating to feel you can't do better. But just remember the condition is almost certainly temporary, though temporary can be anything from 1 week to 1 year.

Chris Solis. It does not matter which dance or style. Are you able in your mind to dance the whole of your routines in your head . That is every step and every count clearly. Try this before you go to sleep, and if any part is not clear, then put it right in the morning. Any part that is a bit muddy, fix it.