Have you ever had a partner not only correct you on the dance floor, but pick apart everything you did?
I could sit here and detail the whole experience, but instead I'll just say that after 5 or 6 dances I put my street shoes back on and left.

Unfortunately, yes (although it wasn't my steady partner). The dance was a quickstep. We started out in American, and then he switched to International - midstream. After I fumbled on more than one step, he stopped in the middle of the dance floor and said,
"What's wrong with you?"
I replied, "I don't know those steps."
He said, "It's simple, International bronze."
I told him that I didn't know International.
Then he looked at me like I had 2 heads as we both walked away from each other.

Then I spent the rest of the social dancing with everyone else.

Don't let a bad experience deter you. For every 1 bad apple, there's 10 good ones!

Regards,
Hoofer

CC,
It was during a social dance (first time I even met this partner). It wasn't just the 'wrong move's that were being torn apart, but everything from the frame on down. If you'd like more details e-mail me and I'll fill you in on them, but no names will be mentioned.
I refuse to let one bad experience (I'm also sure there will be others.. lol) stop me from dancing, just with that particular person.

Was this person an instructor?

This has to be the next worst thing to refusing a request for a dance only to get up and dance with someone else.

It is one of the rules of dance etiquette that when social dancing not to give unsolicited advice; we're there to dance and have fun, not take or give lessons. I would never have danced with this person again. It does not matter if this person is an instructor or another student.

But don't let that discourage you from dancing; the majority of people who dance are more mindful then this.

"Dancing is a contact sport; football is a hitting sport" - Vince Lombardi

Not a frequent experience with this Owl, but it has happened, and believe me IT BITES!!

Once at a Hustle dance, I noticed this one woman who wasn't dancing very much, I asked her and about 10 seconds into it, I found out why, WHAT A POMPOUS SELF-RIGHTEOUS ATTITUDE this woman had, picking apart everything I did and makling me feel like a complete dolt. That 2.5 minute song seemed to go on 2.5 years, OY!!

Just to reinforce the point, it is BAD MANNERS and POOR FORM to EVER do that on a dance floor! Shame!

A variation on this though, was a very zealous woman I danced with once who was actually fun, that awas until she started trying to teach me about 5 or 6 weeks of stuff while we were dancing, not a good idea really.

And another point, NEVER teach while dancing unless your partner asks specifically, and even then, DO IT TACTFULLY! A social dance is NO place for out-of-control egos,

End of rant

Bruce you are not alone. And I hate to say it, women are more prone to this type of behavior than men (yes I am a woman). The truth is this is simply bad dance manners. Only when you ask for advice or pay someone to train you, should you receive instruction. When you are on the dance floor, you should concentrate on making your partner feel good. End of story. This is SOCIAL dancing.

I hope you don't give up dancing. I suggest that next time someone corrects your dancing, just thank them nicely, and explain that your instructor (whether you have one or not) doesn't like when others interfere with their training. Or my other favorite is to finish the dance with a smile, and choose not to dance with them again.

The person in question was at one time an instructor, however it occurred on a first (and last) date (a blind date at that). I don't let anything discourage me from dancing!

Thank you all for your responses, I'm glad (and sorry) to hear that it has happened to others as well.

Bruce,

No, i have not had that experience and i am glad. I would have done the same thing and left after a few dances. Sometimes people mean well, but they don't realize that not
everybody likes to be corrected on the dance floor. Personally, I appreciate a comment during dance if i did not follow a specific step too well and my partner told me what i did wrong (stepped back instead of forward). As to pull every wrong move apart and then doing it again and again, this is bad, extremely bad. I assume that this was during a
social dance and not during a lesson (which was it ??).

Please don't stop dancing.... rather just find another studio. Believe me there is
lots of wonderful people that hangs out at studios to dance and nothing but dance.

If you tell us from which area you are, maybe someone on the list can recommend you a place to go.

Happy dancing

"And I hate to say it, women are more prone to this type of behavior than men (yes I am a woman)"

That is ridiculous. No, not that I doubt you are a woman, but to say that women are more prone to doing so. Not only have I experienced it myself but I have also been the culprit in the past (yes, I am not a woman). Of course, I don't do it any more, I have since found it to be a quality of the a-step-above-novice dancers, and egomaniacs. In fact, now I don't offer advice even when asked for on the dance floor (and rarely so off it).

"The dance was a quickstep. We started out in American, and then he switched to International - midstream."

I had no idea there was an 'American Style' Quickstep in the first place... ;o) Or do you mean you were straddling the America-Canada border when you started out doing the dance and then went completely into Canada? (Or Mexico?)

Just kidding.

Now give me a frame, carry your own weight, and go quick and quick, quick quick quick quick. Quick.

Phinneas.