I read an article by Michael Harvey on the topic of "The Comfort Zone". The article mainly dealt with the first couple of
steps that a couple/dance partners takes on the dance floor. He reasons, and i strongly agree, that the leader needs to start with a few basic steps to get comfortable with the follower's following skills (and the music) before progressing towards more advanced steps, if at all. As a follower, i have noticed that leaders want to show off quickly at the beginning of the song. Leaders, this is not the time to practice the latest advanced move you have learned in group class or private lesson. Impress me later in the song with a few of your advanced moves, if both parties have reached the comfort zone and i'd love to dance with you again.

I think highly of a leader that first gets comfortable with the follower's "following" and the music. As Michael suggests, a tip for the leader is to look at the follower's smile, if she is comfortable with your lead, she will express a comfort smile. Does anybody agree with me ?

Yes, I agree that if you've never danced with someone before or don't know quite what her skill level is, it's best to start with simple, basic steps and work up from there. As you add in more complex steps, take note of how well she follows them. When you start to have trouble, you'll know it and then you've found out roughly what level figures your current partner is comfortable doing and you'll know what sort of things to dance with her. It makes a lot more sense to start simple and work up until you find out how much your partner is comfortable with than to try to show off in the beginning with high level fancy stuff and possible have lots of trouble from the start. I thought most leaders knew to do this, but apparently not.

I routinely use this sort of testing procedure with women I haven't danced with (much) before, but once I get to know their dancing a bit I don't need to. With people I already know and have danced with semi-regularly, I know their approximate level and how much I can dance with them, so I don't need to test like this with them. When you go dancing with the same crowd of people most of the time, you'll get to know their dancing and then you can just do whatever you want because you know their limits and yours. I don't know about the looking for a smile from the follower bit. One, I don't know is followers will smile like that, and two, you can't really check in standard. But yes, the simple to complex thing is something leaders should always do when they don't know a follower's abilities very well.

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

Follower:

I agree with doing basics until each person is comfortable - but only if it's someone that I have not danced with!

Take WCS . . . if I have not danced with this follower, I'll do a 'very' basic starter step step on count 3 of the music, so that my phrasing will be "on." Right side pass, left side pass, sugar push, and maybe hit a soft break if the music calls for it.

If I see a good response to these, I'll move on. If not, I stay at the level of the follower. If I see 'toe tapping,' etc, I know the follower is more advanced, and I'll move way up.

I've done a few dances at the basic all the way through even with pros - just because the music dictated it - and have been complimented on it!

Sometimes, its just nice to do the basics. it's amazing how many of us forget them so easily!

By the way, in another of your emails, you asked about Skippy Blair. I have taken many, many of her clased. Have many of her tapes. Her teachings are gospel, and if you can learn to count 'her way' - a-1-and-a-2-and-a-3-and-a-4-and-a-5-and-a-6-and-a-7-and-a-8 - in WCS, you'll grow and improve in leaps and bounds!

I don't smile. I'm too busy concentrating!

I was not sure of any etiquette on this board of trying to promote a website....... here it is though....

http://www.westcoastswingamerica.com/

Now you have me curious, what is so special about her count....i am learning WCS now and would like to count "correct" from the beginning. We have a great instructor though.

Where can we find this article?



I usually start with basic steps when dancing with someone that I know, and I always start with basic steps with people that I don't know. I feel fine with doing one or two basic social steps for a whole song, if that is what I think the follower can handle. Otherwise I ramp up as we dance!

The whole purpose of a leader is to make the follower comfortable and to make them look good to observers. Nobody looks good when they don't have any idea what they are doing. Make the follower look and feel good! Make her smile!

Same here, at least in standard. With latin you get to look at your partner a lot more often and I find it much easier to smile at her then. I may not always do so, but there's a much greater chance that I'll smile while dancing latin than standard.

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