Hello
I would like to get people's opinion regarding practice. I don't have a partner now, so I usually pracice myself 4hr. a day. I am definetly feeling improving my dancing level. *BUT* people said that I never reach the top level if I don't practice with a partner. Don't you think sould I get a partner even he is lower level of my level? I don't care too much when I practice latin with anyone, but Standard is close position all the time....so.....I am frustrated if a leader couldn't lead well.....

Practicing on your own is fine up to a point. You can get away without using CBM. Also in a Foxtrot you are possibly keeping your feet too close, whereas you should have a minimum of one floorboard space between your feet which probably doèsn't happen when you are dancing solo. Latin is a different ball game. A Rumba Walk remains the same whether you are with a partner or not. There is one problem though, and that is what is affectionaly called by coaches as push pull, which is the conection with the hands,between the parnership as in leading. You just can't do that on your own. Having said all that I will add, that I beleive that the man should know, and be able to do his steps, and the ladies, and vice versa, solo and to music. This is what one of my earlier teachers made us do and I thank him for it.

Refer back to the post about practice on your own...That was a great post.

I am the opposite of you.....My partner of 10 years is my husband, and we always practice together. The down side to this..I rely to much on my partner to lead me, rather then know for myself my postions and alignements.... Recently our instructor made us dance alone to make sure we both understand each step and alignement.... Can you believe it, I could not do it, without my partner!!!

Thus, I think there is real value in your practice time without a partner.

Both the man and the lady should be able to see their routine in their head. That is every step and every alignment. If you can't then you are trying to fly without wings. You should also, in your mind be able to to see yourself doing all the slows and quicks, plus the correct footwork. A good time to do this is just before you go to sleep. If you get stuck on any part, then in the morning find out where you went wrong.

I believe in practicing solo is a good way to improve dancing skills. For example, I practice Waltz by myself around the floor spinning in one direction for a while then change direction then change back. I help me to overcome the dizziness.
My wife has trouble with practicing solo. I wish I can have an instructor that encourage her to do so.
She can do a lot of things with me but leaving alone, she cannot performing many routines by herself. She knows it but keep saying why dance solo ?

There is some benefit in practising solo, but it can never replace dancing with a partner because what you do as an individual will be modified when you have to accommodate your partner's movements. It's much easier to dance solo (that's my experience as a male, anyway) - i don't have to worry about how my partner will cope with my turns or subtle hesitations and hovers which i can put in anywhere at any time without having to bother to lead my partner...and so it goes on.
But kman has made a very good point - practising solo to sort out a particular point of technique IS a good idea (ahd what kman has said about overcoming dizziness is very true - i do the very same myself!! and it works).
Learning new steps - sorting out subtle rhythms - or just for the pure pleasures of moving and expressing your own feelings to music - these are all good reasons for dancing solo.
My experience also is that women are much less inclined to dance solo. Why is this? Is it the body position, which is hard to sustain without the partner?

No Phil,
It has nothing to do with the body movement....

It has to do with the follow concept. The lady knows the routine, or the next step that is coming up... Yet, she must wait until that exact moment that the man has lead the step. If she jumps the gun, she then has decided the step, and really limits the leader.

It is quite hard for the lady, who knows the next step, and yet to wait for the lead, lest the step change.

Sometimes when we practice by ourselves, we loose the skill and art of staying on the foot and really waiting for the lead....Thus our tendency not to practice solo...

Janet

Amen. I am a woman who practices alone. However, I never wish to get comfortable alone because I already "backlead" too much.
For a woman dancing alone is great for getting steps down, eg. toe heal, rise fall, CBM, foot patterns. But then my partner leads it differently than I imagined it and the line of my spine over my foot must be adjusted for poise and balance. So I try not to practice "flow" or too many consecutive steps alone unless I am reviewing a routine. In other words, I believe women practise steps or short combinations alone but not a dance lest we become too comfortable with our own lead.

Your question is valid and all the responses are as valid. However, there is no substitue for a real person on the other end of the shadow lead. It all boils down to your frame and how the follow/leader responds to it.For the leader ,frame will tell the follow when,where,how,etc to respond.For the follow, frame will erase any doubt as to the next course of non verbal response.

If your solo practice is Modern, here is the main problem. As you walk forewards or backwards you are most likely brushing your feet as one passes the other. In the 30's this would have been correct because the parners were vey square on to each other. Now with the poise very much to the mans right side you are on four seperate tracks. You should have a space between your foot as thick as your partners thigh.As i am trying to point out, i doubt in solo practice if you are moving up or down the floor, in the the Foxtrot for instance,that you have a gap about the thickness of a bag cement in some cases between your feet.
The other problem is you don't have to keep centred when dancing solo. An excelent idea is to hold a large handbag on your right hip and keep it there. Guys i would'nt recomend a handbag.