We have recently written a couple of blog posts that offer gentlemen advice on dancing and someone commented that it would be useful to do the same for women so I thought I would add some tips for women who are learning how to dance.
Leading and following are both equally important roles. However, as a beginner a woman may feel that her role is easier than the leader’s role which is true to some extent. Men have to think about themselves, the women, the music, their surroundings, what is happening next, how to execute the move, etc. So women, you have to always be sympathetic to men as they are learning how to dance. However, somewhere around level 3 women begin to fall behind and men begin to stabilize. I think this is because men almost never miss classes and they concentrate on their development. Women can sometimes take classes for granted and tend to miss a lot more classes then men. They don’t practice at home as much also and so once the men start to get better around level 3 or 4 they find that they may be falling behind.
Ladies, my suggestion is to take classes and practice seriously right from the beginning because the lead gets so much harder to follow after level 2. So if you have done your homework, go out dancing and go to classes you will be much more successful once you reach the intermediate level. The foundational work is always the most important. If you get it right from the beginning you won’t have to go back and undo bad habits like I had to when I learned how to dance without formal training.
Don’t be afraid to ask your partners for suggestions on your follow. Men tend to receive more feedback then women and I think if we heard more about our dancing we would be more likely to make positive changes. So once in a while, ask your partner what you can do to improve.
If you can do it on your own, you can do it with a partner. I always say this in class. Can you do a cross body lead with a turn by yourself well? If so you will be able to follow it well even with someone who is not leading it properly. Practice at home on your own – it will assist with balance, rhythm and movement.
Keep tuned in for some more ladies tips in the future!
