Social Dancing is a Second Form of Practice

Recently I uploaded a video about how Social Dancing is a Second Form of Practice.

For anyone who may be a beginner to Partner Dancing this is a very important step to the learning process.
Now you may ask yourself Why is that?

In the classroom, you are learning in a controlled environment. Both the lead and follow understand what is being taught, and what is expected of each person.

This can lead to a false sense of competency and understanding, due to the fact that your partner knows what to expect and what to do. This leads directly into the possibility of back leading or even Leader Expectancy Syndrome – LES for short.

Backleading can be defined as the act or the habit of some followers to lead themselves through dance moves the leader has nothing to do with. An Example would be a partner following what the teacher is doing, and NOT following what their dance partner is leading.

Leader Expectancy Syndrome can be defined as a leader expecting a follower to understand and anticipate their signals. A key factor in LES is mixed or confusing signals from the Lead. An Example could be a leader failing to properly signal a turn for the follower, and becoming upset.

LES is more often experienced during socials, while backleading is more often experienced during
Dance class.

This leads us back to the original question – How can a Dance Social be a second form of practice?

As a leader, when you dance with someone, this is the ultimate test of your leading ability. You can increase the difficulty level by dancing with a complete stranger or You can lower the difficulty by dancing with someone from your dance class. I encourage you to do both. Dancing with a stranger will force you to lead with clear and precise signals. As a leader not having clear signals leads to confusion, which leads to hesitancy, which can lead to doubt, which ultimately can lead to a bad dancing experience. The dance will never exceed the skill level of the lead. Always remember that It is always the leads fault. This mindset will take you far, because you always hold yourself accountable, and you always wonder how can you do something better.

For my followers, it is the almost the same. You can increase the difficulty level by dancing with a complete stranger. You can lower the difficulty by dancing with someone from your dance class. As a follower during a social, you will not have the luxury of anticipating what your partner wants to lead, so you truly have to be in the moment and listen/feel for the leaders cues. And if you do find yourself trying to anticipate what the leader is going to do, you will quickly find that this can ultimately kill a dance. As in life, so on the dance floor, you cannot have two leaders. A follower who anticipates or does not follow signals, is not a good follow. A leader who cannot lead clearly and safely, is not a good lead.

Social Dancing is trial by fire and one that every dancer will have to overcome. It is also the most fun you will have. Dance Classes are fun, but they limit creativity. Dance Socials are where you can truly open your mind as to what is possible. Especially by witnessing what other dancers are capable of accomplishing. Drawing inspiration and motivation from those around you.
The only way you will become a great dancer is by social dancing.

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