The Ballroom Dance (Standard or Latin style) journey always starts with finding the right partner. It may take some time before a partner is discovered. Regardless of the search result, a dancer should stay committed to his or her individual practice. He or she should be disciplined and work hard to set a good example for fellow dancers. Potential partners are likely to be attracted to someone who is willing to sweat and work hard. In general, hard-working dancers tend to find partners quicker than those who do not take their dancing seriously.
Work it out With The Partner
No doubt, having found a partner is something to celebrate. However, a Ballroom Dance partnership is as serious as a business partnership. Once a partnership is formed, both dancers should sit down and agree on mundane terms such as:
- The choice of the appropriate teacher or dance coach.
- Number of common practice hours.
- Dance objectives like the number of competitions and showcases to be participated in a year.
- Number of lessons per week and split of fees, expenses and so on
- Choice of dance choreography (may be at a later stage).
The Art Of Communicating With The Partner
A dancer may commit long hours with his or her partner each week in practice sessions and lessons. Mastering the art of communicating with the partner goes a long way to strengthen great teamwork and create a happy dance experience. Below is a list of advice for both old and new partnerships:
- Never fight on the dance floor. Since everybody interprets things differently, there may be no right or wrong answers to question about dance theory. The best way to resolve differences of opinion is through a third party like a teacher or dance coach.
- Tell your partner nicely if he or she does not dance a step well.
- Do not only pick on a partner’s mistakes and complain; compliment them on things done correctly as well, just to be fair. Positive reinforcement is far more effective in encouraging the right moves than sheer grump.
- Avoid practice at a difficult or inconvenient time that will affect practice quality. For instance, amateur dancers may be stressed out from work before practice.
- Courtesy still counts no matter how well and how long the partner is known. Always say the magic words “please” or “thank you”.
- Connection in Ballroom Dance does not happen overnight. Human bodies are not machines. It may take a while to get the right amount of connection from each other. Allow each other time and work things out with patience.
- Give constructive opinions about dance technique. Help each other out if possible because it is difficult to see one's own moves.
- Do not hesitate to give suggestions for technical improvement. This may benefit both partners as well as taking the dancing to the next level.
- Connect through the music. Remember dancing itself is communication. Stay on the beat at all times even when partner is out of time. A partner's role is also to inspire the right moves.
Celebrate the harvest of solid Ballroom dance partnership
It seems like a lot to work out with the dance partner apart from the dancing itself. But the effort made to maintain or improve a Ballroom Dance partnership pays off for all these returns:
- Winning competitions
- Impressive performance
- Professional reputation
- Compliments from friends and family
- Long lasting friendship
- Wonderful teamwork
- Improvement of dance skill
- Achievements in life and dance
Simply speaking, all that hard work to foster a successful dance partnership is to make every minute of Ballroom dancing enjoyable and meaningful.
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