Essential dancing abilities - the woman

[ZPomeroy]

[that sounds like a good idea lets have one for man and women]

[Zac started this idea and we decided to have two topics, one for men and one for women .]

So what are the essential dancing abilities for a great woman dancer?

I've copied zacs original post here too:

This came from a technique book i was reading a while back that stated that to be the 'would be perfect dancer' you must have the following essential abilities:

1. Perfect sense of rhythm    This is 'born, not made" unfortunately
2. Lightness                           This involves lightness of the feel, lightness in the touch, perfect balancing, and perfect timing with one another
3. Adaptability                       This applies to the lady only: she must respond absolutly to the slightest movement of the man
4. Leadership                         This applies only to the man:  he must always move with decision, if his mind hesitates the slightest fraction  as
                                              to what movement he is going to make, his partner's responding movement will be confused
5. Variety                              This lies in the hands of the man: The more the variety the more the enjoyment
6. Grace                                 Hold yourself naturally and move naturally, abhor an affected or exaggerated pose. Look nice, after all it is a duty we owe
                                              to the rest of the world
 

[QPO]

I do agree about the hesitation....as they say he who hesitates is lost. the women then thinks it going to be something and then it changes to another...very confusing and can go array.

[elisedance]

So what are the essential dancing abilities for a great woman dancer?
1. Perfect sense of rhythm    This is 'born, not made" unfortunately nope, not in the simple sense anyway - you have to listen to the man not the music
2. Lightness                           This involves lightness of the feel, lightness in the touch, perfect balancing, and perfect timing with one another. wait a mo, lets split this to three different catagories (they are all so important) and then say yes to all of them
3. Adaptability                       This applies to the lady only: she must respond absolutly to the slightest movement of the man I think of adaptability as a more chronic term - and certainly the woman needs to be able to adapt to different men.  I think what they mean here is sensitiivity....

4. Leadership                         This applies only to the man:  he must always move with decision, if his mind hesitates the slightest fraction  as
                                              to what movement he is going to make, his partner's responding movement will be confused  nonsense.  it applies more to the man but it aplies maybe 10% less to the woman.  Indeed, in some ways she has to be better at it as she has to know when to lead and when to relinquish (I'm learning this now)
5. Variety                              This lies in the hands of the man: The more the variety the more the enjoyment phoe; expression, 'selling', interpreting the lead, are not these variety?  who IS this guy learning from?  
6. Grace                                 Hold yourself naturally and move naturally, abhor an affected or exaggerated pose. Look nice, after all it is a duty we owe
                                              to the rest of the world yes, yes and yes
 

To this we have to add - taking care of her partner (like it or not, its essential); independence and tremendous control over when to use it.  And did we mention ballance?  Lets mention it again.  Ballance:  the woman who can dance in perfect ballance (in it various forms) will be prized over all other woman partners...

[Rugby]

Well said ee, totally agree.