At ease, everybody

[elisedance]

DSV posted this on the social dancing board:

"One of my teachers used to say that to become a great dancer, you need to be a great social dancer with a great top line and a great presentation."

This strikes a note that is, I think, critically important for competition dancing - getting that 'at ease' look on the floor but its not something that we seem to discuss.   Obviously to be at ease you have to be comfortable dancing with each other but maybe there are tricks to it.

Also, comments on how important being 'at ease' is for the judges?

[ZPomeroy]

In my opinion being 'at ease' is a result of feeling confident within ones self, or being convinced that your dancing is adequate.

Zac

[SwingWaltz]

It's more pleasant to look at, and I guess judges can only look at you. 

[cornutt]

Actually DSV's comment is a good place to start.  Good posture, frame, and good vertical and horizontal lines are confidence inspiring -- you get that, "OK, all the pieces fit, now I can do some stuff" feeling.  Plus, it's a counter-intuitive truism that the better your posture and frame is, the more effortless it looks to the audience.  If I let my frame and topline slump, the audience thinks I'm carrying my partner -- even though it's actually the other way around.   

[Rugby]

True enough C.
I know two ladies who compete that have a terrible left arm and bent head.  It gives the appearance that they are tired being held up by their partner and destroys their overall look.  I don't understand why the instructor does not go  at them more for this when it is so critical.  In the summer one lady finally asked me why they were doing so poorly all the time.  I told her what I saw and she said her instructor never put much focus into correcting this so she thought it not a problem.  I mentioned that perhaps she should get a second opinion, possibly from a lady.  They now also go to a female teacher and her frame is so much better.  She can't maintain it yet but at least she is aware of it and what she has to work on.  When they danced in Kingston it was the best I have ever seen her look and I have known them for at least 6 years.  She didn't look stressed and her and her partner had that more at ease look then ever before.

[QPO]

yes and I find that some teachers focus on a particular area and they get so used to someone being in that position they forget to correct it. One of our fellow competitors loccally always looks like she forces her eyes to stay open and that she is almost making her eyes pop out of her head.

When I commented on once saying was she worried she looked quite frighten, her partner took it as an insult and said to me, I think you need to get another dress your outgrowing this one 

[Rugby]

You should have told him your comment was made to help them which is not even in your interest to do so, whereas his comment was made to hurt you so who should be insulted.

I once told one of my employees, who had lost quite a bit of weight, that she was looking really good.  I knew she had worked hard to do it and wanted to acknowledge her eforts.  She became really insulted and told everyone that I was implying that obviously I thought that she had been fat.  She finally calmed down and realized that I had been trying to compliment her but it can be surprising how an innocent comment can be taken quite the wrong way.

[MusicChica]

You should have told him your comment was made to help them which is not even in your interest to do so, whereas his comment was made to hurt you so who should be insulted.

I once told one of my employees, who had lost quite a bit of weight, that she was looking really good.  I knew she had worked hard to do it and wanted to acknowledge her eforts.  She became really insulted and told everyone that I was implying that obviously I thought that she had been fat.  She finally calmed down and realized that I had been trying to compliment her but it can be surprising how an innocent comment can be taken quite the wrong way.

Take it from somebody who's there right now--commenting on weight loss is a double-edged sword.  On the one hand, yes it's nice to have your hard work acknowledged.  On the other hand, it really is like, "You thought I looked that bad before???"  And then, when literally everybody you see says something about it every last time they see you, it gets REALLY old.  Like, "Yes, I know I've lost weight.  Can we move on now?"

[QPO]

so it makes it very difficult to give encourgement without hurting thier feelings...that is tough

[QPO]

You should have told him your comment was made to help them which is not even in your interest to do so, whereas his comment was made to hurt you so who should be insulted.

I once told one of my employees, who had lost quite a bit of weight, that she was looking really good.  I knew she had worked hard to do it and wanted to acknowledge her eforts.  She became really insulted and told everyone that I was implying that obviously I thought that she had been fat.  She finally calmed down and realized that I had been trying to compliment her but it can be surprising how an innocent comment can be taken quite the wrong way.

Indeed he comes across as not a nice person, his partner is only his dance partner and he constantly walks around like lech looking to strike every women has snesed that and keeps away. but Id di not take it on board as we were just about to go onto the dance floor for an event and I was not going to let it ruin my performance. which it did not.

[elisedance]

You should have told him your comment was made to help them which is not even in your interest to do so, whereas his comment was made to hurt you so who should be insulted.

I once told one of my employees, who had lost quite a bit of weight, that she was looking really good.  I knew she had worked hard to do it and wanted to acknowledge her eforts.  She became really insulted and told everyone that I was implying that obviously I thought that she had been fat.  She finally calmed down and realized that I had been trying to compliment her but it can be surprising how an innocent comment can be taken quite the wrong way.

Take it from somebody who's there right now--commenting on weight loss is a double-edged sword.  On the one hand, yes it's nice to have your hard work acknowledged.  On the other hand, it really is like, "You thought I looked that bad before???"  And then, when literally everybody you see says something about it every last time they see you, it gets REALLY old.  Like, "Yes, I know I've lost weight.  Can we move on now?"

Just don't, like I once did as a naive teenager, ask someone who put on weight if they are pregnant...
And yes, that relationship foundered... (though I probably did her a favor in the long run)

[QPO]

You should have told him your comment was made to help them which is not even in your interest to do so, whereas his comment was made to hurt you so who should be insulted.

I once told one of my employees, who had lost quite a bit of weight, that she was looking really good.  I knew she had worked hard to do it and wanted to acknowledge her eforts.  She became really insulted and told everyone that I was implying that obviously I thought that she had been fat.  She finally calmed down and realized that I had been trying to compliment her but it can be surprising how an innocent comment can be taken quite the wrong way.

Take it from somebody who's there right now--commenting on weight loss is a double-edged sword.  On the one hand, yes it's nice to have your hard work acknowledged.  On the other hand, it really is like, "You thought I looked that bad before???"  And then, when literally everybody you see says something about it every last time they see you, it gets REALLY old.  Like, "Yes, I know I've lost weight.  Can we move on now?"

Just don't, like I once did as a naive teenager, ask someone who put on weight if they are pregnant...
And yes, that relationship foundered... (though I probably did her a favor in the long run)

I did that many years a go, I was in the bank and this lady had a big tummy and I had seen her regularly and I patted it and said when was the baby due. and like you she told me she want not, but after that she lost weight, so it must have been that straw to make her do something. but me I wont ask anymore 

[TangoDancer]

IMHO, it is important to note that at ease deosn't really mean all of the things that have been noted here. Yes, DSV's points are well made, but I believe that she is speaking realtively and not didactically. Of course, the frame, topline, posture, etc has to be correct, but what is correct for the social floor is not correct for the comp floor, and vis-a-vis. Yet, both are correct respectively. I believe that DSV is more talking about getting the body to the point where it is correct but, all things being equal, 'feels' at ease, poised, and not forced, pretentious, or affected. When the body iscorrect, yet naurally at ease, the movement is easier to create.

[elisedance]

There is a certain ballance indeed between looking tense and looking relaxed that we are aiming for - where the dancers look confident and poised yet 'at ease' in that they are unstressed and ready to do anything...

[QPO]

IMHO, it is important to note that at ease deosn't really mean all of the things that have been noted here. Yes, DSV's points are well made, but I believe that she is speaking realtively and not didactically. Of course, the frame, topline, posture, etc has to be correct, but what is correct for the social floor is not correct for the comp floor, and vis-a-vis. Yet, both are correct respectively. I believe that DSV is more talking about getting the body to the point where it is correct but, all things being equal, 'feels' at ease, poised, and not forced, pretentious, or affected. When the body iscorrect, yet naurally at ease, the movement is easier to create.

yes I believe this to be true, I think that sometimes when you try too hard and are focusing on the steps rather than the feel it is not at ease.but does that also come from  not feeling with your ability to execute?