The beginner lead's dilemma

[ttd]

That to me is "social dancing".  Everything is still correct, just not maximized to it's maximum stride.  Your lead is correct, your movement is correct, your technique, frame, posture, everything is nice and correct.  When you start to break speed records, that's what I like to call "competitive dancing".  

That's what social dancing should be. That's however not what it is in reality, and honestly I highly doubt that average social dancers care. Maybe it's a jaded view, but I sincerely think it's true. I've heard enough people say "we don't really want to get too technical". And since the customer is always right...

[MusicChica]

That to me is "social dancing".  Everything is still correct, just not maximized to it's maximum stride.  Your lead is correct, your movement is correct, your technique, frame, posture, everything is nice and correct.  When you start to break speed records, that's what I like to call "competitive dancing".  

That's what social dancing should be. That's however not what it is in reality, and honestly I highly doubt that average social dancers care. Maybe it's a jaded view, but I sincerely think it's true. I've heard enough people say "we don't really want to get too technical". And since the customer is always right...

Going to take this topic over to the social dancing thread if you don't mind, ttd, as it's something that's come up recently in my own studio.

[Dora-Satya Veda]

...but once the plant is grown, you can eat of the fruit

Good one ee. Love it. 

[QPO]

That to me is "social dancing".  Everything is still correct, just not maximized to it's maximum stride.  Your lead is correct, your movement is correct, your technique, frame, posture, everything is nice and correct.  When you start to break speed records, that's what I like to call "competitive dancing".  

That's what social dancing should be. That's however not what it is in reality, and honestly I highly doubt that average social dancers care. Maybe it's a jaded view, but I sincerely think it's true. I've heard enough people say "we don't really want to get too technical". And since the customer is always right...

yes the first school I went to and where Lioness still goes, there are people there when the teacher tried to get technical his customers told him off. So in the end we moved as we wanted to learn more and better. All his dances bob up and down, and four years on they still do  they dont want to learn anymore. Those that do leave.

[ttd]

I was practicing in the studio tonight and got to see some of the beginner waltz class, first in this month series. The teacher (who also owns the studio) did not make it sound like dancing was something difficult, or you need to focus on one thing at a time, but her approach is to get people to the point where they can have fun at parties as quickly as possible (this way they stick around, come to more groups and eventually might even take some privates). So everything was simplified a lot. However, because the leading part has been so minimized, I think that when those couples try dancing with other people, other ladies will have trouble following those guys (promenade is not a visual lead!)