Changing partners

[elisedance]

my hubby has problems remembering steps - it takes him ages.  My son is brilliant. At the beginning of the year they were given a tango routine and had one lesson on it.  He and his partner have been doing it every week at practice and I saw it the other night - its fantastic.  They just found out they have to dance tango in October.  At their level (level 2) tango is not included but he will be dancing up in level 3 at one of our local comps.  Its one of the best and nicest tango routines I have seen for a while and one lesson.  - totally blows me away. - mummsie 

sounds totally fantastic - but somehow they must have added technique - every new step seems to invoke an associated technical advance that is uhc usually harder to learn than the step itself - and this was a routine of steps.  How did they get over that hurdle - or maybe they don't need to

[mummsie]

my hubby has problems remembering steps - it takes him ages.  My son is brilliant. At the beginning of the year they were given a tango routine and had one lesson on it.  He and his partner have been doing it every week at practice and I saw it the other night - its fantastic.  They just found out they have to dance tango in October.  At their level (level 2) tango is not included but he will be dancing up in level 3 at one of our local comps.  Its one of the best and nicest tango routines I have seen for a while and one lesson.  - totally blows me away. - mummsie 

sounds totally fantastic - but somehow they must have added technique - every new step seems to invoke an associated technical advance that is uhc usually harder to learn than the step itself - and this was a routine of steps.  How did they get over that hurdle - or maybe they don't need to

I guess because he has been dancing since he was 5 he has the technique part of it imbedded in his brain.  He did his first medal test when he was 6 which included Tangoette (one of the new vogue tangoes).  He danced some of his tango with me when we were recently on a cruise - he is a very good lead and even in Doc Martin boots, made it look really good and I am not the easiest person to lead.  - mummsie 

[cornutt]

I think its easy to underestimate how much of your dancing is due to the dynamic with your partner.  We might like to think that we are brilliant dancer s who can do the same thing with anyone but its just not reality.  For compettion dancing so much is getting fundamentals into automatic so that you can focus on developing depth to your dancing - and that only works if you don't have to worry about how that particular partner is going to do (for example) a natural turn...

But the flip side of that is that couples who are together for a long time can learn, unconsciously, to accommodate each other's bad habits. 

[elisedance]

Absolutely - but for competition couples it really does not matter since there is no intent to dance with anyone else anyway   But thats all kind of off the point which was is ie 'easy' to dance with a pro and I find on average its no easier it can also be harder depending on the pro's expectations (as can an AM partner too).

[cornutt]

Absolutely - but for competition couples it really does not matter since there is no intent to dance with anyone else anyway  

I should have written the rest of it... what I was wondering about is: After a couple has been together a while, I suspect that judges will have "scouted" the couple.  Judges will have compared notes about that couple, and all of the judges that the couple faces know the couple's weak areas and what to look for in that couple's dancing.  If the couple are accommodating bad technique in each other, and all of the judges know it, then the couple will be facing an uphill battle.

Where I was really going with this is that a new pairing may get better marks right away, as an indirect result of what I wrote above -- judges aren't familiar with the new couple, and so may tend to mark them better.  This may give the new partners a false sense of having made improvements that they haven't really made. 

(There's an analogy to this in baseball: the minor-league pitcher who is called up and appears to pitch brilliantly in his first few games, then suddenly declines.  It's because the hitters aren't familiar with him at first.  Once the hitters have had a chance to scout the new pitcher, and get familiar with his weaknesses, they start ringing him up.)

[elisedance]

Interesting point C.  We need some judges to comment here - but I havn't seen one around for a while

I think it more likely that the couple goes to the judges for lessons to 'learn' (but sadly sometimes with the intent of virtually buying them off) and in the process reveal their weaknesses.  That old double edged sword

[elisedance]

Its time to revisit this topic - many people joined after we stopped writing in it:  under what circumstances would you change partners?

The proof of the pudding I suppose is that we are still together.  I think my threshold for changing partners has actually got much higher - the big difference is finally moving up a grade and competing in pre-championship (and not too badly either ).  This has given new life to the partnership with all the learning that it requires.

[SwingWaltz]

Its time to revisit this topic - many people joined after we stopped writing in it:  under what circumstances would you change partners?

When you no longer enjoy dancing together. 

[elisedance]

Its time to revisit this topic - many people joined after we stopped writing in it:  under what circumstances would you change partners?

When you no longer enjoy dancing together. 

I think you are turning into a tibetan monk.... I'm sure DSV will approve.
Speaking of, haven't seen her about for  abit...

[cornutt]

I think you are turning into a tibetan monk.... I'm sure DSV will approve.
Speaking of, haven't seen her about for  abit...

Preparing for OSB, I imagine.

[elisedance]

Yes, she just popped up again

[Dora-Satya Veda]

Are you talking about meeeeee?

I just took a few days off. I needed to recharge my batteries. I was sleeping, watching movies and reading. I also had family business to attend to. I am back and ready to post again.

[Dora-Satya Veda]

I think you are turning into a tibetan monk.... I'm sure DSV will approve.

I am not into Tibetan monks unless they do "drunken" style Kung Fu (which can be turned into dancing). But sitting in the cold for hours is just not me.

SW that was a very logic answer! I am sure my sister would approve of it. I think there can be many different reasons to change partners but not enjoying it sure is one of them.

[elisedance]

.....I also had family business to attend to....

I hope all is well and getting back on track...

[Dora-Satya Veda]

.....I also had family business to attend to....

I hope all is well and getting back on track...

Well, don't really know as of yet.......only time will tell how back on track things are