Dance partner dimensions - what your range, preference :)

[cornutt]

My DW has fairly long arms, and I've danced with other women who have long arms.  I sometimes have the problem that when we get into a Latin frame, they want to stand at the longest arm length that is comfortable for them.  That makes it uncomfortably long for me --  I wind up with my right arm fully extended and arm locked, just to keep the heel of my hand from coming around the front. 

[Rugby]

My DW has fairly long arms, and I've danced with other women who have long arms.  I sometimes have the problem that when we get into a Latin frame, they want to stand at the longest arm length that is comfortable for them.  That makes it uncomfortably long for me --  I wind up with my right arm fully extended and arm locked, just to keep the heel of my hand from coming around the front. 

Hmmm, hand coming arond the front.  Maybe your missing your DW's purpose.  Okay, okay, I'm bad.   

[cornutt]

My DW has fairly long arms, and I've danced with other women who have long arms.  I sometimes have the problem that when we get into a Latin frame, they want to stand at the longest arm length that is comfortable for them.  That makes it uncomfortably long for me --  I wind up with my right arm fully extended and arm locked, just to keep the heel of my hand from coming around the front. 

Hmmm, hand coming arond the front.  Maybe your missing your DW's purpose.  Okay, okay, I'm bad.   

Well, it's a bit awkward when it's someone else.   

[elisedance]

I will social dance with guys of any height but dancing with men that are too much shorter becomes difficult because they ride on my leg when I step through, and I don't want to be that friendly.     

You could just lift them up for that step....

[Lioness]

Um, moving right along.

I've about 5' 4 1/2 ", and my partner is about 6' 2". We have problems, but we're learning ways around them. Sure, our hold isn't what is the 'done thing', but that's because the 'done thing' makes us look awkward and out of frame. We've adapted it, and according to our coaches, the result is good. Our main problem is that his legs are waaaaay longer than mine, so we have an interesting time walking in close contact, or generally just dancing properly in close contact. We spend the entirety of last lesson walking up and down the room getting used to each other.

I guess I'd prefer a guy only a couple of inches taller than me, but there aren't many of them around (stupid teenage boys and their tendency to grow like bean sprouts.)

[bookworm]

I'm about 5'1" and therefore tiny, or petite, as I  like to say 

[elisedance]

Isn't it odd - the difference between 5'1" and 5'10" is the differnece between petite and tall.  Thats only 9 inches out of a total of 70 inces - - about 13%!  And yet in dancing it makes such a difference....

[skipper]

I like to dance with someone that has a center I can connect to. Too tall/tooshort  it is all in the proportion.....

[elisedance]

I like to dance with someone that has a center I can connect to. Too tall/tooshort  it is all in the proportion.....

Interesting perspective.  But don't you sometimes feel that there is a great center but the limbs somehow don't work

[MusicChica]

I'm 5'6" barefoot, so assuming I'm in my 3" competition heels I dance at 5'9".  Now, if I'm in my low-heeled practice shoes, whack a couple inches off all these measurements, LOL.  Also, I dance Latin, so arm/leg length isn't as much of an issue for me in finding somebody that "matches" my height.

Too Short: 5'7" or below
Short: 5'8" - 5'10"
Just Right: 5'11" - 6'2"
Tall: 6'3" or over

That said, my favorite WCS partner is 6'4" and built like a linebacker!  And there isn't a "too tall" category because there's a guy at my studio that's in the 6'6"-6'7" range, and I can dance perfectly well with him with some frame adjustments.  Personally, I'm more comfortable dancing with men that are on the taller end of the spectrum than the shorter, but I suspect that's just because of personal preference--all of the men I grew up around are tall, so I just have more experience dealing with the adjustments necessary for a man that's much taller than I am.  Now, I will admit that dancing Smooth or Standard with said fave WCS partner can get a little awkward, just because his knees tend to hit right in the middle of my thighs!