Tips for Improving your Dancing

  Do you want to Listen to the Music

Want a fast way to fire up your dancing?Start listening to the music. Then dance to the rhymn of the music. Almost every dancer has a favorite song but how many of us make our dancing mirror our feelings for that song? Most dance music has a bass or drum keeping things on time but listen to the singer and the rest of the instruments as well.

Everyone that dances knows how important it is to keep our dancing on time with therhymn of the music, howevert how strict should that be? To get a good concept of what works listen to a good Frank Sinatra recording. Does he sing on time? Watch a competition couple dance a polished choreographed routine. Are they dancing on perfect time? Go rent a Fred Astaire movie. Most of his dancing involved tap routines but watch his hands, head and facial expressions as well his feet.

Like good singing your dancing can flow around the music. Once you are comfortable enough with the dance try to experiment with this technique. If you take lessons ask your teacher about this added part of your dancing.

Learning a choreographed showcase dance can help with this concept.

This concept will be most visible in a Rhythm dances like Swing and West Coast Swing (WCS). Watch how an extremely fast movement is followed by a slow movement or a hesitation. Watch how the dancers mirror the flow of the music. That doesn't mean you need to get so far away from the music that your dance partner starts fighting for control. But start paying attention to where in that special song you can use that favorite dance move. If you don't count the phrasing of that good West-Coast Swing song listen to it again and count.

TOP TEN TIPS FOR BETTER DANCING!

  ...Ten tips for better dancing

1. Comfortable shoes and clothes are a must for dancing. Invest in them.

2. Technique is better than moves. But new moves are still cool; if you've got the technique.

3. Positive attitudes are contagious. So are negative ones. Which do you like?

4. Why do bands and DJ's always announce a Waltz as a slow dance like it's supposed to be less tiring?

5. It's the music that drives the dancing. Good music makes you want to dance. Boring music? Oh well...

6. Introduce yourself to the new dancer. You were there once.

7. You spend both money and time on lessons. Don't waste both by not practicing.

8. Is the lady not getting those leads? Don't lead harder. Lead smarter, earlier, or easier patterns. Often the lady can tell you what to do to fix your lead - or at least give you a clue as to what she was expecting.

9. Better personal grooming makes for a better dance partner.

10. Some learn fast. Some learn slow. With effort even the turtle arrives. Have patience with yourself and others.