Transcript
Hey guys, it’s Melanie from Dance Times Square Studio, from New York City. This subject I’m going to talk about right now is really important, and really exciting and really fabulous. I hope I can keep it really short and sweet, but it’s going to be really difficult so here I go, connection in lead and follow.
This is such a fantastic, fascinating subject. So for an example, I’m going to give you an example. We are like instruments and you want to fine tune your lead and follow. First and foremost, we do not as a collective say, push and pull, not in our vocabulary. We do not use our muscles to lead and follow.
We use our body, our body weight, but before you take connection with your partner you want to get your own dancer ready to go. So you want to stand in your nice dance frame, because we’re doing the cha-cha you want to settle down into your legs and feet, and really feel that floor. The dance floor is your friend, you want to create a very interesting, exciting conversation with your partner.
Some people will feel like you’re driving a truck, and others will feel like you’re driving a Maserati, but you want to be able to go from, like 10 to 85 in just a few seconds, by the way you lead and how you follow. We talk about action/reaction, give and take, lead and follow. So what you want to do first is you want to get in your own dancer’s frame. You want to feel like a dancer.
You want to connect with yourself and then you connect with your partner by giving from your lats, towards your partner. So you can feel your partner’s legs and feet. You know where they are guys and ladies, you’re allowing the guys to know, you’re giving them the answer to what they’ve just asked.
So guys, you can shift your partner from foot to foot. You can turn them around, and you could be very specific. Guys, do not assume we know what you want us to do, because after 30-years of dancing with my partner Tony, I still cannot read his mind; imagine that. He has to indicate and I have to be ready and aware, and in the moment.
Speaking of in the moment, am I talking too fast for you guys? Speaking of in the moment, I get so excited, because this is so awesome. In the moment, that’s what you want to think about doing when you’re dancing with your partner.
You want to hear that music. You see that person across the floor, you have to dance. You ask that person to dance and you start to get in the moment. The only thing you know is your partner, the music, and being in that moment and enjoying it to the max.
