Dance Tips, June 2001 (Don Stearns)

First of all, I would like to thank all of the members who attended the Workshop on Saturday, May 5th, at The Horseman's Club in Ft. Worth. Including members and non-members, there were over 60 people attending. Paula Atherton did a fantastic job and taught us some really nice patterns in Waltz, West Coast, and Two Step. The last hour included tips on styling: arm lines, spin technique, and other tips to make the dancers, (men and women) really shine on the floor. We were able to donate over $500 to Riding Unlimited, an equestrian therapy group working with handicapped persons. THANKS TO EVERYONE!!!

This month's topic: LEADING

Ladies, how many times have you had trouble trying to figure out what move or pattern the man is leading you through? I have a lot of respect for you ladies who have to do this, especially the ones who dance socially with many different dance partners. It has to be tough to follow men with different styles of leads. Men, stop and think about it, when you lead a lady into a certain pattern or step, how do you expect her to know where to go unless your lead distinctly tells her where to go. If you give someone directions to your house, you have to give specific directions on distance, direction, turns, and maybe even speed of travel. Well, guess what, you have to do the same thing on the dance floor. If you want the lady to do an underarm turn, you have to signal that turn. It has to be done at the right time, the right speed, and in the right direction. And, this all has to be done with the body, arms, and hands. Verbal leads do not work on the dance floor!

Each pattern requires a distinct lead to enable the lady to move to the right position to continue through the pattern and be ready for the next one. Now, for the men, here comes the hard part. You have to be able to adjust your lead for the lady. In that I mean that some ladies require only a small amount of effort in the lead to get them to the right position. Others require more effort. If you put a lot of effort or force behind a lead for a lady who does not require that much effort, then you will likely end up with her in a totally different position. If you lead one spin, she may do two or more and totally surprise you with what she does. Usually, you have to dance a little bit with a partner before you can determine what type of lead she requires. So, my recommendation is to start off with a light lead and if that does not work, slowly increase the lead until you find a comfortable level for both of you.

Ladies, if a man leads you through patterns and steps which you cannot figure out, there is nothing wrong with telling the man that you were not sure where he wanted you to go. Personally, I have tried to lead partners through some patterns and it did not go well. Some of the ladies have apologized for not being able to complete the pattern. Most of the time my reply is "that's all right, it means that I have to improve my lead for that pattern". If a man leads you with too much force behind the lead, then by all means politely tell him that you do not require that much of a lead. We do not need anyone falling down or getting hurt during something as fun as dancing.

Consider this scenario; A lady just gets off the dance floor after dancing with a man who had a rather strong lead. She was thinking that she did not want to dance with another 'gorilla' like that. She gets asked by another gentleman to dance and decides that she should protect herself from more 'over aggressive' leads so she is prepared. As they begin to dance, she resists slightly in order to protect herself. The man, senses this resistance and thinks to himself, 'boy, she's going to take a little stronger lead'. So, the man increases the force behind his lead. The lady senses this increase and thinking that she has gotten hold of another 'gorilla', she resists a little more. The man senses more resistance and again increases his lead to get this 'truck' to move. Thus a vicious cycle begins. Taking this scenario into mind, lightening the lead usually gets better results than increasing the force of the lead.

Developing a good lead requires a lot of practice. Developing a good lead for a variety of ladies requires a lot more practice. Communicate on and off the floor with your dance partners to determine what works. Don't give up.

TCWDA Member Privileges

Recently the Executive Board received some feedback from management of some of the businesses that honor TCWDA membership. This feedback concerns reaction of some members who have not gotten a full discount during special events and/or sales conducted by the businesses. Membership in TCWDA includes benefits and privileges given by the clubs and retail outlets listed in the newsletter. Each of these businesses voluntarily agreed to give discounts for purchases and/or cover charges in the hopes of obtaining more business from Association members. Each of these establishments has some restrictions on the discounts or benefits given to members and lists those restrictions in the newsletter. For example, retail outlets that give discounts on purchases restrict those purchases to regularly priced items and may not include sale items. Clubs give reduced or free cover charge on a daily basis and usually charge for admission during special events such as a bands or concerts. Some clubs even have their own club memberships such as a VIP card. These clubs still charge VIP members for admission to special events. Even with special events, most clubs will continue to give some discount or reduced cover charge to Association members.

The Executive Board is asking all Association members to cooperate with the businesses that provide discounts. If you feel that the charge is not appropriate, please politely discuss the issue with the establishment manager. Please understand that this is a voluntary discount provided by the business and that nothing requires them to continue to offer this discount. Let's continue to maintain the cooperative attitude between Association members and Supporting Merchants.

THANK YOU