Dance Tip of the Month

Most of us aren't professional dance teachers and don’t even make claim to be exceptional dancers. We are avid students and read or listen to some very knowledgeable teachers.  I can’t necessarily put it all into practice (yet), but just knowing these tidbits will help me in the long run.  If you are a very experienced dancer you may not need these tips and might even wish to contribute a tip of your own to be published in the newsletter or on the web site. They will mostly be about West Coast Swing but many will be relevant to other dances as well…

Turn your dance steps into “Dancing”! 

Even if you have just mastered the basic steps of WCS you have plenty to work with.  Don’t worry about acquiring more steps; learn to turn those steps into dancing.  Dancing needs to be graceful, smooth and flowing.  Practice what you already know slowly, without music and then to very slow music.  Make your movements slow, deliberate and on time.  Make them flow.  If you can do it slowly, over and over again, then it will set into your muscle memory.  Once it’s into muscle memory, it will start showing up in your dancing, even when the music is faster.  

Followers:  It’s even less important for you to learn more steps.  It may even be detrimental because you don’t need to know the steps. You just need to know how to follow.  One of my early teachers, Steve Rockwell of San Francisco, used to ask the class, “In WCS, when does the follower know what step she is doing?”  The correct answer is: When it’s over!  If she thinks she knows anytime before it’s over, she will be inclined to do what she thinks is coming instead of what is being led.  That would give her a 90% chance of being wrong, especially if she is dancing with an intermediate or advanced leader or a leader with whom she is not familiar.  A well known convention-level WCS dance teacher, Sarah Vann Drake, often tells the followers that all she does is keep doing WCS footwork and go where the leader sends her.  One of my favorite WCS teachers, Kelly Buckwalter Casanova (a multiple time US Open winner), used to say the following regarding WCS footwork, "If you receive a lead to move, you will respond with 'walk, walk'.  Then, if you receive no further lead, you will respond with a triple step."

Now, like all rules of thumb, I’m sure there are exceptions, but if you adopt that theory, you will be correct way more often that not.  Think about it.  In an Underarm Turn you receive a lead to come down the slot so “walk, walk.”  Then the Leader holds up his left arm (sort of a passive lead), you will turn (triple step), followed by staying in place for a triple step anchor.  In a Whip, you receive a lead to come down the slot so “walk, walk."  Then he turns you in place for a triple step.  You are then led forward again “walk, walk.”  Followed by a turn in place (triple step).  Even if you are doing Swivel Walks, you are led forward “walk, walk” (swivel, swivel).  You will keep doing “walk, walk” (swivel, swivel) as long as you are getting that lead.  When he leads you out with a turn, it will be a triple step.

Even beginning followers can be much better dancers in no time if they just concentrate on being a good “follower” rather than rushing into what they think is coming.  This would of course not work as well if the leader isn’t leading.  Don’t worry about that; let it be his problem.  If you don’t get a lead, don’t do anything except stay where you are and do triple steps and look good while you are waiting for a lead.

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