This will be the first in a series of posts covering aspects of a good leader and follower. This started as one post, but I quickly found that there are volumes to be said about this subject.
In the past, I have talked about qualities of leadership, but when a man takes a woman onto the dance floor what are his responsibilities? In your everyday life, you usually know your responsibilities. At home, it may be things like yard work, bills, vehicle maintenance, etc. At work, most of us have clearly defined job responsibilities. These were given to you before you were even accepted into the position. As a prospective employee, these requirements were reviewed to assure you knew what would be required of you the first day on the job.
Well, dance is no different. Each time a man asks a lady to dance we are applying for the position of leader. (Not to scare anybody new. Ladies are kind and understanding and want to help new dancers. )
Although your leadership responsibilities are not defined for you…. you are expected to fulfill them. With that in mind, I thought it would be a good idea to list what I believe are the responsibilities of the leader.
The Leader is Responsible for:
- presenting his lady – A man can show his skill at leading by making the lady look a flower in a vase. Many dances were created with the idea that the movements presented the lady to the room with a flourish. Waltz is a perfect example.
- taking his time while following the music- Allowing the lady to complete all her actions before going to the next steps.
- leading with the correct amount of guidance and direction – A good leader does not push or pull which will disturb the balance of the lady. A little lead goes a long way - the words torque, force, twist, etc have no place in Ballroom Dance.
- floor control and the safety of the Lady - Much of the time, your partner will be traveling backwards and cannot see what is behind her - It is your responsibility to keep her from running into other dancers or obstacles.
- allowing the lady to enjoy the dance- Face it, they dance with us because they want to have fun. If they aren’t having fun, they probably will not want to dance.
- have Fun – All that responsibility can seem like hard work, but don’t forget why you dance. You dance for the same reasons as the ladies. I’m sure at least one of those reasons is the have some fun yourself.
I’m sure there are other responsibilities that I haven’t listed here, but in my mind, these are the most important. If there are others you think are important, leave a comment.
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