The true joy of dancing is in the pleasure of these moments – which have very little to do with knowing the latest steps.
Some men, who are skilled leaders but not very mature dancers, focus mainly on complicated moves and become “drivers” on the dance floor. “Drivers” spend their time passing their dance partners from side to side and spinning them in frenetic ways, often standing completely still in the process. A driver often prefers to dance with one partner and rarely with people who can’t follow at their level, or who don’t enjoy steps-turns-dips-drop dancing without musicality and feeling.
On the dance floor, drivers focus mainly on the latest steps. They believe that if they don’t display the newest steps they have learned, or the latest fashionable steps, others will think they are not good dancers. In truth, only the inexperienced would judge a dancer by the steps they dance!
In concentrating on the steps, drivers forget there is much more to a song than 1,2,3s … 5,6,7s. Drivers lose the joy of the embrace, the feeling for the music and for the melody.
After many years of dancing, almost everyone will know the same turns and steps – it’s unavoidable. Musicality and interpretation of the music, however, must be acquired consciously and thoughtfully, like the appreciation of a fine wine.
The secret of those magical dance moments is in the feeling – how we feel the melody and the rhythm and how much the song means to us, which determines how we interpret music. Song interpretation is unique – depending on who we are, and what we have experienced in our lives. How we dance is a wonderful expression of our individuality. Two leaders will interpret songs in very different ways. Both can do it beautifully.
Males, you can dance. Feel the music – enjoy the embrace, the style of the dance and the emotion in the music. It might take a bit longer to become a dancer instead of a driver, but it will be a lasting pleasure to dance with you and to watch you.
At Rio Rhythmics, we encourage the students to dance from inside out, to let the music go through you and let it translate into movement.
