Topic: What do women want in a male dancer?

[MRRONDAE]

Well Andy If you dance Tango you know the Dance is worlds apart from Leroc . The musicality is different , its very sensual and very intense I find myself tuned into my partner ,as I  listen to the music the energies between us are very different its electric compared to other dances we dance, the improvisations of the steps we take seems to change on every note I hear  my lead comes from my upper body as it is in contact with hers this is very intimate and very sexual and I must admit I find this very difficult to dance with other ladies because I only feel as one with my partner. Do you feel that  way to Andy when you dance Tango.

[Anita]

Ooooh Andy !! So now I know why you've defected from leroc to Tango !! ( Thanks for the dances @ Switch by the way  ) From the small amount of Argentine Tango I've done, I agree , it is a far more intimate, sensual and soulful dance--I loved it, and would love to do more but unfortunately time restraints mean its difficult to get across the other side of town in the week where all the Tango classes are, (I went to Eduardo's at Hotwells). If there were ever any on the Kingswood side of town I would definitely go !!

[MRRONDAE]

Last night at Jive Fusion Dance at kingswood we had a swing/jive night. Swing music was played all night ,which merged very well with the  Social Foxtrot class. This was the first lesson in the ballroom calender , this class was very well recieved.The lead and follow in hold and moving out  of hold and turning the lady under your arm and leading the lady back into hold as we were carrying on moving foward into side rocks. everybody looked realy good on the floor and a very bouyant buz echoed around the room. Taking part in a  ballroom class, I think will improve a mans lead and technique when  it comes to dancing in  and out of close holds .                                       

[Anita]

I found my 'follow' improved a lot when I started doing West Coast Swing, which is far more complex than jive--and I know leading WCS is far more of a challenge for a Leader too.

[MRRONDAE]

Anita , I think that once you have got the mechanics of one dance you can pick up another dance easier ,this seems to be the case with the ballroom & latin at jive fusions social foxtrot class, people picked up the steps quite quickly and I must say looked very good in hold and out of hold infact  the shaping of the basic figures  looked very classsey indeed to all  who took part in   the class well done you.         

[MRRONDAE]

Just got back from Nailsea, well done Tim and Diana good class. Confused yes it was tim and not tom . Okay Over the last  few weeks of Dances I have attended . I could not help notice that a chap seemed to be sat out most of the evening at one of the  dances I was at , this was not a leroc or ceroc dance I just wondered if its a vanity thing that certain women, that dance a certain forms /styles of slower types of dance just ignore a newbie , and as that newbie proggesess with that dance and reaches a higher standard should he ignore these women in the  future and just dance with his partner all night, as all the men  could not wait to get her up on the floor , mind you she  is very attractive an follows very well. The man should lead the dance and the ladies could see that when they danced together the man was struggling . I went over to him and had a chat he said I feel CRAP and I AM CRAP AT THIS DANCE .  I said Dancing is not like a instant ready made meal ,It sometimes may take a year but beleive me its worth it, surely it  must be in a ladies interest to help newbies out and give them a few tips( not money) but thats interesting ladies paying for a dance WHAT I NEVER.

[MRRONDAE]

Question,   PHILSMOVE if you think ceroc and salsa are the work of the Devil and the only true Dance is Tango can you please explain how your lead and follow changes during a Tango Dance , as I find it so different to Leroc and Ceroc . I do find myself not doing much in the follow mode as the lady seems to be showing off all that fancy footwork and there lovely legs .

[philsmove]

can you please explain how your lead and follow changes during a Tango Dance

Modern jive is a partner dance
Argentinean Tango is a partner dance
And there the similarity ends. Very little of what you have learnt in MJ is going to be much help with AT 
The music, the teaching, the dancers,  the etiquette and even the language, are all completely different
( and you would never find chip butties served at a Milonga )
AT is also completely different to Ballroom Tango
Even the professionals on Strictly sometimes struggle with AT
That said, there are similarities with all partner dances, Posture, Connection, musicality, and FRAME
As I have said, very little of what you have learnt at MJ is going to be much help with AT. But NOT the other way round. If you want to improve your MJ and understand the importance of, Posture, Connection  and FRAME. I recommend   Tango West’s foundation course
PS,
 Leads, don't be under the illusion, after a month of AT classes you will be abel to Tango, you wont , that take years

[philsmove]

. I could not help notice that a chap seemed to be sat out most of the evening at one of the  dances I was at , this was not a leroc or ceroc dance I just wondered if its a vanity thing that certain women, that dance a certain forms /styles of slower types of dance just ignore a newbie , and as that newbie progress with that dance and reaches a higher standard should he ignore these women in the  future

Its nice to know this was not a MJ class, as, unless he has forgotten to shower and change his shirt,  that rarely happens in MJ.  It certainly happens in AT In a few  AT classes, women are taught how to refuse a dance, if the man cannot dance

[Anita]

And did you not say, Phil, that AT ettiquette does not allow a woman to ask a man to dance anyway?-(silly idea if you ask me)--so these women could not have asked this new man anyway. If he asked them, and they refused him, then if I were him I wouldn't dance with them when he gets better--lets hope he gets REALLY good and can turn them down ! The people who should have helped him join in were any female members of the teaching team.

[philsmove]

And did you not say, Phil, that AT etiquette does not allow a woman to ask a man to dance anyway

 I gather this is dying out, althrough the Cabeceo is still encouraged
Women asking directly is accepted at many Milongas, outside of Bristol ( eg Ziggies Southampton)

[MRRONDAE]

Thanks philsmove for the reply , it was very enlightening even down to the shirt , but as all the men should know we must smell as nice as our Female counterparts ,this will encourage more women to Dance with a man that smells nice. Anita that was a very positive reply and 100% correct . It can be very daunting for an man to be as close to a woman that he does not know as he has to try to lead the dance, from my own experience as a virgin dancer I would get confussed on what move I was doing and what hand I should be using and all the younger ladies would give you one dance if you were lucky and blow you out. Being a single guy and being with other guys that were better dancers than myself the only place to look for a dance was the side lines of the dance floor . At the side lines sat down was a goldmine of Mature female Dancers ,to all the other guys out to impress the younger totie they totally missed this . I had struck gold ,I suddenly found that when I went to a Dance these ladies were there, straight away I had found myself with a harrem of dance partners that I could dance with all night , 100% respect to all the ladies that helped me to dance and I still enjoy adance with you all now.