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| internet source: Dancing Mice |
Partnering Skills has long been an issue for all dancers, not only beginners find partnering a hard job to do, but also the advanced dancers think it is a challenge. Foot steps on your own may be easy, however, when you have a partner on hand, correct foot steps seem nothing to do with giving an attractive dancing, and you don't need to be a qualified judge to tell that the two dancers are not 'a couple'.
In fact, partnering skill is not only something that happens between you and your partner, it is also explicitly presented in your dancing, even though both of you are stepping correctly, without connection, the dancing looks empty. On the other hand, if both have good partnering skill, a harmonious feeling is created and this feeling can mersmerize the audience. Sophisticated moves cannot replace the connection, a couple with good connection looks much better than just a collection of stage moves. A partnered dance is called a partnered dance because the two bodies should not be just 'two bodies' but 'a couple'.
So what are basic partnering skills?
1. frame and posture
2. action and reaction
There are of course a number of other details, but basically, if one needs to hand these two well so as to provide a solid ground for advancing to the next level.
Frame and Posture
Frame and Posture are the basis of the partnering. Some people think that partnering is man's pushing and pulling and lady's being pushed or pulled; however, that's absolutely wrong. In dancing, man's lead is not simply moving the hands. Instead, man shold signal the lady by adjusting his body posture, hence his frame. The nudge (sorry, it's never a push) given by the man should be initiated by the whole frame. Likewise, lady should be nudged and responsed by adjusting her posture, hence her frame, and move to the direction the man signalled.
Everything happens together with the frame, not the hands and arms. Why?
You can imagine how you can move a patch of spaghette (of a human body's size), or how you can move an empty carton box (of a human body's size). When the body is not toned, having the lady's arm pressing on your arm and move her around elegantly is impossible for the man. When the body is toned, giving enough space within the frame, posturing but not really placing pressure on your arm, it is much easier to move her around so that you can still keep your gentleman smile on your face. Besides, the lady will get her shape when she is toned.
Therefore, the first thing you should do if you want better partnering skill is to tone yourself. It's actually not easy to keep a good frame during just one whole dance, although it could only mean a 3-minute song. Most people can hold it nicely for the first three or four bars, but as music goes, the arms start to slump and in the end they are all collapsed.
In order to have a nice, you should always remember the five touching points:
1. man's L & lady's R hand;
2. man's R lower forearm under the lady's upper arm near her armpit;
3. man folds his R hand around to touch lady's L shoulder blade;
4. lady's L forearm and hand on top of man's R arm;
5. the R side of lower ribcages of each partner.
The lady has quite a hard time keeps walking back while arching her back, so the counterbalance is important as it gives support for the lady to hold her posture. On the other hand, the man also has his own time to deal with the moving of his legs while the lady's leg is attached closely. However, it takes a little get used to, then you will be fine.
Another point to note is the CBMP (check the definition in our glossary here). If the lady can keep her posture, CBM is usually not a problem as her CBM and CBMP are already defined. It is largely the man's job to keep the CBM in order to sustain the look until the end.
Let's take a look at the action and reaction next week.
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