I am so frustrated right now. I might as well admit it. Maybe it’s because I have recently received a lot of input from several teachers; all gently corrective and definitely pertinent and useful, but I am tired of the corrections. I really am. All I want right now is to take what I know and dance with a good lead who has some good musicality. I want to have fun with what I know, play with it, create around it. I am feeling like the perpetual student who doesn’t get to graduate. One teacher joked that we will be learning our choreography into our 90s, with me responding that, hopefully by then I will have learned to ‘hold my center’. It seemed funny at the time but now, I’m wondering, will I still be a student when I’m 90??
And even more interestingly, is being a ‘student’ the only way I get to dance? In my case, I mean. Because I understand there are social dance opportunities, mainly Salsa, but personally, I just struggle with dancing with random strangers of various skill levels.
I really wish I could meet partner of my current level who enjoys learning as well as just dancing.
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I wonder, does one really need a partner to be able to dance? While I like the idea of learning in a dance group setting, or doing choreography, ultimately for me, dancing is a solo experience. Dancing on your own allows you to let loose in a way that you can’t achieve with a partner because you are when you dance with a partner, you are always having to look for that cue and play off each other. It can be fun, and rewarding, for sure, but I find that dancing solo frees me to move as inspired, which opens up a whole new level of creativity and freedom.
It just depends on where you are with your dance. I love dancing alone, and practicing by myself is fun. But I really like dancing with a partner. I do think there’s more stress, but you can create something really beautiful and connected with a partner. Especially something like waltz, or Argentine tango; I think the point of those dances is to show that interaction and interdependence and the learning of the technique is to highlight that togetherness. I do like dancing Argentine tango by myself though.
I started out with solo dance training, ballet, jazz, tap, Flamenco. Each set a foundation for when I migrated over to partner dancing, which I find way more satisfying. Finding competent dance leads is always an issue, especially when one lives in a city like SB where the pickin’s are slim. Partner dancing is social dancing, and I would encourage you to try the tea dances, there are several amateur dancers who are quite good, and several local instructors show up as well as some dancers from LA. I love to follow and for me the fun is being able to dance any dance, any style with any lead, and one does have the choice to politely decline if asked by some beginner with 2 left feet :o)
I like that idea, of being able to dance any style, with any lead and feel I might even be able to get over myself and try it! Do you follow any dance events/clubs? I could also add their events to my website😊
On Facebook there is a group called SB Dancing, which I have been an admin for since 2022, and I post as many local classes, events for social dancing as I can find from various online sources. It’s an open group so anyone can post, view or comment – check it out!