Can you have a great dance without a great song?

  • Thread starter Thread starter jk
  • Start date Start date
J

jk

Hello folks! Been reading the forums for a while, first time posting a topic.

I have a few questions and thoughts I wanted to articulate so I figure I might as well share them here and see what others have to say. Here goes.

The other day, after dancing to a bunch of mediocre songs and getting kind of frustrated, I got to thinking, is it possible to have a great dance without a great song?

Lately I've been focusing more on musicality and smoothness over fancy moves, and on nurturing spontaneity, energy, feeling, and so on. The payoff has been deeper satisfaction when I dance, and comfort in knowing I don't have to be an acrobat to be a good dancer. However, I've also found it more difficult to muster that spark when the music isn't compelling to me. Is it even worth the effort, if you know the dance won't be great?

I think it can be -- if, at the same time, you know that not every dance has to be great. Knowing that can actually free you up to enjoy the dance for whatever it is -- silly fun, learning, tutoring, social interaction -- without unrealistic expectations. Ironically, not trying to make the dance great could even make it easier to dance great dances!

Related to this, I've also found that when I make a breakthrough in dancing, I often retain some sentimental attachment to the song that was playing. In other words, because the dance was great, the song becomes great! I think a lot of why I came to appreciate salsa music -- which I didn't really care for at first -- was because of this sentimental attachment to songs. Eventually I learned to appreciate the songs independent of my breakthroughs, which then fueled further breakthroughs!

Thoughts? Have you had a great dance without great song? Was it great for social reasons, technical dancing reasons, or something else?
 
welcome to the forums.

i know ive not enjoyed dances to bad songs with girls that ive had nice dances with previously so i guess my dances seem song dependent. when the song and girl is right though :D 8). i usually listen for a couple of bars (but not always). have bailed on some speed salsa songs with a couple of good friends (they wanted to bail aswell, we were both 2 polite for a while but it just wasnt working) :roll: .
 
I think the music affects how easy it is to have a great dance definitely, but your attitude is spot on IMO. If the music isn't working, groove on the partner, the atmosphere, the furniture... but groove regardless! Good dances can be had without music so why not to bad music!
 
Your insights are spot on JK. I have had many great dances without great music, but then their was a certain energy and connection between me and my partner that we could just relax and drift along with it.

Sometimes it is more of a playful dance or one where we just play with creating rich basics in footwork and body movement to communicate in our own little world outside of the music. Other times we are on such a high from other great dances (and music) in a row that the energy carries over to the average tracks.

Often these dances are with long-time favourite partners but sometimes the magic can happen on the first dance with an unknown.

It is like love, the ambiance often helps but sometimes all you need are two people with the right emotional states.
 
I totally agree that a song that isn't particularly enjoyable affects how much I enjoy the dance to that song. A bad song + a blah or uninspired dancer = blah-dom....leading me to seek out a great (in terms of fun/musicality) for the next good song! But if the song is blah, and the lead is good, I may enjoy the dance just for the moves/challenge of following inspite of a funky or weak song.

I also attach sentimental feelings to certain songs that I've danced to. Also, when I listen to my different salsa cds, I get all nostalgic to the period of time and where I was at in my dancing when I purchased or acquired that certain album!

Good for you for dancing to the music, no matter how much that song grabs you! As a follow who is trying to pay attention to that in shines and in patterns, I appreciate it so much when a lead is leading me into moves/combos that match the song! :applause:
 
There is no such thing as a bad song!

All songs are good for a specific salsa style or for a specific kind of partner. All you have to do is mix and match.
 
Hmm for me, energy and feeling in the music as well as interpretation and expression are a big part of my dancing. As such if the song is really bad, I find that I'm just able to have a great dance to it. I can still dance but rather then really grooving and expressing the music, I'm just mechanically dancing 1,2,3..5,6,7. I went back to Sydney a few days ago and went to an opening night of a club my friend's started. The music was so good that I only stopped dancing when my legs got so sore I could barely stand. So for me it's rare that I have a really good dance without a great song.
 
I don't think you need a *great* song to have a great dance - dancing with someone you have amazing chemistry with can turn a pretty ordinary song into a memorable dance. But it is difficult to raise a truely aweful song (and I disagree with Nikka here - there are some stinking songs!) even with the best partner available.
 
If I was to split songs up into three categories;
Great songs, Ok songs and Rubbish Songs...

I'd say most of my great dances have been to ok songs.

Whenever I hear a "Great" song playing, I try to find a favourite partner so I can make the most of it. Sometimes I do find one, sometimes not. Sometimes when dancing to a "great" song with a not so great partner, it' worse than dancing with them to an ok song as it's a waste of the great song - a disappointment.
 
TheBear_CanDanceToo said:
If I was to split songs up into three categories;
Great songs, Ok songs and Rubbish Songs...

I'd say most of my great dances have been to ok songs.

Whenever I hear a "Great" song playing, I try to find a favourite partner so I can make the most of it. Sometimes I do find one, sometimes not. Sometimes when dancing to a "great" song with a not so great partner, it' worse than dancing with them to an ok song as it's a waste of the great song - a disappointment.
Click to expand...

oo yeah, expectation can be the ruin of a good dance, don'tcha find? That's why Saturday nights at congresses suck and Sundays rock!
 
I have that problem and I'm trying my best to work on it. I have the hardest time styling to music I'm not "feeling" on one level or another. Some songs...I don't know, I'm just left emotionally neutral...not happy, sad, playful, energized, romantic, nothing. I usually just try to work on technique, but that's pretty boring for a lead. I've lately been trying to focus on one instrument that I find interesting and roll with that...it gives me something to latch on to.
 
jk said:
Thoughts? Have you had a great dance without great song? Was it great for social reasons, technical dancing reasons, or something else?
Click to expand...
Yes, I've definitely had great dances to songs that I would consider merely good or mediocre if I were just listening to those songs. For me, great dances are always a function of the personal chemistry/connection that I have with my partner during the song. Even the best song with the best technical partner is still missing a lot if I don't feel any connection. In other words, even a usually great partner can drag down the quality of the dance if she "just isn't feeling it" for a song that I like....and I would rather dance with an average dancer who does "feel it" in that instance.

I consider myself lucky to know a few women who bring great attitudes to the dance floor virtually every time I dance with them, and I've found myself happily dancing to songs that would make me change the station if I heard them on the radio in my car. I'm the type of person who feeds off of my partner's energy, so it's definitely possible to use that energy to increase the quality of the dance beyond the quality of the song.
 
Big10 said:
For me, great dances are always a function of the personal chemistry/connection that I have with my partner during the song. Even the best song with the best technical partner is still missing a lot if I don't feel any connection. In other words, even a usually great partner can drag down the quality of the dance if she "just isn't feeling it" for a song that I like....and I would rather dance with an average dancer who does "feel it" in that instance.
Click to expand...
Yup, definitely.
 
Big10 said:
I would rather dance with an average dancer who does "feel it" in that instance.
Click to expand...

I would always prefer an average dancer who is feeling it to an excellent dancer who isn't.
 
MacMoto said:
Big10 said:
For me, great dances are always a function of the personal chemistry/connection that I have with my partner during the song. Even the best song with the best technical partner is still missing a lot if I don't feel any connection. In other words, even a usually great partner can drag down the quality of the dance if she "just isn't feeling it" for a song that I like....and I would rather dance with an average dancer who does "feel it" in that instance.
Click to expand...
Yup, definitely.
Click to expand...

Ditto, great description how I think about the topic.. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top