Social dance technique/tips to improve your look

[Chris_Yannick]

Does anyone have any special techniques for improving how you look while social dancing?

In what order would you place the following to improve how you LOOK while social dancing with a partner? Not talking about connection or how my partner is feeling. This is strictly about aesthetic.

Frame/Posture
Tension
Arm/hand placement
Clean stepping
Very pronounced contra-body movement
Something else

Or, to put it in a different way, where do you place your focus?

 

[noobster]

Frame/Posture
Tension
Arm/hand placement
Clean stepping
Very pronounced contra-body movement
Something else

Or, to put it in a different way, where do you place your focus?

Hm out of those, maybe posture and contra-body.
But I think this is very individual and a matter of personal style. Good functionality and musicality usually also results in good aesthetics. There are a lot of ways to get there.

For me personally
- posture/balance
- sync with the music
- finish the movements; really complete/round out/enjoy
- don't rush
- smile

 

[Chris_Yannick]

Good functionality and musicality usually also results in good aesthetics.

True, although with musicality I find it goes hand in hand with some of the other dance related techniques. So without the technique to show it, it could detract from the look. Even though I always say it’s better to have more musicaliity than less of it.

I also forgot to add ‘rhythmical stepping’, which is something I’ve been experimenting with lately. Instead of stepping at exact same intervals (which looks boring) I would step according to the cadence of the instruments, which makes the dancing look better, IMO.

The problem happens when doing overly complicated patterns, which makes it somewhat impossible to do. So that could be an indication that doing less complicated patterns makes the dancing look better overall.

 

[Smejmoon]

Clothes, shoes, bling. Will take you couple days with instant improvement to advanced dancer.
Training dance skills will take years of almost daily practice, so it's totally ineffective approach both money and timewise.

Posture, smiling, enjoying what you do helps too.

 

[Chris_Yannick]

Clothes, shoes, bling. Will take you couple days with instant improvement to advanced dancer.

Is bling really a thing? I have not run into many bling'ed out dancers. Shoes are a lot less fashionable now that everyone wears some kind of performance shoe.

 

[Smejmoon]

Is bling really a thing? I have not run into many bling'ed out dancers. Shoes are a lot less fashionable now that everyone wears some kind of performance shoe.

It's not my thing so I can't consult you in particulars and what's important this season, but I know how much compliments I get for a new shirt or shoes and how much I get for dancing. I did tests some years ago when I wanted to get a lot of dances with cool kids in locations where they don't know me. Appearances are much more effective than dance skills. Skills work too, but they gotta be really good and that takes a lot of effort. Not saying it's either/or approach, but you care about looks. I do this even when I don't really care about looks. Makes life much easier.

 

[Smejmoon]

Someone will explain better, but I think to get dances, you better look good, to be remembered - add something special.

Also you dance with women. They pay much more attention to these things than you or I can imagine.

 

[Offbeat]

I also forgot to add ‘rhythmical stepping’, which is something I’ve been experimenting with lately. Instead of stepping at exact same intervals (which looks boring) I would step according to the cadence of the instruments, which makes the dancing look better, IMO.

My brain simply refuses to step at same intervals. Matching the cadence and rhythm of the music with you weight changes and stepping makes dance feel really good. I don't know if it helps a lot with aesthetics. What's happening in the dance and what it looks from outside can be very different. It is also challenging and requires far better technique to synch the weight transfers and stepping to synch with the cadence of the rhythm. Probably takes twice the energy.

The problem happens when doing overly complicated patterns, which makes it somewhat impossible to do. So that could be an indication that doing less complicated patterns makes the dancing look better overall.

This is the case of where it takes truly a two to tango. Both the leader and the follower need to cooperate.

Simple or complicated turn patterns can be executed to match the cadence as well. Either the followers takes the lead in doing so and the leader cooperates. Or the leaders styles the turn pattern to match the cadence and the follower recognizes that. One thing that really sets advance followers apart, is there ability to take the cue of at what cadence the leader is leading the turn pattern. In a sequence they can recognize which part of it is being led fast, slow, medium, or being milked. Or the follower can take the initiative to introduce their own interpretation. Simplest example could be follower deciding how many beats to finish a turn.

 

[1derpalm]

I look like sh!t so I'll be reading this for tips.

 

[noobster]

The problem happens when doing overly complicated patterns, which makes it somewhat impossible to do. So that could be an indication that doing less complicated patterns makes the dancing look better overall.

Oh absolutely. No question. Complicated patterns just look... complicated. They don't give either partner the time/space to enjoy the music and be beautiful. (I think this has been said on SF repeatedly right?)

 

[Chris_Yannick]

It's not my thing so I can't consult you in particulars and what's important this season, but I know how much compliments I get for a new shirt or shoes and how much I get for dancing. I did tests some years ago when I wanted to get a lot of dances with cool kids in locations where they don't know me. Appearances are much more effective than dance skills. Skills work too, but they gotta be really good and that takes a lot of effort. Not saying it's either/or approach, but you care about looks. I do this even when I don't really care about looks. Makes life much easier.

So this is where our experiences differ.

I don’t dress up. Like, never. I am anti-dress up. I wear the same boring, worn out clothes at every festival. I’ve even started to wear sweat pants and t-shirts.

My personal belief is that wearing expensive clothes won’t make me more attractive to others and if it did, wasn’t noticeable to me.

Yes, I want to look good, but I’m talking more about dance skills. I do the usual grooming, make sure I smell good and try not to wear anything with holes in it, but other than that, I refuse to play dress up.

I did that already in my 20s and it was hugely overrated. So I will never do this again.

I don’t mind investing in my dancing as IMO that’s what will get me connected with the best dancers. I am not interested in dancing with celebrities but the ones I have danced with seem not to care what I was wearing.

Equally important as dancing skill would be socialization. This is definitely something worth investing in since bonds are also formed between dances, when sipping water, meeting at the bar, fliriting, etc… this stuff does make a difference and the more comfortable I am doing this stuff, the more receptive other dancers seem to be.

But in the end, status is the thing that trumps all. If people see you with other high value dancers, you’re much more likely to score dances with just about anyone you want.

The festival scene is one giant attention-seeking night game. People are doing everything they can to get the best dances and will try absolutely everything.

 

[Chris_Yannick]

Simple or complicated turn patterns can be executed to match the cadence as well. Either the followers takes the lead in doing so and the leader cooperates. Or the leaders styles the turn pattern to match the cadence and the follower recognizes that. One thing that really sets advance followers apart, is there ability to take the cue of at what cadence the leader is leading the turn pattern. In a sequence they can recognize which part of it is being led fast, slow, medium, or being milked. Or the follower can take the initiative to introduce their own interpretation. Simplest example could be follower deciding how many beats to finish a turn.

I agree in principle, but the more complicated the turn pattern, the harder it is to sync the cadence with your feet.

The feet are usually not moving, not synched, or doing some random pattern. Most of the focus goes to the arms when doing complicated turn patterns.

It would take some kind of genius level skills to be able to sync fast footwork while doing complicated partnerwork at the same time and still look like you are dancing to the music.

 

[Chris_Yannick]

Matching the cadence and rhythm of the music with you weight changes and stepping makes dance feel really good. I don't know if it helps a lot with aesthetics.

My biggest reason for wanting to do this is to eliminate the ‘floating foot’ syndrome which happens a lot when doing turn patterns. This is where the foot is either floating in the air for a split-second or is not committed to stepping in place. It looks really bad and I want it eliminated. Dancing to the cadence of the rhythm does help alleviate this problem somewhat and IMO helps a great deal with aesthetics if looking at the feet.

 

[TikiTaka]

Coordinated contra body movement is key.

 

[Bostontraitor]

 

[Bostontraitor]

So this is where our experiences differ.

I don’t dress up. Like, never. I am anti-dress up. I wear the same boring, worn out clothes at every festival. I’ve even started to wear sweat pants and t-shirts.

My personal belief is that wearing expensive clothes won’t make me more attractive to others and if it did, wasn’t noticeable to me.

Yes, I want to look good, but I’m talking more about dance skills. I do the usual grooming, make sure I smell good and try not to wear anything with holes in it, but other than that, I refuse to play dress up.

Sweatpants and t shirt can be more expensive than the cheap suit or blazer people wear at social.

 

[Offbeat]

Cheap or expensive suit/blazer is wrong outfit for dancing. It gets hot quickly and you have to change out. Lighter the clothing the easier and more functional it is to dancing.

I will start the night with nice vest or jacket, but it comes off once the shirt gets wet. Some people also wear vest or light jacket over the t-shirts. I have light jackets and very light shirts. After hour or two I will switch to something more functional. For day time socials I prefer either shorts or nice looking sweatpants with long sleeve t-shirts. My preference is generally for long sleeves so that follower doesn't have to touch my bare arms. For very crowded or hot places I will go with short sleeves.

 

[Amun]

As an improver, my answer will probably be quite different from advanced people's.

Less is more - I notice a strong "sexy" styling trend, and not many people actually look well when trying to copy their teachers. In my opinion, others might think differently.

Mastering the body weight transfer - if done correctly people look nice even without any extra styling and you can move freely

Arm movement

And from the non-dancing category, I think that proper clothes will make a big difference, no matter what your level is. Wardrobe malfunction will downgrade the dance no matter how good the person is, and good stylish clothes can take the dance to another level.

 

[eclo]

Less is more - I notice a strong "sexy" styling trend, and not many people actually look well when trying to copy their teachers. In my opinion, others might think differently.

Absolutely, I’m a follow and IME so much ‘lady styling’ you get taught in classes is far too much for a social dance floor and often looks fake and too posey, it just doesn’t seem natural. IMHO it’s more a performance thing. I think the harder anyone tries to deliberately look ‘sexy’ the less sexy they actually look!

 

[TikiTaka]

Absolutely, I’m a follow and IME so much ‘lady styling’ you get taught in classes is far too much for a social dance floor and often looks fake and too posey, it just doesn’t seem natural. IMHO it’s more a performance thing. I think the harder anyone tries to deliberately look ‘sexy’ the less sexy they actually look!

Most of the times, ayting called "lady styling" or "men's styling" looks fake to me.