One of the main things people (namely women) struggle with when they are dancing is knowing how to follow. Just imagine how amazing it would be if when asked to dance by anyone in the room, you could follow them seamlessly on the dance floor. Sounds pretty great, right? If you want to be able to dance the night away and not worry about being a bad follower, this post can help you. Learning how to be graceful when following your lead takes both time and dedication but it is absolutely possible. Continue reading below to learn more about how you can really impress all of your partners each time someone asks you to dance.
Know The Steps
A person following another cannot dance with their partner unless they know what is about to happen. This means it is the job of the leader to choose the steps in advance and guide their partner into them. There should be no dragging or coaxing. The more steps you are familiar with as the follower, the more thrill, spontaneity, and technique you will be able to use in your dancing.
Develop Lightness
The best followers know that their bodies have to be activated and responsive to their partners’ requests when dancing. While this doesn’t mean you have to be as light as a feather, it does mean that your form has to be perfect. The right form for a follower includes lifting your rib cage, being committed to your movement, and having your free foot ready to move and pointed at the ready each time you step onto the dance floor with your partner.
Dance With Your Soul
While you quite literally use the soles of your feet to dance, a true follower knows that you need to use your soul as well. In your individual practice, you can focus intently on footwork and patterns. However, when you get onto the dance floor with your partner, you want to move from the top down and feel the rhythm pulse through you to truly make the magic happen.
Maximum Contact, Minimum Pressure
It is imperative that as a follower on the dance floor that you are as engaged with your partner as you can possibly be. On the other hand, you need to make sure that you are also maintaining your own dance space and frame. After all, no person wants to be compared to a sack of potatoes being dragged around the floor.
Listen
When you are ready to follow, one of the main things you have to do is listen. It is much easier to know where you are heading next and what you are going to need to do when you are clearly communicating with your partner while dancing.
Learn How To Follow At Our Woodbridge Dance Studio
If you struggle to follow or you simply want to learn a new form of dance, we would urge you to enroll in a class at the Modern Ballroom Dance Studio. We can help to teach you proper form and technique so that you can follow perfectly every time you are asked to dance. Need to learn how to lead instead? We can help with that as well! Call us today to learn more about our social dance classes.