Are you afraid you will bore competition winners?

[stewart38]

Because they can be very very hard to dance with, basically. People who focus on competitions are developing a different set of skills to people who focus on social dancing - obviously, there's some overlap, but there's a lot of differences. Competition-focussed dancers can be all visual, all show, no connection, in other words - dancing to the audience, not dancing with their partner.

Example: A friend (no, really, not me!) told me about a dance he had with a famous current competition-winner, which he described as the worst dance experience he's ever had - she kept on continually hijacking and improvising, to the point where he had to lead nothing but basic moves and watch her gyrate around.

I've had a couple of experiences like that myself, although nothing like as bad.

You find some competition women have a very set style and I guess as they practice with just one man find it hard to adapt to another mans style

[Gus]

To be honest I've had more problems with intermediates than with advanced females. I've lots count of the number of lasses who may have just started doing competitions or have done a workshop or two in WCS / Jango /Blues and now think they are now better than the common masses. Although dancing with the likes of Kate, Lily or Nina may still scare the daylights out of me, its still preferable to dancing with the dare I say it wannabe hotshots

Just to be contentious (just for a change) there can be a world of difference between a dancer who has been placed in the Open at one of the Majors and someone who may have been able to pick up a place in a lesser event at one of the 'minors' in a poor year .... IMHO. All 'winners' are definitely NOT equal.

[Gus]

You find some competition women have a very set style and I guess as they practice with just one man find it hard to adapt to another mans style

OMG .. agreeing with S38 ... but its very true.

[DavidB]

I've been lucky enough to dance with many of the successful competition ladies from the last few years.

In general:
- They follow what I lead.
- They provide a good conection.
- They are musical
- They rarely hijack
- They seem to enjoy themselves.

What more am I supposed to hope for?

[tanjive]

Big milestone for me last night - my first time asking a Tango Teacher to dance - two dances in fact. She's lovely, approachable and friendly. But yes, it's nerve-wracking sometimes, dancing with someone that much better than yourself.

But competition-winners? Nah, they're just show-offs

So who was said teacher then? Not that I am likely to know who the London teachers are.

[David Bailey]

So who was said teacher then? Not that I am likely to know who the London teachers are.

Chrissie - Paul Bottomer's wife.

[Andy McGregor]

I've been lucky enough to dance with many of the successful competition ladies from the last few years.

In general:
- They follow what I lead.
- They provide a good conection.
- They are musical
- They rarely hijack
- They seem to enjoy themselves.

What more am I supposed to hope for?

I have to agree with David. The ones I have trouble with are the competition losers ...

[DavidB]

I have to agree with David. The ones I have trouble with are the competition losers ...

I've never actually won a competition. I've only ever come 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc.

Hmmmm

[Andy McGregor]

Hmmmm

Not being a competition winner myself I felt I could comment on a thread that's about dancing with comeptition winners. The best I've ever done is first loser

Although I did win "Most Entertaining" at Weston a few years ago...

.. so, now I think about it, I AM a competition winner. I just wasn't for my dancing. It was for walking across the judges table dressed as a lap dancer - although it was a very sexy walk: DavidB was one of the judges and I remember that he had a quick grope

And, as I've now realised that I'm a competition winner I can comment about their boredom. I have never been bored dancing with anybody, not ever

There is a line that sailors use "a bad day in the water is better than a good day at the office". We need a similar saying about dancing.

[straycat]

Although dancing with the likes of Kate, Lily or Nina may still scare the daylights out of me

This comment is making me think - I've only danced with one of these three, and the only time she was not an absolute joy to dance with was the first time I asked her - when I really had to screw up my nerve to ask... and so I was pretty nervous throughout and didn't dance well at all. Long long time ago now.

Usually - every time I've asked someone I'm in awe of, and had a not-so-good-dance, I think I can put down to my own inability to relax and enjoy the dance - it's me putting excessive expectations on myself.

Probably the best dance I've ever had with a rockstar-calibre dancer/teacher/competitor ... was when I asked her without having a clue who she was, and without having watched her dance. So no silly expectations. No feeling of having to 'measure up' in some way. After I found out who she was, I became very nervous about asking her again. Which is, to say the least, completely daft.

So... my new resolution is that every time I get the chance to dance with someone frighteningly good, I'm going to take it. Life's too short to harbour feelings of inadequacy.

[martingold]

So... my new resolution is that every time I get the chance to dance with someone frighteningly good, I'm going to take it. Life's too short to harbour feelings of inadequacy.

great attitude i like that one

[Astro]

The DWAS winners cannot be accused of only being able to dance with their dance partner.

In fact it's sometimes the case that that a dancer has a win or a place in DWAS, plus a win or a place in another catogary with their normal partner at the same event.

[Gus]

Probably the best dance I've ever had with a rockstar-calibre dancer/teacher/competitor ... was when I asked her without having a clue who she was, and without having watched her dance. So no silly expectations. No feeling of having to 'measure up' in some way.

I can understand this. Thinking further about my earlier post, after a season of dancing at the likes of Jango and Twyford, I got used to dancing with star dancers (some even became friends) and my dancing improved massively. Its like most sports/activities ... if you want to improve you have to play in the big league. Thats maybe why certain clubs/regions tend to produce better dancers than others ... they've simply hit critical mass and now the standard is self-perpetuating. RIP Monday Jango