Simple or complex moves?

[Wuzzle]

Just remember Clueless 'your partner number 1' rest should be simple...

I remember complex moves as broken down simple moves. I'll do both as long as am sure I can lead it without injuring my partner and myself

[geoff332]

If dancing is taught properly, every move's a beginner's variation. That is, when dancing focuses on teaching dancing rather than moves, the moves you do in a beginner's class should be done with the intention of learning the essential techniques (or movements) for the dance style. One improves as a dancer by mastering the techniques. Advanced moves are nothing more than amalgamations of the core techniques; they combine, sharpen and extend the techniques. So while in a basic, beginner's move, we might do one thing at a time, more complex and advanced moves might have us doing three or four things at once or in close succession.

So a truly advanced dancer will do most moves with good form: that is, with good and correct technique (including partner dancing and musicality). The 'advancedness' of the move is largely determined by the dancer, not the move. Some moves I consider relatively simple, other people have told me they find complex. There are other moves which are not very hard that I struggle with - simply because the style of the move doesn't suit the way I'm built and like to dance. Some moves - both 'simple' and 'complex' - I do better with different types of dancers. So a move that I would find really tricky with one partner I find really easy with another. To put that another way, most moves are complex until you (and your partner) master them at which point, they become, comparatively, simple.

For me, I enjoy dancing most when we both do whatever moves we do well: when I lead them well, she follows them well. For me, that means the follow needs really good technique, in particular a frame to work off. But we also need great connection with one another and with the music. And we need to enjoy one another.

None of what I prefer in a dance is determined by the moves. There is a certain pleasure in mastering a tricky move with a partner, but that's only a small part of what I enjoy and if that's the only thing I do in a dance then it's not going to be a particularly memorable dance. It's nice to have a couple of cracking moves that you can throw in to a dance that's going well and make it something extra special. I do think that it's important to select the right moves for that dance. But the defining characteristic of a great dance is never the moves.

[bigdjiver]

...There is a certain pleasure in mastering a tricky move with a partner, but that's only a small part of what I enjoy and if that's the only thing I do in a dance then it's not going to be a particularly memorable dance. It's nice to have a couple of cracking moves that you can throw in to a dance that's going well and make it something extra special. I do think that it's important to select the right moves for that dance. But the defining characteristic of a great dance is never the moves.

I had a super night at the Bedford Corn Exchange Friday. I cannot remember enjoying a freestyle more. The highlights of the night, for me, and I believe my partners, were a couple of dances with two different partners where we just played with the music, trying, and failing a lot of the time, doing all sorts of different things in the music.

Absolute top of the night was me trying to teach a completely new to me partner a complex choreographed sequence of moves. Well into No-No territory on the forums. First try -absolute rubbish - second she got the gist of the move - third time we did it. Not only was partner having the time of her life, but we had a mini-audience of at least five that were enjoying it along with us.

OTOH there are women that are absolute dreams doing just the basic moves. I love that too. MJ lets you fit moment, mood and music, and there are more answers than questions. I believe in doing what partner and I enjoy, and if "rules" are being broken it adds spice.

[bubblyblondenutter]

The only things that I would prefer not to be led into are dips and drops. .. I can only really cope with dips from the leads who know my limitations. I am not able to practice much at the moment, and so I am effectively only beginning the Intermediate classes - as a result I haven't done that many dips or other complicated moves in class....

(No drops at all please! 2 leads only excepted from this rule so far )




Everything else I will be willing to try and learn if I haven't met it yet .... just warn me in advance of dips


Whitetiger

i know exactly what you mean. there are some people i feel comfortable with because they know my ability and i feel i can trust them. only been dancing for 4 months so still learning lots of new things.

[jim]

As a follow and assuming equal degrees of skill, fluidity etc, would you prefer to be led in simple moves, complicated moves, challenging moves, a mixture or is it all just follow?

This may or may not be a little off topic, but as a lead if you become overly concerned with giving the follower the dance you think she wants you can end up 'back leading yourself'.

You can end up trying to follow someone who's trying to follow you .

So the questions really on the lead. Do you like simple or complex moves?


Anyway back on topic; Generally I think Shaina Twain 'that don't impress me much' followed by Cyndi Lauper 'girls just want to have fun', seems to pretty much sum it up.

[bubblyblondenutter]

i think simple moves can look really good when done properly and i enjoy the challenge with complex moves

[Prian]

Sylvia Coleman the co-founder of Ceroc (showing my age a bit), once told me that complicated or simple moves should be related somewhat to the tempo of the music. Fast songs = simpler moves, slow songs = more complicated moves and mid-tempo songs = mixture of both. Sounds simple but I have tried to follow this and have found it works very well.