[ Site Index - View all pages on this site ]

(www.twosteptidewater.com The Best smoke free Country & Western two step (2-step, Texas two-step), Ballroom, Latin (Cha Cha, Salsa, Rumba Meringue), Disco (Hustle), West Coast Swing (WCS), Night Club two-step, Swing Dancing for all of South East Virginia (VA) or North East North Carolina beaches areas  (Norfolk VA, Virginia Beach VA, Chesapeake VA, Suffolk VA, Portsmouth VA, Newport News VA, Hampton va, Hampton Roads VA, Yorktown VA, Gloucester VA, Jamestown VA, Williamsburg VA, Hickory NC, and the beaches and outer banks of North Carolina (NC)

Go To: [TwoStepTidewater Home page] [Links and other places to dance]  [This Week At Two Step Tidewater Virginia] [Future Dance Events]

 [Dance Tips Menu]  [C&W Dance FAQs] [Dance & C&W Clip Art] [Dancers Supplies and other dancing stuff] [Links and other places to dance] [Dancing friends personal home pages] [Country Bootlegger studio] [Tidewater Swing Dance Club (TSDC)] [USABDA-Peninsula dancing club] [Two Left Feet Professional Dancers] [Sam & Denise Miller, Professional Dancers] [Roberto's week] [Singles at Two Step Tidewater] [Dancing, Fitness and Health] [Interstate Directions to Two Step Tidewater] [Report Web Site Problems]   

*************************************************************************************************

Two Step Tidewater Sunday Dance News  

*************************************************************************************************

 [Dance Tips - Menu]  

          (01/16/2009 18:08 wh)

Country Western Couples Dancer. (men)

Dance Tip of the week:

When I write about Country Western Couples dancing some of you know the type of dancer I am referring to.

For those who don't, here is my view and a view that was developed by observing and dancing around the Country Western dancers on the East Coast. I don't have much of a clue about the rest of the country so I would like to hear from the rest of you who have traveled more.

Most of the male Country Western dancers that I have run across fall into two broad categories. Those that make dancing a conversation and those that make dancing a monologue. To put it another way, those who know how to lead and those who know how to push, shove and drag.

Judy and I happen to dance with a standard ballroom dance hold. That is how we were taught. We dance that way because it works with lead, follow and turns. We have seen many good dancers use a more "western" dance hold. It looked different but not all bad. They just had to do some quick arm work when the lady turns which wasn't often. Other than that, the dancing was very nice.

Back to the male Country Western dancer. Many C/W dancers start learning to dance in a bar or night club. If they learned from a teacher hired by the club they stand a pretty good chance of getting the basics right. If they learned from a pal or by watching others the outcome gets a little chancy.

Some of the most ugly C/W dancing that I have seen locally is with the butt out, head down, left arm straight out to the side, right arm (whole arm not just the hand) hanging on the lady. These guys usually race hell bent for the corner where they circle around several times before racing to the next. What is the girl doing? Mostly hanging on. Dancing like this is not and art, not a conversation, not comfortable and certainly not pretty. These guys don't want to learn differently because they don't care about all the things that matter to the other type of dancer.

The other type of C/W male dancer is the guy who saw a couple dancing around the floor that looked good. He also may have looked at the bad dancer and made an easy decision. Most of the local clubs have offered lessons in Two Step and other C/W dances at least once a week.

With some good music you had almost the rest of the night to practice. Many of the good male C/W dancers learned in the clubs and have very little other training. The difference is that they care about the lead & follow. They take the time to make their dancing better. The best male C/W dancers are those who pay attention to what they are doing and how it affects their partner.

Does it take lots of formal training to become a good social C/W dancer? In my opinion no! What it does take is some basic lessons on the proper technique and lots of practice. Many C/W dancers seek out professional instruction in a dance studio.  You can also get Country and Western dance lessons at many Community recreation centers, Y's, and other places.  (Watch our website at http://www.twosteptidewater.com.  We publish everything we can find out about.)  If they work hard the money spent is not wasted. They still need to do what any dancer needs to do. Pay attention and practice.

So for all of those who try to lump C/W dancers into one group please don't. As in Ballroom, Swing, Hustle, Shag, Latin or any other dance style there are good dancers and bad ones.

[ Back ] [ Next ]

*************************************************

Thought for a day..

Quit griping about your church; if it was perfect, you couldn't belong.

***********************************************

Go To: [Two Step Tidewater Home] [This Week At Two Step Tidewater Virginia] [Dance Tips Menu]  [C&W Dance FAQs] [Dance & C&W Clip Art] [Dancers Supplies and other dancing stuff] [Links and other places to dance] [Dancing friends personal home pages] [Country Bootlegger studio] [Tidewater Swing Dance Club (TSDC)] [USABDA-Peninsula dancing club] [Two Left Feet Professional Dancers] [Sam & Denise Miller, Professional Dancers] [Roberto's week] [Singles at Two Step Tidewater] [Dancing, Fitness and Health] [Interstate Directions to Two Step Tidewater] [Report Web Site Problems] [Dance Tips -Another dozen abstract thoughts somehow related to dancing] [Dance Tip - Menu] [ Home ] [ Look and Learn from "Dancing with the Stars" ] [ DO's and DON'Ts about dancing ] [ Why support the USA Dance local chapter events ] [ Jack and Jill Dance Contests ] [ Dancing at Your Wedding ] [ So you think you can dance? Part Three.... ] [ Dancing is...Moving Your Feet - or - Moving Your Body? ] [ Dancing with the stars, Dance Off - A review by Walter ] [ Is Your Dancing Looking Awkward? ] [ Improve Your Social Skills Through Dancing ] [ Another dozen abstract thoughts somehow related to dancing ] [ One good turn deserves another ] [ How Much Dance Practice Do I Need? ] [ Are The Dance Judges Right? ] [ Potatoes or Potatos, Does it start on the 1-beat or the 2-beat ] [ All dance group classes are alike? Open Dance Groups and Closed Group Dance Lessons ] [ How good is that beginner dancer? ] [ How to work on Lead and Follow ] [ Save your dancing feet and legs choose shoes and socks ] [ Don't Dance Together... ] [ Getting in Your Partner's Way. ] [ Dance Shoes... ] [ Our Way of Doing Things is the Best Way! ] [ Too Old for Dancing? ] [ Are You Open to Innovation in Your Dancing? ] [ Refresher on Dance Floor Etiquette ] [ Refresher on Dance Floor Etiquette ] [ A Practical Exercise in Lead-and-Follow ] [ How Hard Can It Be - Not Dancing...Attitude? ] [ USABDA - A Good Dance Organization ] [ Shall We Dance? ] [ A Man's Dance Frame Affects You and Your Partner ] [ Dancing Can Be Soooo Technical - or Not... ] [ Dancing is Too Nice of an Activity Not to Enjoy It!!! ] [ Physics as applied to dancing: ] [ Music and Culture Shock. ] [ Do-it-Yourself Suede Sole Shoes. ] [ Dancing Fluid Motion. ] [ Words of advice and a puzzle ] [ Line of dance (LOD) and etiquette. ] [ Moving and turning with balance. ] [ Spice up your dancing - listen to the music ] [ Leading and following. ] [ The lady's role in dancing. ] [ connection between leader & follower ] [ Tips for better dancing. ] [ Learning to dance. ] [ Learn the language of dance. ] [ Moves, Patterns, and Choreography . ] [ Attitudes, in life and in dancing. ] [ Dance frame and posture ] [ Why go out dancing, and what are your goals. ] [ Social Dancing Improves Social Skills. ] [ Places to Dance, the good, the bad, and the ugly. ] [ How to practice for different dance levels. ] [ What, exactly, is a Country and Western dancer? ] [ Is that a Rumba, a Cha, or a NC2? ] [ Plateaus in learning ] [ Bad Habits for Men, Ladies, and Dance Places ] [ What is a dance event? ] [ Things to do and plan for at Weekend-Long Dance events. ] [ Things I have Learned in Dancing ] [ Taking care of your feet. ] [ Dance to the music. ] [ Keeping your Balance ] [ The Melody Sets the Mood ] [ Another dozen abstract thoughts somehow related to dancing ] [ Dancing the right way! (My point of view) ] [ New Dancers and Learning Dancers ] [ Dance Etiquette, from a Lady's point of view ] [ Close Encounters - of the Dancing Kind ] [ Couple dancing frustrations ] [ Moms and Dads ] [ Learning to Dance; Through the eyes of a beginner ] [ Dancing While Traveling: ] [ Slow Dancing: Not so easy ] [ Dangerous Drivers ] [ Syncopation ] [ Phrasing your dance to the music ] [ Phrasing your dance to the music ] [ Social dancing ] [ Defensive Dancing ] [ Be aware of dancers around you ] [ To really learn to dance; teach a beginner ] [ Dance with your body, not your feet ] [ Body Mechanics in Dancing: (Bipeds Dancing?) ] [ Slow learner? Fast Learner? ] [ What are you doing before the "one" beat? ] [ Our dancing universe is both smaller and larger... ] [ What's the next trend in couples dancing? ] [ Four steps to becoming a successful Social Dancer. ] [ Heel Turns in Waltz and Foxtrot ] [ Contra-Body Motion (CBM) and Contra-Body Movement Position (CBMP) in Dancin ] [ Isaac Newton's First Law of motion in Dancing ] [ More Things I Have Learned While Dancing, By Walter ] [ Strict Dance Tempo Music VS Social Dance Music ] [ Open Dance Group Lessons - Closed Dance Group Lessons ] [ Mastering West Coast Swing (WCS) Connections ] [ Elements of Couple Dancing ] [ Finding Dance Music for Practicing ] [ Country and Western Couple Dancing (men) ] [ Social Dancing Improves Social Skills (2) ] [ Memorial Day... Freedom isn't Free ] [ How to choose a dance instructor, Dance Tips, Norfolk, VA beach, Chesapeake, Southside Tidewater ] [ How do you appear to others ] [ Getting in your partners (and others) way ] [ Dance group etiquette: To ask or not? Mixing Dance Partners? ] [ Dance group etiquette: To ask or not? Mixing Dance Partners? (Part 2) ] [ Lead and Follow Reaction Time in Dancing ] [ Stationary, or "spot" dance turns: .. Watch that shoulder! ] [ Dance Group Classes... Bring a Friend, or Even Just a "Casual Acquaintance" Dancer ] [ Differences in How Dancers Approach Dancing. Enjoy Dancing! ] [ Ten Inexpensive ways to improve your dancing quickly! ] [ Ten ways to destroy your dancing quickly! ] [ Reliance - in Dancing - and in Life ] [ Dancing? I Probably Forgot Everything... ] [ Dancing your way to fitness and health. ]