Connection is the means of communication between dance partners. Since we don’t use (or rarely use) verbal communication in dance, we employ two types of silent communication in dance. These two nonverbal connections are visual communication and physical point of contact. Think of the visual connection as a wireless connection, the physical points of contact as a wired connection.
What is required of us if we want to develop good connections with our partners? In the last entry, I talked about developing your own dancing to become a more accomplished partner. Remembering the following six items will help you to improve your own dancing while building a connection with your partner:
- Pay attention to your posture.
- Keep your own center engaged.
- Focus on your partner’s center.
- Maintain eye contact.
- Keep a toned frame.
- Match resistance to your partner’s.
For a visual connection, the first three—your posture, an engaged center and your partner’s center—are also necessary. We communicate through the carriage of our body, so maintaining good posture and an engaged center will give visual cues to your partner about where you are going next. The better the control you have over your own body movement and carriage, the better your intentions will be communicated to your partner. The visual cues you give your partner will allow them read and respond to you which also gives you feedback to make sure they are reading you correctly.
A toned frame and matching resistance—the last two items—are important when we “plug in” to our partner. Touch is a transfer of energy, like plugging into a power outlet. When we establish physical touch with our partner, a toned frame and matched resistance will give the dance a sharper feeling and look.
Maintaining a good connection with your dance partner is important in many ways. Maintaining this connection builds on the quality of your own dancing as you keep the above six items in mind. Your visual connection and points of contact allow you to give helpful visual and physical cues to your partner.
Next: The dance hold itself. . .
Tags: connection, lead and follow, partner
