In this video podcast I talk about why you should switch partners in group classes. You see, if you only dance with 1 person all the time, you are very used to their weakness and strengths and so you adapt to accommodate them. You need to step outside your comfort zone and dance with other people. I guarantee you will become a better dancer and who knows, you may also make some new friends in the process.
Thanks for addressing this, Leon. Some folks are uncomfortable switching, but it makes a big difference in your dancing as well as making the social part of a group class really fun. I’ve made wonderful friends in my classes, thanks to rotating partners. If you don’t switch, you miss out on fun and on skill development.
Well put Jackie! You certainly build a great camaraderie with the people which make it a whole lot of fun!
I couldn’t agree with you more.
I have been dancing with the same partner for a while now and we kind of developed a routine so I didn’t really have to do much leading.
I am now in a group class and we rotate partners all the time , and this has forced me to become a stronger and better leader, and I am sure that dancing with different people is making me a better dancer, it’s a great confidence booster and a lot of fun.
Great to hear that Claudio!
A few years back I was taking ballroom dance classes on the west coast and the instructor encouraged switching partners. At first i was reluctant but later I realized that it improved my skill as a lead. One thing that me reluctant was the followers in that particular class were mean and unapproachable. So much so that I retreated to another dance studio where the instructors taught their students proper etiquette for dancing. Only after changing dance studios did I realize that my reluctance wasn’t just due to wanting to dance with a familiar partner. Thanks so much for this topic Leon.
You welcome Nathan. Yes switching partners def improves your dancing level.
It’s all about the lead guys.
switching partners will definitely make you a better leader.
I am very fortunate to dance with beginners and with Intermediate dancers like myself.
Beginners definitely appreciate dancers who can lead and will always smile and be grateful for the opportunity to dance with someone who steer them. Intermediate dancers who can follow will always be grateful for the opportunity to dance with someone who has a strong lead.
I don’t agree completely.
I have been dancing semi-professionally for over 3 years, and I met my girlfriend at a social last year, who’s been dancing her whole life. Because of her level I can pick up the lead and technique a lot better than with anyone else in the class. I agree that you should switch partners once in a while, so you can compare your lead (for the men) and make sure that she’s not following your mistakes… but once you have achieved a certain level switching partner is not required all the time.
IMHO.. 🙂
I can see your point victor. Of course if you are a much more advanced dancer than your classmates, or your goals to do competitions then you may need 1 consistent partner for that.
I think my point is made more for the social dancer.
I completely agree with your points about the benefits of switching partners. I would like to know what your rotational system is. I organize a dance class and frequently have class members who are reluctant to switch.
Hi Gail,
The system is such that the men make a circle around the room and don’t move. And the women rotate to one direction from partner to partner. If there are more women than men, I put them in btw the couples, so there a few ladies that may wait before they get a partner.
It works really well. After a few weeks everyone gets used to it.
I went to a salsa class with my wife, to hopefully dance and connect with her. They had us switching partners after 1 minute of dancing together. I disliked that a lot.
The whole point was to do something with her and enjoy it together. I barely saw her the whole class. I did see other women, some who looked really uncomfortable dancing with me. I also saw her dancing with other men. We shared time with other people and not each other. That was definitely not my aim in going to this class.
I only went for her, I’m not interested in meeting or connecting with other people, just her. So for me, that was not enjoyable. I understand what you mean, and the idea behind the switching, it’s just not for me bro.