How To Be A Good Jive Dance Lead
(What's in a good lead?)
This is something every dancer wonders about and the answer
is probably under continual development for each of us! Many
dancers simply like to learn at their own speed, with classes,
practice and instinct; but for those who also like an analytical
approach, this short 'essay' may be of interest.
The following thoughts are
by no means original and I certainly don't claim to be any
expert authority on leading and following - if you have additional
ideas, feedback or related quotes, or even just enjoy discussing
the subject, I'd love to hear from you. Meanwhile, this seems
as good a place as any to compile and focus on some ideas
on 'what makes a good lead' (and with some addditional points
on following - which can't after all, be separated!)
Much of what goes in to making
a good leader also has a counterpart in being a good follower,
but for ease of reference there's also some quick tips on
following. If you're a beginner, and would just like some
quick tips for both, you can jump down to some quick notes
for beginners, otherwise, read on ..
We can look at lead and follow
from a technical perspective or as a partnership thing, and
a good lead probably combines aspects of both as those two
aspects overlap and merge . . .
On the technical side, we
can consider clarity, accuracy, awareness of where a partner's
weight is and where you want to move it to, handholds, skill
and timing. As part of a partnership, which dance of course
is, we could include responsiveness to how she follows your
lead, 'micro leads', synchronisation, attention, frame, adaptability
and practice.
A good lead can be viewed
as an 'invitation to do a move'. Lead and follow should not
translate as ‘command and obey’! . . . but a better word might
be ‘suggesting’ - giving the follower the option to choose
the appropriate response for the lead given. Leading is not
pushing or pulling. It is communicating an intention. There
is no room for pause while the follower considers the lead,
but she is also free to accept the suggested lead or change
it into something else! At no point should the leader force
her into a move.
Remembering it's all about
communication, you have to be aware of the 'language' your
partner speaks, as you would also her vocabulary and tone
of voice if you were communicating by talking rather than
dancing.
Women don’t ‘follow’ as much
interpret signals they're given, and with a keen responsiveness
that is not passive. The follower role is mentally and physically
active. In some of the best partners I’ve danced with, this
acute, passive receptiveness is almost like a physical force.
The follower’s hands and eyes are almost ‘listening’ for the
slightest indication and ready to respond.
“Just as a language interpreter
can't translate mumbling, she similarly can't interpret a
mumbled lead. And forceful leading is no more helpful than
is the shouting of unintelligible mumbling.”
Clarity
A strong, clear lead is the
physical equivalent to perfect diction, rather than shouting!
As skill improves, the equivalent of a whisper is sufficient.
Be clear, precise, warm and
friendly with your leads. And instantly flexible when she
comes up with an alternative interpretation of your signals.
Responsiveness
The best leaders now know that a great part of a good leading
is following. In other words, he is perceptive and responsive
to her situation. He listens with his body to be aware of
how closely his lead is being accepted. He visualizes where
his partner is going, where her feet and balance are, where
her momentum is heading, which steps will flow smoothly from
her current step.
“He knows and cares what is
comfortable for her, what is pleasurable or fun. He dances
for his partner's ability and comfort.”
Adaptability
Adaptability and respect for your partner can help to develop
that magical empathy that makes the dance just flow. If she
misses the lead for a move, compensate by turning it into
a different move and hopefully she will not even notice she
'fluffed' it. She may deliberately do something different
with it of course, and if you have respected each other's
dance space this isn't usually a problem. It is not a 'mistake'
if she deliberately does something different with your lead
to that which you intended.
Many experienced followers
will have a repertoire of ‘sabotage’ moves up their sleeves
to make a dance more interesting without throwing the leader
off his stride. This can be something simple like extra footwork,
or a complete re-interpretation of a lead to produce a more
interesting result. If the follower is ready for the next
lead then the leader shouldn’t really complain! Free interpretation
by the follower is okay as long as it doesn't interfere with
the man's lead.
Skill
Early on in the dance, a good
leader will assess his partner’s dance level and ability.
For instance, you can gauge her technical knowledge by putting
her into a small dip before doing a big drop, seeing how comfortable
she is with specific hand holds and ordinary spins before
putting her into a double-speed assisted spin, giving her
a little more room for improvisation before forcing her to
lead her own improvised section. This is particularly important
in UK where the terms 'beginner', 'intermediate' and 'advanced
' have no specific definition and dancers are not assessed
formally before moving from one grade to another as they are
in Australasia. A dancer may be very experienced and even
expert in a lot of moves but be ignorant of more technical
aspects, including being responsible for her own balance or
doing particular types of spins.
Practice
Leading also requires the courage to step confidently and
this comes from diligent practice and knowing the steps –
not only the man’s steps but the woman’s steps too! Throwing
her into moves or dance styles with which she is unfamiliar
may result in using too much force and be uncomfortable for
her. (Aussie and NZ Ceroccers might wish to note: different
conventions mean UK dancers may not automatically move into
set positions for set types of moves, so 'rounding' the edges
of the moves may make them gentler and more accessible.)
Attention and timing
“Leading requires an awareness
of not only one's own well being and enjoyment, but the well-being
and enjoyment of another human being. Following requires a
willingness to be vulnerable, to relinquish control and allow
oneself to be lead. Following requires paying close attention
to the leader and non-verbal cues. Following requires trust.
Trust is never a given. It must be earned. And therein lies
the dance. It is only by dancing together, with each other,
that we learn to trust each other.”
If her timing seems 'out' try to see how she's hearing the
music. It may be a valid rhythm, simply placing the emphasis
on a different part of the note. If it seems she can't hear
the beat (some people just can’t!) and all else fails you
can try counting it gently and with a nice smile (careful
though - this may also get you a slap!)
Frame
Effective lead and follow need a degree of (for want of a
better word) tension. You need a 'frame' to dance with a partner,
or else you have to rely on very close understanding! Understanding
alone may be fine for basic or choreographed moves but there
is little use of genuine lead there (regular partners beware!)
A good frame, on the other hand, allows you to communicate
movement to your partner with the whole of your body to the
whole of hers. It has enough tension to be sturdy, an equal
tension whether moving her backwards or forwards, but at the
same time devoid of any strain. It’s a dynamic thing, flexing
and compressing, not an uncomfortable rigidity.
Frame is the key to moving
as one. Lead and follow is the gateway to making a connection.
Professional dancers talk about making the three connections:
with your partner, the music, and with the floor.
A common exercise used in
beginner style workshops is designed to balance and maintain
a gentle pressure that is even and unvarying – once that dynamic,
interactive connection is developed then leader and follower
are sensitive to the tiniest variations:
Face each other, and place
the fingertips of each of your hands against the fingertips
of each of your partner’s hands, very lightly. There should
be a light but tactile connection between the two dancers.
Each person should take it in turns to move their hands around
together (up and down, right and left, forwards and backwards)
while both dancers concentrate on maintaining a constant pressure
between the pairs of fingertips. As you feel a pressure, you
move with it in order to maintain the initial light pressure
– not too much and not too little. This should also be done
with the eyes closed and 'dancing' without music. The man
should be able to lead, vary step size, and even vary the
tempo of the dance all with the woman’s eyes closed.
You can repeat the exercise
with the hands not quite touching, keeping an inch of air
between them as you complete the moves. Leading can even be
done with body placement and eyes alone. You can test your
connection by placing a small coin between the joined pairs
of fingertips and moving around without driopping the coins.
“A stable frame is important
because it maximizes the couple's signal-to-noise ratio -
maximizes the amount of useful information that can be transmitted
between their bodies.”
In closed position, imagine you are holding a large ball between
you and maintain continuous light pressure on that ball. Stability
comes from keeping the same amount of pressure between you.
Speed comes from good frame. If you have a good frame, then
you can communicate with the tiniest of movements, using much
less force. Combined with good balance techniques, this enables
complex moves to be done safely and gently at speed if required.
Keep the navels of the leader
and the follower pointing to each other (or in parallel alignment)
wherever possible. The dynamic tension of a good frame also
makes the woman look good since it helps to make sure she
moves fluidly.
Synchronisation
“Proper leading is accomplished
by leading with the body, not the arms. If you maintain a
proper arm-body connection, when the leader's body moves,
the body-arm arm-body connection causes the follower's body
to move. Leading with the arms instead of the body is not
only wrong from a basic lead/follow standpoint, but it results
in bad body lines, which will make your dancing look awful.”
The essence of keeping a good connection has two parts. The
first is feeling that your hips/groins are pushing into the
balls of your feet as you step. The second is feeling your
lower shoulders/ribs connect with a) your arms and hands and
b) your partners' spine.
(For developing connection
with the music, see examples in Kinetic Imagery.)
Awareness of where your partner's
weight is
Also in leading, it is helpful, or necessary, to be aware
of the woman’s balance point. You need to know not just the
steps but how your body works, so you understand how you got
from A to B, and then you need to know the same for her, so
you can effectively visualise and lead her through. For instance,
if you are going to put her into a right spin, it will be
easier for her if you have her weight over her right foot
(or over her left foot for a left spin). Whichever foot and
direction you are spinning her from though, she needs to have
her weight over the foot on which she is spinning.
Tango dancers use a simple
exercise to establish where a partner’s weight is:
In closed position, rock very,
very slightly, shifting your weight from left to right and
back again. If you have good frame you will be able to feel
your partner’s weight shifting too. Wait until her weight
is off her right foot if you want her to step with her right,
or vice versa if you want her to step with her left.
If you are dancing with a
beginner, you will need to simplify your moves and speed of
execution unless you can establish very good frame early on.
But a woman without good posture, correct body/foot positions
and body tone is very hard to lead.
One of the most difficult
skills in dancing is the ability to dance well with anyone.
This not only requires being able to adapt your leading/following
style to that of your partner, but also being able to adjust
your repertoire of moves to your partner as well.
"Lead or follow, but
always dance. It will harmonize the movements of your life
and the life we share together in the same way that music
takes differing sounds and harmonizes them."
Micro-leads
When the man leads, he should preface all his steps with his
momentum; for example, if he plans to step forward on count
1, he puts his body weight a tiny bit forward, a tiny fraction
of a second before count 1. In this way, he tells the woman
where to step next, so that she can step as much with him
as possible. Another trick is to ‘begin’ a lead one or two
beats ahead of the move, using the momentum of the current
step to get you into the next move. If you do this, it helps
to visualize the next move in advance in your mind. If you
can visualise it well like this, you will find it will help
to put your partner at ease. Most micro-leads are pre-leads
– a small lead in the direction you want her to turn.
A prep-lead, on the other
hand, is a small lead in the opposite direction of the turn
that you will lead. They involve a wind-up immediately before
the turn or step (eg taking her hand to your right before
flinging it left in a ladyspin, or stepping her forward on
her right after a grind prior to spinning her to her right.)
Handholds and leading turns and spins:
Don’t force a follower to
turn several times if she is not sufficiently advanced at
turns (it’ll just result in a loss of balance). In UK Ceroc,
just putting your hand over your partner's head indicates
you want her to turn. In NZ Ceroc, and some other forms of
jive (as well as other dances) it doesn't indicate anything,
or indicates you want her to go under - movement is required
to initiate movement in the follower!. One of the advantages
of the first style is that it is easier for beginners to pick
up. One of the advantages of the second style is that it is
easier to differentiate between whether you are leading one
or two spins. Light hand holds are essential for good turns
– anything stronger may be uncomfortable or unbalance the
woman. Slow multiple assisted spins can be led using a salsa
drop-hand-change; fast assisted spins require changing from
a cup grip to a spindle hold (sometimes called a mambo hold)
– the man’s hand has the middle two fingers together pointing
firmly downwards and the follower’s hand revolves around it
as if revolving around a spindle. Fast assisted spins require
specific technique (the man drawing accurate ‘haloes’ and
the woman raising her elbow into a ‘unicorn’ position.)
‘Maximum results with minimum
effort.’ Robert Cordoba
Accuracy
The best dancers, regardless of style, teach use of accurate,
light leads. It’s an illusion that makes it look as if the
dancers are flinging each other around! “Do not yank and crank,
just indicate!” Minimum force is needed to indicate to a follower
which direction to go or which figure to execute. This makes
dancing more pleasurable and, if a follower does not respond
to a the lead for a move, picking another one is simple because
the follower is not forced into an unrecoverable position.
Although there are exceptions,
depending on the move, a definite initial lead to establish
momentum is generally helpful followed by a feather touch
follow through.
Eddie Harper defined lead
as “An indication of speed and direction without force or
verbal communication” and defined follow as “travelling in
the path of least resistance.”
How do you learn to follow?
(the following notes are adapted and expanded from the arts
dance newsgroup)
First of all, clear your mind
and concentrate on your partner. (You may find some of the
exercises in the Kinetic Imagery section helpful for this).
Don’t take any mental baggage with you onto the dance floor,
either on your own behalf or for your partner (this is sometimes
easier when dancing with total strangers – otherwise I often
find it helpful to regard the person on the dancefloor in
front of me as a totally different person to the individual
they are off the dancefloor – it’s how they dance that matters!)
At the beginning of the dance,
listen intently to the music without counting the beats or
analyzing it too much at first.
The only thing to analyse
are the signals your leader is conveying. Don't think of anything
specific - if you have to think consciously about steps for
a particular move, you are not yet at the level of thought
process that enables you to follow effortlessly. Open your
mind to the messages that are being sent to you by your partner,
first and foremost. (If you are not getting any messages you've
got a problem!)
One aspect of dancing is communication:
if the lady ‘has cotton in her ears’ she cannot follow no
matter how clearly the man ‘speaks’. A follower ‘listens’
in many different way to her partner: his body motion, hand
pressure at her back/side, visual cues from his feet and where
he moves a free hand; that is a tremendous amount to keep
track of and respond to in a short time. In addition to the
body leads and signals coming through the arms and hands,
signalling happens with subtle movements of eyes, head, etc.
As women gain dance experience and knowledge of their partners,
they tend to pick up the finer signals and respond without
even thinking about it. A good follower will compliment the
dance style of the leader she is dancing with.
(Leaders: sometimes a follower
who is struggling and analysing too much can be assisted using
Kinetic Imagery – this can be conveyed by your bearing and
attitude, the atmosphere you create for the two of you to
dance in, a sincere compliment, or simple phrases given encouragingly,
inspiringly and respectfully – “Just float” is one I’ve used
many times to good effect.)
Once the dance starts and you are reasonably comfortable with
the fact that you are following, be on the lookout for CHANGE.
Avoid getting complacent to the fact that you are following
a particular pattern and instead keep your mind completely
open to the next (logical) thing that your leader will convey:
but do this without anticipating either the change or the
new pattern that is coming. A follower must have a ‘receptive’
state of mind; no heavy thinking allowed! Keeping your mind
ready and open so you can follow takes practice. It is particularly
difficult if you have had a disturbing event happen immediately
preceding your dancing.
Passionate thoughts do not
help your following... avoid them at all cost! Trust the leader
as much as you can – it is not the follower's role to ‘know’
every move. Sometimes, thinking you know what’s happening
can almost be more of a handicap than dancing with the assumption
that you don't know what was coming up.
In addition to the above mental
state of mind, you must be constantly balanced so that you
can respond to your partner's lead (needless to say, the state
of being ‘balanced’ is one of the absolute criteria that enables
you to respond when your partner leads.) Balance is very difficult
to teach to a student who lacks it. Dancing independently
until you are capable of keeping your body moving easily,
and wearing sufficiently flexible, well fitting, comfortable
dance shoes will help. Different techniques for being responsible
for one’s own balance are developed in different dance styles.
When using extra tension in prep-lead (eg in a wurlitzer),
the follower can 'sit' into her backstep slightly, so that
if the leader should let go she would not fall; this also
makes it easier for the leader as she has reciprocated the
tension without relying on him for balance.  |
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