Followers’ Top 3 Likes on the Dance Floor

Continuing our ‘Top 3’ series, you’ve read all about Leaders’ Top 3 Likes and Dislikes when social dancing. Now we’re going to hear what followers have to say. First off, thank you to all the followers who provided their feedback to make this blog post possible. We received responses from followers at all stages of their social dancing / learning journey – from beginners of a few months, to professionals who compete and teach, and everything in between.

So let’s start with the good news – our followers’ top 3 likes when social dancing!

The number one thing on a follower’s checklist for social dancing awesomeness, identified by two-thirds of respondents, is connection. Yep, just like leaders, followers highly rate creating and having a connection with their dance partner.

“Dance is a conversation over music. Please talk to me regardless of level, enjoyment, space, tiredness, and surrounds. I don’t want to feel like you’re bored or would rather dance with someone else or do something else.”

“[I like it] when a guy checks in with eye contact and tries to be in tune with whether their girls is enjoying the dance.”

One-third of respondents specifically identified leaders who adjust their lead to suit their follower in their top 3. For us, this definitely comes under the umbrella of connection, as it requires all the elements of having a conversation instead of a fight on the dance floor – respecting, listening and giving to your partner.

“Leaders that start the dance like a conversation where you start by getting to know someone, i.e. discover your partner’s level and comfort level first by leading a few fundamental movements, before moving onto more complex movements.”

“Pay attention. If you can see that I’m stressful or can’t keep up, do something simple…Challenge me or not, but take me on the journey with you.”

“He dances with me, not at me, meaning if I do miss his leads he quickly adapts and doesn’t make me feel bad about it.”

Second on a follower’s list, with a score of 61.1%, is a smooth, clear lead.

“Clear yet effortless leads…smooth like butter, yum!”

“I love a leader who has an amazing set of basics, solid and very clear. Everyone seems to just want to rush and learn complicated moves these days and yet get frustrated when they can’t lead outside classes.”

Leaders note, the combination of smooth AND clear. You could be leading clearly, but if that involves any kind of pushing or pulling, it’s unlikely to be smooth.

Going together like cheese and wine, these two traits were often quoted together by the 58.3% of respondents who rated this in their top 3 likes on the social dance floor.

“They keep timing and feel the highlights in the music.”

“When a guy is musical and ‘feels’ the music rather than just dancing to a count.”

As individual traits, timing was identified more often than musicality by respondents. But could you have musicality without timing? We think not. Perhaps timing is the starting point and musicality is the ultimate goal…

In a nutshell, our followers love dancing with a leader who connects and engages with them by identifying and responding to their level of comfort and capability on the dance floor, and who leads them on time to the music, smoothly and clearly.

For followers, it’s not so much about the number of moves leaders know, than their ability to lead them well, and to make followers feel like they’re partners in that creative process and bringing that move to life on the dance floor!

So let’s all go out there and make that music come to life…together! See you on the social dance floor!

Photo: Ryan McGuire, modified by Momenta rhythms for life