Off the floor: A matter of give and take

“Dancesport will be the last place in human society where male dominance can be found.” This quote has been repeated and echoed by many of my teachers. Before you get pissed off at the ignorance of this statement and brush everything off as pure male arrogance, hear my next question: “Why do you want to dance with a partner?”

The mistake that most men eventually make in a partnership is by asking a simple and innocuous question during practice: “What do you think?” Like many men before me, I had to learn this lesson the hard way. Yes, I do agree that it is a valiant effort from you to respect the recent rise in equality between sexes, but the nature of the dance will trump whatever improvement we make at that front, stripping all the bullshit down to the core issue: your feelings.

“A partnership will work out when the man is slightly better than the woman, it does not work the other way around.” quoted my teachers directly off dancesport magazines. By asking “What do you think?” you are accessing the wrong side of the brain that makes dancing work and attempting to give woman what they don’t want in dancing: choices.

It is important for the woman to accept what which makes her yearn to be swept off her feet by an experienced gentleman. A woman has to accept it and follow the lead in order for dancing to happen, because not even twins can synchronize their mind well enough so that they both lead the same move. The same principle applies to life, things happen, because one person expressed the desire for some thing and others either accept or reject after the long period of persuasion and cunning foul play.

It doesn’t mean however, that woman should play zombie or pretend she’s watching TV. As important as the man who leads and initiates, the woman shows the glamor and ensure the finish. If a man says he wants to try getting buried alive, the woman makes sure that he’s buried and dead. Do not put all the blame to the guy because “you are only following his lead.” because if you as a couple don’t look beautiful to the audience, it is because the woman aren’t making it beautiful, or if the guy overshadows the girl.