Jason Colacino and Katie Boyle - Honky Tonk (YouTube video)

[huckelberry]

Physics Guy, I like your observations about ballroom dancing. Back when I was a youth we had some ballroom dancing classes in church. I do not know if Mormons still do that sort of thing. I enjoyed it and value it even if I have not kept it up at all. Perhaps I should give some reconsideration about that.

[Physics Guy]

The convention that the man leads is silly, but I think it may well make sense to have one partner leading. There isn't a lot of time to decide whether the couple should move over there next, or there, or stay in place and spin around or something. There might be time in a competition, I guess, where one couple has the whole floor, but most ballrooms are crowded. Sometimes you really have to take evasive manoeuvres to avoid being crushed. Okay, maybe not crushed, but feet can be stepped upon heavily. It's a serious issue. So it's probably best if one partner makes those decisions and the other is good at responding quickly to signals.

But the lead could totally switch back and forth, and it could be a thing that gets weighted in competitions for both partners to demonstrate skill in both leading and following. The issue of who is supposed to lead comes up immediately with same-sex couples, but maybe they'll improve things for everyone in this respect.

[Marcus]

I've wanted to respond to the ballroom posts for a while, and finally had some time. First, a response to this:

most ballrooms are crowded. Sometimes you really have to take evasive manoeuvres to avoid being crushed. Okay, maybe not crushed, but feet can be stepped upon heavily. It's a serious issue.

Yes it is! And it goes way past heavily stepped on feet. It's called floorcraft, and in competition it's the art of using the floor to your best advantage as a couple, with a very fun to watch underbelly of sometimes making your best advantage turn into a complete disadvantage for one of your competitors.

I'll give an example of offensive floorcraft for International Standard dancers, which is composed of the dances Foxtrot, Waltz, Viennese Waltz, and Tango.

If you are into sports, think of the pick and roll in basketball. One player (without the ball) sets a screen or blocks an opponent so your team mate (with the ball) can get past. The screener then rolls off the blocked defender and the ball handler who got past earlier passes to the screener for a basket, or makes their own, before the defender can recover.

Now think of the dancers like two basketball players, except in this Standard example, their arms stay mostly connected (in 'closed hold'). The Lead (typically in a very proper tuxedo), sets the screen by sweeping his Follow (usually in a full skirted very dramatic gown) around him, which blocks another couple coming up behind him. The Lead then rolls or guides the Follow out in either direction, to keep up the block. The pick-and-rollers then move along the line of dance in a dramatic full paced set of steps. If it's done right, this can happen before the picked-and-rolled pair can even pull themselves back together. There are a virtually unlimited set of sequences that can be used in this kind of floorcraft, reading the floor in real time determines which has the best odds for success.

At times, this kind of aggressive floorcraft is slightly frowned upon as unsportsmanlike, but the better and more elegantly it is done, the more acceptable it becomes. The World level stars can do it almost without showing. Unless of course, you're the couple picked and rolled, then you KNOW it happened!!

A more common type of floorcraft is defensive, especially in Latin competition, which was my area (Cha cha, Samba, Rumba, paso doble, and jive). This consists of making sure your pre-set routine can be shown as successfully as possible, even if there is a competitive couple (or two, or three, or 6) smack in your path. Incidentally, this also shows why SOMEONE, one of the pair, really does need to be established as the lead. The split second decisions to alter the path of your routine must be made by one of the pair, pre-designated as Lead, to avoid a collision, or a block, or simply a couple standing between you and the various judges you want to be in front of at various times so you can show off your mid-routine poses or steps.

Of course, defensive and offensive floorcraft will be evident in both Latin and Standard, so it's not completely separate.

Some examples of defensive floorcraft are such: A sequence might have three spins out, but Lead will check Follow at 2 and lead a reverse spin back in, to avoid another couple. Or, Lead might instigate a 90 degree turn in the middle of a straight line section of a routine to maneuver to an open spot. Or, Lead might indicate to Follow to repeat 4 counts of a routine, or use hand position to reverse a direction of a turn or step, or even lead into an additional step inserted into your steps before picking up your routine, so you can wait for a better floor location to open up. These are by no means exhaustive, once you have a good lead-follow relationship, there are an almost unlimited number of variations that can be used to accomplish one's floorcraft goals, regardless of what routines are set. It's pretty clear that Lead and Follow are absolutely essential when a couple dances competitively, and on a milder level, even if the floor is just a little crowded. It's also nice to just feel that connection.

And that's floorcraft!

[Doctor CamNC4Me]

What an interesting post, Marcus. Thanks for the glimpse into that culture.

- Doc

[Physics Guy]

It's called floorcraft, and in competition it's the art of using the floor to your best advantage as a couple, with a very fun to watch underbelly of sometimes making your best advantage turn into a complete disadvantage for one of your competitors.

I had never heard the term "floorcraft" before—our lessons never got near that stage. At our one or two balls per year, my wife and I really are just worried about bumping into people.

There are always a few couples there, though, who can really dance well. And somehow they do seem to get around the crowded floor without trouble. Nobody bumps into them, and they don't bump into anyone. I never thought of this as something they were doing, but clearly it is.

And even if we don't see how they do it, the rest of us really appreciate it. Not only will they not step on our toes, but it would also be especially mortifying to step on these people's toes, so it's good that they can look out for themselves.

[Marcus]

What an interesting post, Marcus. Thanks for the glimpse into that culture.

- Doc

You're welcome!

[ceeboo]

What an interesting post, Marcus. Thanks for the glimpse into that culture.

- Doc

I second that (Thanks, Marcus)

[Marcus]

What an interesting post, Marcus. Thanks for the glimpse into that culture.

- Doc

I second that (Thanks, Marcus)

You're welcome!