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ducasi
30th-April-2005, 06:09 PM
I was recognised as being left-handed by a partner last week, which got me wondering...

What difference (especially to the lead) does being left-handed make?
How often is it noticeable to the left hander's partner?
What's it like for left-handed followers who are mostly using their right hand?

As I'm only left-handed (not ambidextrous), I can't really know what the differences are, and I don't think I would notice a left-handed follower (unless she regularly offered her left hand rather than her right!)

I guess that more experienced dancers and teachers might have some ideas though... And the rest of us can have fun speculating!

One immediate difference I've noticed is I can't claim to have two left feet! :wink:

David Bailey
30th-April-2005, 07:40 PM
What difference (especially to the lead) does being left-handed make?
How often is it noticeable to the left hander's partner?
What's it like for left-handed followers who are mostly using their right hand?

Amazingly, despite being a leftie, I've never considered it - good question.
Off the top of my head, I'd imagine we'd be better off with obvious lefthanded leads (lots of them), but possibly weaker with disguised, subtle or righthanded leads (the more interesting ones).

So, wild speculation time, it may indicate that we're possibly at an advantage at the start, but may have disadvantages at more intermediate levels.

Of course, that's probably a load of rubbish :)
But it'd be interesting if we knew how many top dancers are lefties...

P.S. So that's how you do lists - cool!

Jazz_Shoes (Ash)
30th-April-2005, 08:37 PM
I was recognised as being left-handed by a partner last week
How did she know you were left handed?

I've had no trouble so far, but now I might think about it while dancing-don't know if that's bad or good-probably bad as it will put me off.


One immediate difference I've noticed is I can't claim to have two left feet! :wink: I wonder where that expression came from-why isn't it two right feet?

P.s. I love being left handed :waycool:

Ashx

Graham
1st-May-2005, 02:12 AM
It's worth remembering that a lot more moves involve a right hand lead than you realise (First Move and Basket spring to mind).

A famously tight-trousered forum regular is left-handed and has commented to me on this subject before, but I'll let him speak for himself.

I've never noticed the handedness of a follower, so I imagine it doesn't make much difference.

Piglet
1st-May-2005, 08:22 PM
The one time I tried leading in a "role reversal" class I found it difficult leading with my left hand and put this down to the fact I was right handed.

I assumed it would be easier for a left handed guy to work with his left hand more than a right handed guy, simply because I found it "strange" (for want of a better word).

I just discovered that one of the guys I dance with regularly is left handed and I would never have guessed. I wonder if you can tell... (or rather if I can tell).

ducasi
2nd-May-2005, 07:31 PM
Time to indulge in some wild speculation...

What differences does being left-handed make (all speculation)...


A preference for left-hand led moves.
Because it's a right-handed world we don't find right-handed moves as awkward as left-handed moves for the right-handed folks.
As a result, initially a better lead from the left-hand than right-handed people until they get used to left-handed leading.
A tendency to step using the left foot where others would use the right.
A tendency to catch with the left hand rather than the right after spins and such.
Difficulties with the moves that have been designed for right-handed people. (Almost all moves I know involve leading the lady to my right rather my left.)
Because of our tendency to be more right-brain dominant, greater visual and spatial awareness.
Which might lead to faster learning, and better floor-craft.

Anybody got any more?

How did she know you were left handed? That's an interesting question, one which led to creating this thread.

The main one was that I did a move in an unorthodox manner (also known as making a mistake.) It wasn't that I did a mirror image of the move, which would have been a total give-away.

So because it wasn't totally obvious I wondered if there were other factors in play.


Is it because I led her to the dance floor with my left hand?
Is it because I started with a left-to-right hand-hold?
Is it based on the factors I've listed above?
Is it because she was spying on me, talking to my friends, watching how I hold a glass, checking my web site? (j/k) :wink:

Who knows? It was a big surprise to me. :what:

I wonder where that expression came from-why isn't it two right feet? I guess the implication of "two left feet" is that you're going to be less skilled with your left foot than your right, so if you've got two left feet, neither will be very co-ordinated. So, "two right feet" must be a good thing, no?

(It's all part of of the global conspiracy to denigrate anything to do wit the left and glorify things to the right.)

P.s. I love being left handed :waycool: You'll all probably think this is impossible, but I chose to be left-handed when I was around 5 years old. :nice:

I've never stopped being contrary. :devil: :wink:

baldrick
2nd-May-2005, 09:59 PM
I'm sure I mentioned before,
27% of the worlds population are perfect.
The rest are right handed
:wink:

Rhythm King
3rd-May-2005, 11:23 AM
I'm extremely left-handed and haven't really noticed a problem leading, although it affects the way I spin, or turn sometimes. I really notice it however, when I'm following, as I have a tendency to offer my left hand rather than my right, after spinning.

cheeks
3rd-May-2005, 11:43 AM
As a leftie, I only really identified a difficulty when I first started dancing but as in every daylife we adjust to things being right hand dominated very quickly, ( as was discussed in thread few months ago) and do tend to be a bit ambedextrous at times...
I think the same stands for dancing as you learn it becomes more natural!

I can't say I have noticed this with any leads and unsure if someone would pick up on my left handedness through my follow.

Strangely though I do find it difficult if I dance lead.( but this me be down to inexperience as lead :confused: )


Cheeks
:flower:

Simon r
3rd-May-2005, 11:52 AM
have never had any problems in jive .....as a leader or a follower, have to say i do think proberbly been conditioned over time,
Seem to remember one dance teacher stood with a cane flicking arms and hands when they were not in the correct position ....could be why i can not stand ballroom now.

Jazz_Shoes (Ash)
6th-May-2005, 07:59 PM
You'll all probably think this is impossible, but I chose to be left-handed when I was around 5 years old. :nice:
I've never stopped being contrary. :devil: :wink:

Seriously? So before you decided on the left, did you use your right hand? Or did you try out both before deciding? :wink:



I'm sure I mentioned before,
27% of the worlds population are perfect.
The rest are right handed

:clap: That i'll be sure to remember in future :wink: But is it really 27%?

Luv,
Ash-a proud left hander :kiss:

ducasi
9th-May-2005, 09:51 PM
Seriously? So before you decided on the left, did you use your right hand? Or did you try out both before deciding? :wink: I used whatever hand was most convenient. :wink:

I think what would happen is that the teacher, or whoever, would put a pencil or crayon in my right hand and off I'd go, but when I got tired I'd switch hands. I guess then when I got tired with the left I'd switch to the right. And so on...

Thing is, I wasn't very good with either hand – so in order that I could be taught how to write with at least one hand I was told to make up my mind and stick to it. Which I did. :nice:

My writing is still appalling, but then the same could be said for my (right-handed) father. I put it down to some genetic thing.

This pseudo ambidextrousness (maybe actually ambisinistrousness?) explains a lot about why I use different hands for different tasks.

As for how many of us are there, the usual percentage quoted is "around 10%". You can get 27% from the research by Stanley Coren (the same guy who says that left-handed people die younger than right-handers) which showed that only 72% of people are strongly right-handed, but that doesn't implies that the other 28% are left-handed. (Who knows where the missing 1% are!?) In fact the 27% is made up of 5% who are strongly left-handed and 22% of people who are somewhere in the middle. I don't think you'd get all of the 22% to agree they are left-handed though.

In Coren's research he found that the percentage of left-handers falls in the population with age. It's as high as 15% amongst 10-year olds, but falls steadily to almost 0 by the age of 80. This is a very surprising result which Coren then argues shows that left-handed people tend to die younger than right-handers.

It's a controversial theory, with lots of good points on both sides. I'm on Coren's side though.

If you want to know the gory details, there's probably lots on the web about it, or you can buy this book – "Left Hander - Everything you need to know about Left-Handedness" – Stanley Coren ISBN 0-7195-5283-4.

Or for a different book by him, click this link (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0679744681/qid=1115669901/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_11_1/202-2705467-4638208).

Getting back to the original subject and left-handedness and dancing, here's a quote from a review of the book linked to above:

I'm very grateful to the author for explaining to me why I had so much trouble in dancing class as a teenager; I found his answer to that puzzle much more help than all the dermatologists my mother took me to for my acne. I wish I could have read this book earlier in my life. In Left Hander, Coren claims that ballroom dances are designed for right-handers – so much being clockwise. This can make life difficult for left-handers who are more natural on anti-clockwise movements. I think the same applies to some extent in Ceroc.