Help in smiling please!

[FoxyFunkster]

OK, everythings is going really well with my MJ at the moment all apart from one thing! i`m often told that i don`t smile very much! which can give people the wrong impression as to whether i`m enjoying my self or not....yet people who know me know i love MJ more than life it self so why don`t i smile???? I have the Ceroc teaching audition on sunday and obviously needs to portray someone who is loving the dance.....is it just a question and saying to yourself....just keep smiling and keep smiling and keep smiling......i wondered if anyone else has the same issue or at the very least some helpful hints..............

[Twirly]

OK, everythings is going really well with my MJ at the moment all apart from one thing! i`m often told that i don`t smile very much! which can give people the wrong impression as to whether i`m enjoying my self or not....yet people who know me know i love MJ more than life it self so why don`t i smile???? I have the Ceroc teaching audition on sunday and obviously needs to portray someone who is loving the dance.....is it just a question and saying to yourself....just keep smiling and keep smiling and keep smiling......i wondered if anyone else has the same issue or at the very least some helpful hints..............

You just have to keep on checking whether you are smiling, and each time you're not, get that grin going. I used to be very guilty of this (and still am when dancing with someone I don't know/I'm intimidated by) and was always getting comments on it. It just takes practice. Good luck on Sunday!

[stewart38]

OK, everythings is going really well with my MJ at the moment all apart from one thing! i`m often told that i don`t smile very much! which can give people the wrong impression as to whether i`m enjoying my self or not....yet people who know me know i love MJ more than life it self so why don`t i smile???? I have the Ceroc teaching audition on sunday and obviously needs to portray someone who is loving the dance.....is it just a question and saying to yourself....just keep smiling and keep smiling and keep smiling......i wondered if anyone else has the same issue or at the very least some helpful hints..............

I dont think i can help you in this one

Jack Dee

All joking aside for me its hard and not because im not 'enjoying myself', my natural expression is '**** off miserable git face'. Benefit of course is at 42 i dont have any laugher lines at present !!

think like going in a comp it will just require 'effort' from you ? cant get it 'naturally'

good thread for the Jack Dees of the world

some people are born smiling like a cheshire cat others are not

[FoxyFunkster]

You just have to keep on checking whether you are smiling, and each time you're not, get that grin going. I used to be very guilty of this (and still am when dancing with someone I don't know/I'm intimidated by) and was always getting comments on it. It just takes practice. Good luck on Sunday!

Practice makes perfect then i suppose......just a point to anyone who`ll have the misfortune of dancing with me in the near future can you please tell me at the start of the dance....don`t forget to smile Steve......

i`m going to ask Mas to play smiley faces by Gnarls Barkley tonight

[David Bailey]

OK, everythings is going really well with my MJ at the moment all apart from one thing! i`m often told that i don`t smile very much! which can give people the wrong impression as to whether i`m enjoying my self or not....yet people who know me know i love MJ more than life it self so why don`t i smile????

Blimey, what is this, psycho-analyst corner or something?

But OK - do you normally smile when you're happy / relaxed?

• If so, then why aren't you happy dancing?
• If not, then should you try?

I have the Ceroc teaching audition on sunday and obviously needs to portray someone who is loving the dance

God yes - if you don't have the "right" attitude, you'll be stuffed. No pressure then

.....is it just a question and saying to yourself....just keep smiling and keep smiling and keep smiling......i wondered if anyone else has the same issue or at the very least some helpful hints..............

My first couple of years' dancing, I had Serious Face on, then I relaxed more into it and did the Smiling Thing.

Now I've started AT, I've gone back to Serious Face mode again.

Hmm, that probably didn't help much did it?

[fletch]

Practice makes perfect then i suppose......just a point to anyone who`ll have the misfortune of dancing with me in the near future can you please tell me at the start of the dance....don`t forget to smile Steve......

i`m going to ask Mas to play smiley faces by Gnarls Barkley tonight

You allways smile a me or was that a grimiss

but then again I think I smile at you and you just smile back


smile at the world and it smiles back

[FoxyFunkster]

Blimey, what is this, psycho-analyst corner or something?

But OK - do you normally smile when you're happy / relaxed?

• If so, then why aren't you happy dancing?
• If not, then should you try?

God yes - if you don't have the "right" attitude, you'll be stuffed. No pressure then


My first couple of years' dancing, I had Serious Face on, then I relaxed more into it and did the Smiling Thing.

Now I've started AT, I've gone back to Serious Face mode again.

Hmm, that probably didn't help much did it?

In true predictable style no help what so ever!

[FoxyFunkster]

You allways smile a me or was that a grimiss

but then again I think I smile at you and you just smile back


smile at the world and it smiles back

Thanks babe for positive feedback .....i don`t think it`s incurable after all....It reference to earlier questions posed i do actually love dancing more than anything, not just the dance but the people, the music the venues,weekenders,all night utopias....all of it.....i just need to transmit that through a beaming smile...........

[Twirly]

But OK - do you normally smile when you're happy / relaxed?

• If so, then why aren't you happy dancing?
• If not, then should you try?

I know I didn't smile much when I first started because I was concentrating. Hard! And most people I know say the same thing. Doesn't mean you're not enjoying.

FF - we've not met, but if we do, I'll try and remember to remind you to smile. It was only be other people reminding me that I learnt to do it.

[Cruella]

.i just need to transmit that through a beaming smile..

I see you smile all the time when we dance, WHEN you remember the eye contact. If you look at your partner they inevitably will smile at you, therefore prompting you to smile back at them.

[Jamie]

You were smiling at me at Blackpool... I still think you were up to summat!

[Trouble]

I see you smile all the time when we dance, WHEN you remember the eye contact. If you look at your partner they inevitably will smile at you, therefore prompting you to smile back at them.

Smiling at your partner is a confidence boost for them. This should tell them you are enjoying it. Dancing with Stewart 38 is a challenge, trying to make him crack those lines on his face is quite difficult but easily done when you know what to do

[FoxyFunkster]

I see you smile all the time when we dance, WHEN you remember the eye contact. If you look at your partner they inevitably will smile at you, therefore prompting you to smile back at them.

and likewise....but i rarely enjoy a dance i have and i just wanna show that more...it is a confidence boost to your partner also and it does show a lighter side than the current serious stoney faced look i seem to have a little too often!

[Cruella]

but i rarely enjoy a dance i have and i just wanna show that more...:

I do hope that's a typo and you meant really!

[FoxyFunkster]

[quote=Cruella;357260] I do hope that's a typo and you meant really![/quote

A typo it was......

I rarely have anything other than great dances........

[foxylady]

T...i just need to transmit that through a beaming smile...........

You always smile at me babe !!

(perhaps in your minds eye , you need to have me, fletch and cruella lined up, egging you on .... )

[FoxyFunkster]

You always smile at me babe !!

(perhaps in your minds eye , you need to have me, fletch and cruella lined up, egging you on .... )

[Barry Shnikov]

{snip smiling blurb}

OK. I must have been dancing for at least - four years before I even started smiling. 6 years after that and I still do not smile much of the time.

What many women don't appreciate is how hard we men have to work in order to ensure they get a first-class dancing experience. Anticipating the music, pre-selecting moves, working out what moves will lead to being on the right beat for the selected move in three bars time (all while making sure the current move goes off perfectly), making sure the lady doesn't drift too far during her turns and spins, keeping your hands out of the way of fast-and-unpredictably moving breasts, buttocks and crotches, ensuring that she doesn't get bumped by any of the lazy gits who are dancing in the immediate vicinity and so busy gurning at their partners that they have no idea whether they are dancing in this room or the next...

My recommendation? If you get a complaint about smiling, give a broad grin, crack a joke, wait for 12 beats and go back to concentrating on dancing. After a while, you'll get good enough to do all the above and remember to smile three of four times a song, which is about where I am...

[Norty Nomie]

I have the Ceroc teaching audition on sunday and obviously needs to portray someone who is loving the dance.....

It really is a case of saying to your self am i smiling?

because on the audition if you don't tell your self to smile THEY will!!!
(no pressure)

also try talking with a smile as when you are trying to rack your brains when teaching a move and start consentrate you with naturally stop smiling and THEY will have you!

also try as hard as you can not to have a false smile as this is worse than having none.

Hope this does not sould to negative but just keep smiling all the way through and have fun

I know exactly what you mean as i had the same problem.

But i promise its really is not as bad as everyone says

Good Luck and keep SMILING (let us know how you get on)

[jivecat]

....but i rarely enjoy a dance i have and i just wanna show that more...

A man after me own heart!