Ballroom Dancers - how much ballroom do you incorporate when you dance MJ?

[Terpsichorea]

Just curious as to how effectively those forumites who regularly dance ballroom and MJ have managed to incorporate elements from one successfully into the other?

Although I think that doing ballroom has contributed to my dancing MJ in some indefinable way (followers often ask me if I dance ballroom as well), I can't say that I've adapted that much from ballroom to MJ, apart from the odd spin turn, telemark etc. If I'm at a freestyle and a dance comes on which lends itself to a certain type of dance, ie cha cha, I'll do a bit of that before going back into MJ, but I wouldn't call that blending the two together.

So, can ballroom and MJ be mixed together, or are they like oil and water and will always, inevitably, separate out?

[stairman]

I do both but try not to mix them

Although that's probably because I'm not particularly good at ether

[Sparkles]

Instead of trying to incorporate particular moves or sequences from one to the other, I try and take skills from both dance styles into the other.
For example: In MJ it often helps to have a good frame, something that is taught in excess in ballroom lessons so I use ballroom frame techniques in my MJ. Also, in ballroom it is sometimes necessary for a routien to be changed at the last minute (if you're having to avoid another couple and use floorcraft for example) and I think a lot of the lead and foolow I have learnt in MJ is helpful in giving me that adaptability to deal with those changes.

It is fun, when dancing cha cha or ballroom jive, to try out an MJ pattern/move and put in the required extra footwork or timing to create a 'new' cha cha or jive move, but I confess I don't often get the opportunity to try this.

I think that ballroom and MJ compliment each other quite nicely, each giving a different perspective on dance that can, in some cases, be incorporated by the other. However, I also think that ballroom dancing and modern jive are distinct and separate entities that will not be fully integrated.

[Lory]

In MJ it often helps to have a good frame, something that is taught in excess in ballroom lessons so I use ballroom frame techniques in my MJ.

It is fun, when dancing cha cha or ballroom jive, to try out an MJ pattern/move and put in the required extra footwork or timing to create a 'new' cha cha or jive move, but I confess I don't often get the opportunity to try this.

If your happy to lead, you know i'm always happy to be your guinea pig