My New Year resolution will be to help you to maintain those high standards then T, rather than helping to drag you down....
Missing the point. I didn't say that 10 is necessarily as 'good as we are' just that it should reflect our own criteria. I wouldn't try and compare myself with some of the US WCS Pros for instance because they have been dancing since they were babies and now do it professionally and realistically no matter what I do I am never going to get to that level so why set it as a yardstick?
Exactly.
If you're going to rate yourself, you've got to have something to compare yourself to. If not, it's pointless, isn't it?
But like I said earlier, we've all got different opinions on what makes a good dancer, and who we admire, so a poll like this is always going to be completely subjective and pretty pontless.
Sure, and because it's pointless to compare myself against the very best, I'm going to use myself as my criteria for comparison.
So, putting myself at the top of the scale as a ten - how do I score?
If I'm not allowed to use the US Pros or myself to compare myself against, who am I allowed to use? If I can only compare myself with people that "reflect my experience and expectations in MJ", then who better than myself?
Let your mind go and your body will follow. – Steve Martin, LA Story
Zero. Or Ten. Or any point in between. If you make yourself the criteria then surely you are the entire scale not just one end of it?
You are allowed to use whoever you wish as your comparison. My point is that you (not you specifically but posters in general) cannot question the score I award myself in relation to the score you award yourself as our criteria differ (and to be fair, many posters are acknowledging this) Personally I think a useful benchmark is to look at yourself against your peers in terms of experience and commitment. This isn't an exact science but if you look at your development in relation to others who
* have been dancing for a similar length of time to yourself
* dance in similar circles (no pun intended) to yourself - workshops, weekenders, etc
then I see that as comparable to the different maths tests for different student levels analogy that I posted earlier.
I believe you and I began dancing MJ at a similar time (early 2005) and I see you at a number of the weekenders. I would think that assessing myself against you would be more sensible than assessing myself against, say, Simon R at one extreme or a person who has been dancing for 6 months and does just one night a week at his local club at another extreme.
But even then you'd get lots of different scores. If I compare myself to most of the punters at my local ceroc venue, I'm big headed enought to give myself a 9 or maybe even a 10. If I compare myself to the crowd in the blues room at Southport, which will include everyone from pretty new cerocers to pros, then I'm probably a 6.
I do use others as 'yardsticks' to judge my own dancing, because if I didn't look at other, much better dancers, I'd probably not push myself to get better. The top dancers inspire me, and I learn a lot from dancing with them, and from watching them, and it makes me realise what areas of my dancing I'm not happy with, or that needs improving.
I believe there's still lots I need to improve on and learn for me to become the best dancer possible. I know I can never be as good as the superstars, but I need something to aim for!
I understand your point, I would just like to point out though that this is a public poll where people see how others have rated themselves. Unless you also state exactly who you rated yourself against, people will assume that you will have rated the best of the best as 10, and found your own point on the scale in comparison.
Indeed, but firstly it makes the results of this poll a lot less interesting, and secondly, again in the context of this poll, invites people to see just how bad they are, because then they feel that they should be up at "10", but may be disappointed to realise they are only a "5".
I also find it very difficult to watch someone and decide how good I am in comparison.
Yes, we did start around the same time, though I'm not really sure if we are actually peers in terms of experience and commitment.
Let your mind go and your body will follow. – Steve Martin, LA Story
i have given myself a 6 based on when i am in my comfort zone (my venue or with ppl i know) i think i dance great... but then i go to a bigger event and see the level of some dancers and it sends me all wrong.. i begin to doubt my own ability therefore i grade myself on a lack of confidence, which in turn means there is much room for improvement!
there i posted
OK, I rate myself 9 or 10 for social dancing, as I am happy with the level of social dancing I do. With someone who can dance smooth, I can make sure we have a top dance.
If I am dancing with Minnie it will always be a 10
For comps, I would have to say 8 or 9, as I have sometimes failed to reach
1st place.
Got one 2nd and one 3rd in the last 8 years, so something to work on.
Well, you did ask.
--ooOoo--
Age is a question of mind over matter, if you don't mind, it doesn't matter
Leroy (Satchel) Paige (1906-1982)
Mickey Mouse's girlfriend, Minnie, made her film debut, along with Mickey, in "Steamboat Willie" on November 18, 1928.
That date is recognized as her official birthday.
Comparing my own dancing as it comes out on the floor to what it's like in my head, I say about an 8 for mine: I am confident in my own ability, I can dance (reasonably) well with anyone and have (what I think of as) quite good musicality.
But there are a few things I would like to do better and a few things I would like to stop doing.
Comparing my self to other dancers I have seen when I've been let off my leash and seen visiting dancers, I would still say about an 8. In my own venue, probably big headed enough to say perhaps a 9 or 10.
(Of course I'm only talking about leading and MJ: I'm not really that interested in any other dance styles )
I'd say.. about 4.. Am not the worst dancer out there.. but am far from the best. I dont feel that dancing is the be-all and end-all of my pastimes so I don't worry about it. (Which is why I can never be bothered to go these days.. soon I'll have to score my dancing at 3 or lower!)
I just don't "get it" it doesn't click .. I think 4 is about right.
Think I'd rate myself something similar based upon the abilities present at a typical class night. As regards musicality and connection, taking onboard expressed feedback, I might rate myself as perhaps a six. However this is dragged down by my limited repertoire of moves so that, whilst my dance may be smooth and reasonably musical, it could well be perceived as rather unexciting and predictable. And so much, as proven once again tonight, depends upon the partner, the music, and the chemistry.
I was told by a teacher recently you dont need a big repertoire of moves to prove your a good dancer it is the smoothness the timing and the musicality.
I told her i thought perhaps my dancing was getting boring to followers she said that if i feel that then its me thats getting bored because as a follower she will move on to another person and dance some different moves and he/she might not do some of the moves i dance
I'd say that your teacher has it exactly right. Follows are lucky in that we get lots of variety. Leads are stuck with whatever they can do. Often I rather like dancing with someone who has a simpler style, particularly if I've recently danced with someone who does lots of complex stuff, particularly to fast music...
I've been told this and have adapted it of sorts. But it does make you get bored of your own moves quicker yet feedback tends to be better from the follower.
(god I need to get in touch with my possible ballroom partner, arrghhh, I need to do summat different before i go wonky in the head)
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