I think it's always reassuring to have people we trust point out other dancers. We have all done it - "you MUST get a dance with them!" However we should also bear in mind that someone we consider to be a great dancer may not gel too with well with somebody else and vice versa.
I remember the first event I went to that had two rooms. The main room and the blues room. Yes that blues room was a very scary place. I was terrified. I remember sitting in there with Stokie just awe struck at how good everyone was. I was told by somebody I trusted "You must grab a dance with ***". So, based solely on these words of advice I did. I swallowed my nerves and asked for a dance. At the start of the dance I did say to them that I had been told to dance with them by **** and I was new to blues rooms. So how was that dance? The dance should have been a great experience. This caring, considerate dancer should have made me feel at ease based on my friends recommendation. Right? Wrong.
That dance was awful. He made no allowance for my newness. He didn't try to make me feel comfortable. He seemed to take delight in running rings around me to be honest. Now, I'm sure he didn't but that's how it felt. After that dance I left the blues room straight away and didn't go anywhere near it for the rest of the night. That really shook my confidence and to say I was intimidated would be an understatement.
This recommendation was based more on his 'celebrity' status than his ability to nurture a new dancer.
The same works in reverse. I was advised (by the same person) not to dance with somebody. They were a hotshot, they would refuse me. They would knock me back and I shouldn't give them the chance to. So, I never did ask that person to dance. Imagine my shock when he came and asked me to dance! Since then I have danced with him on quite a few occasions and we always have lovely dances.
What I'm trying to say is it's great to try and be supportive and encouraging to newer dancesr but we should also remember that our own personal experiences may not hold true for others.
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