Differences in Height

[Jon L]

For those who have never seen me - I am only 5' 5'' tall, and when dancing with taller women. I have learnt over the years that it can work by getting closer to them in order to make them turn.

Recently I have felt the joints near my shoulders sometimes aching when I have stepped in to return, at the end of the night.

Does anyone have any advice on this. Incidentally the tallest woman I danced with was 6'2'' I could just about get my arms over her head but it was mighty close!

[jivecat]

As a small (5' 2") lady my general preference is for partners that are not too much greater in height than myself. Although I haven't noticed any technical problems in dancing with someone a lot taller somehow things don't gel so easily. It seems like there's too much of them and not enough of me! Or maybe it's hard to have good eye contact with some one who's way up there in the clouds. There also seems to be a disproportionate number of good male dancers in the below 5' 8" height group- or do I just notice them more?

[Lounge Lizard]

Like Jon I am 5'5" and used to have a rock & Roll partner of over 6' (and she wore heels)

dancingto music 180 bpm (or more) you soon learn to adapt.

Tips, yes move in close for lead, use set spins, turn yourself under ladies arm and use hip spins.
p

[Gadget]

Being quite tall (6'1" ish) I used to find it difficult to dance with smaller women, but watching a big bloke (6'2-3" and built like a farmer) at my usual venue convinced me that it was not only possable, but could be just as good as dancing with people of equal height: I watched him do tunnels and pretzels with a lady that couldn't have been much more than 5" with ease and fluid grace.

I imagine that it is harder for the man to be smaller; I know that there are a couple of lady's taller than me at Peterculter and there is one man who must be shorter than 5" - I don't know how he manages if he gets a tall lady on a class rotation.
I find that I have got used to smaller ladies and tend not raise my hand enough with taller women (resulting in near misses of arms and elbows in face :sorry: ) But I am getting better. Honest.

[Dreadful Scathe]

Originally posted by Jon L
For those who have never seen me - I am only 5' 5'' tall, and when dancing with taller women. I have learnt over the years that it can work by getting closer to them in order to make them turn.

Just don't get too close to the more..er..physically endowed taller woman, or you won't be able to hear the music anymore!

[Bill]

Originally posted by Dreadful Scathe
Just don't get too close to the more..er..physically endowed taller woman, or you won't be able to hear the music anymore!

:sorry

trust you to lower the tone !!!!!!!!!

[spindr]

As a true "lanky git" -- 6'4'' in flats -- it can be moderately challenging dancing with a 4'6'' lady (or shorter).

Tips I can recommend (without hunching over completely) are:
1). don't close your feet together -- keep them astride as much as possible -- which will drop your height.
2). bend your knees -- if you can, then learning "Crazy Legs" from Lindy Hop can also help -- especially when the lady walks around you.
3). adapt existing moves, e.g. do a step-under as a sort of limbo variation.
4). Do any over the head moves quickly -- it saves your partner having to levitate themselves.
5). Several moves can be done kneeling, e.g. spinning top, etc.

Oh and make sure that you keep your hand at the ladies waist level, not your own -- or if might not be a waist that you catch hold of.

Neil.

[Forte]

Originally posted by spindr
As a true "lanky git" -- 6'4'' in flats -- it can be moderately challenging dancing with a 4'6'' lady (or shorter).

Tips I can recommend (without hunching over completely) are:
1). don't close your feet together -- keep them astride as much as possible -- which will drop your height.
2). bend your knees -- if you can, then learning "Crazy Legs" from Lindy Hop can also help -- especially when the lady walks around you.
3). adapt existing moves, e.g. do a step-under as a sort of limbo variation.
4). Do any over the head moves quickly -- it saves your partner having to levitate themselves.
5). Several moves can be done kneeling, e.g. spinning top, etc.

Oh and make sure that you keep your hand at the ladies waist level, not your own -- or if might not be a waist that you catch hold of.


Phew! How do you remember all that?
(Jackie, 5 foot 3 and three quarters...)
Neil.

[Forte]

How the heck did I manage to make such a mess of that post?
D.S. is gonna have a field day!

[Dreadful Scathe]

Originally posted by Forte

D.S. is gonna have a field day!

Im sure I would if i had understood any of it

[bigdjiver]

Originally posted by spindr
As a true "lanky git" -- 6'4'' in flats -- it can be moderately challenging dancing with a 4'6'' lady (or shorter).

Tips I can recommend (without hunching over completely) are:
1). don't close your feet together -- keep them astride as much as possible -- which will drop your height.
2). bend your knees -- if you can, then learning "Crazy Legs" from Lindy Hop can also help -- especially when the lady walks around you.
3). adapt existing moves, e.g. do a step-under as a sort of limbo variation.
4). Do any over the head moves quickly -- it saves your partner having to levitate themselves.
5). Several moves can be done kneeling, e.g. spinning top, etc.

Oh and make sure that you keep your hand at the ladies waist level, not your own -- or if might not be a waist that you catch hold of.

Neil.

Good tips. I do a few kneeling moves to get myself down to their level. I also do a lot of lifts, with ladies that like them, to bring them up to my height. I have not yet got around to fitting some interesting shirt buttons.

Once at the Leopard Lounge I was sitting chatting to a beautiful girl when a short guy asked her to dance. I will never forget him him leaning backwards as she unwound to her full 6ft 1, while still standing on the 6" decking. He went through the number happily enough, UCP, head nesting in her stomach. Fair enough, Ceroc is about having fun.

I do find it an awkward moment and a challenge, when I ask a girl sitting down to dance, and she turns out to be very short.