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Thread: How exactly does dancing as a follower improve your lead?

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    How exactly does dancing as a follower improve your lead?

    I've recently started dancing as a follower after being told it's a good way to improve my lead. It's proving an interesting challenge, but I was wondering exactly how it improves leading? Is it the case that it simply gives you a better understanding from a follower's point of view of what constitutes a good lead, or are there other aspects to it?

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    Re: How exactly does dancing as a follower improve your lead?

    Something I found was that a a follow you could be a little more expressive with your dancing. You can then transfer some of this in to your lead.

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    Re: How exactly does dancing as a follower improve your lead?

    Quote Originally Posted by Lee Bartholomew View Post
    Something I found was that a a follow you could be a little more expressive with your dancing. You can then transfer some of this in to your lead.
    That's something I've definitely experienced. I wonder if it's because you're able to react more to the lead and the music, because you're not having to think ahead in terms of moves and breaks etc?

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    Re: How exactly does dancing as a follower improve your lead?

    Quote Originally Posted by Terpsichorea View Post
    Is it the case that it simply gives you a better understanding from a follower's point of view of what constitutes a good lead, or are there other aspects to it?
    I think it's more that you get an appreciation of what not to do. As a follower in AT, I've been quite strict; if it ain't led I won't follow it. I find it's quite easy for me as a leader to identify problems when I'm being led.

    And the leads who've had me inflicted on them have said how useful they've found this advice from a fellow leader; on occasion it's even been "eureka" stuff (and that's not because I was naked either ).

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    Re: How exactly does dancing as a follower improve your lead?

    1) It lets you experience leading from the other perspective, thus gives you insight into your own lead.
    2) What Lee said.
    3) You get to steal cool moves.
    Let your mind go and your body will follow. – Steve Martin, LA Story

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    Re: How exactly does dancing as a follower improve your lead?

    There is a Tango Tradition that you learn to follow, before you are allowed to lead

    I went to a brilliant Tango workshop for leaders only . We took it in turns to follow and lead. Interestingly we found we could imitate each other’s “mistakes” when changing roles

    Learning to lead and follow defiantly helps you understand a dance
    Unfortunately I have never learnt to follow MJ

    PS my favourite follower (at AT and MJ) learnt MJ as a leader, dancing with her sister

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    Re: How exactly does dancing as a follower improve your lead?

    For me as a usual follower who can also lead, I find guys who follow tend get feedback and learn from the various women leaders as giving them different tips and advice on what works as a lead. Most guys who follow don't have specific issues with their leads (as most follower guys are the more advanced dancers), but it can be a useful 2 way thinking and working out answers process. It would be helpful if there was a way of teaching improver level men to experience following to help them with leading as these are probably the guys who need most help with it

    Several women who lead at the venues I go to get comments in the classes from followers saying that they're often better leads than many of the men. It's obviously much easier to take on leading if you're already a reasonable follower as you've got all the experience of dancing with different leads and understanding what works.

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    Re: How exactly does dancing as a follower improve your lead?

    Aye aye dancing as a follower! I tend to dance more as a follower nowdays than I lead.

    What it has done for me is to give me an appreciation of when to initiate a move, make sure the follower is on the correct foot it just calms down my leading, and I tend to give the follower more time to play.

    It improves the connection of a dance and lets me see things from a followers perspective.

    DTS XXX XXX

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    Re: How exactly does dancing as a follower improve your lead?

    To all the men that follow and claim it benefits their leading ability by being able to see and feel things from their partner's perspective: do you also allow your partner to stick a d*ldo where the sun doesn't shine so that you can experience sex from your partner's perspective and thus improve your ability in bed?

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    Re: How exactly does dancing as a follower improve your lead?

    Quote Originally Posted by emmylou25 View Post
    Several women who lead at the venues I go to get comments in the classes from followers saying that they're often better leads than many of the men. It's obviously much easier to take on leading if you're already a reasonable follower as you've got all the experience of dancing with different leads and understanding what works.
    It's the case everywhere though I put it down to women being lead off time etc and so not wanting to do the same when leading. I don't think I've ever seen a not so good female leader. <insert maggie thatcher joke here>

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    Re: How exactly does dancing as a follower improve your lead?

    Quote Originally Posted by robd View Post
    To all the men that follow and claim it benefits their leading ability by being able to see and feel things from their partner's perspective: do you also allow your partner to stick a d*ldo where the sun doesn't shine so that you can experience sex from your partner's perspective and thus improve your ability in bed?
    And what;s wrong with that may I ask????

    robd...Are you on or what???
    Is it the time of the month????

    DTS XXX XXX

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    Re: How exactly does dancing as a follower improve your lead?

    Quote Originally Posted by David Bailey View Post
    I think it's more that you get an appreciation of what not to do.
    I was going to say that but you got in first!

    I think at first, it'll probably be easier to identify the things that don't feel nice or that don't work properly and aim to make sure you don't do this when your leading.

    Later on, it'll become easy to identify the points of why some leads generally feel better than others
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    Re: How exactly does dancing as a follower improve your lead?

    Quote Originally Posted by robd View Post
    To all the men that follow and claim it benefits their leading ability by being able to see and feel things from their partner's perspective: do you also allow your partner to stick a d*ldo where the sun doesn't shine so that you can experience sex from your partner's perspective and thus improve your ability in bed?
    wow, tough day Rob ?

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    Re: How exactly does dancing as a follower improve your lead?

    Quote Originally Posted by Caro View Post
    wow, tough day Rob ?
    Its obviously playing on his mind, he's just asking for a little advice!
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    Re: How exactly does dancing as a follower improve your lead?

    At the end of the day being lead by a good leader can be a lot of fun, its amazing the amount of moves that can be lead when you have not got a clue what is going to happen, at the same time you do sometimes reflect when you get thrown around, do you do this to your partner when your leading.
    The thing that I am learning is to try and be re-active rather than being pro-active ie presuming I know whats going to happen. The most important part is keep your frame and wait to be lead.

    Other followers will have to comment on whether my following abilities have helped my leading.

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    Re: How exactly does dancing as a follower improve your lead?

    Quote Originally Posted by Gerry View Post
    Other followers will have to comment on whether my following abilities have helped my leading.
    Your leading has always been wonderful Gerry. Nothing wrong in that department.

    Your following is also coming on lovely but then again, my leading probably does not help you out very much. When i lead i just tend to groin slap the follower into a tight hold and sway a lot whilst im thinking, what next what next what next LOL...xxx

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    Re: How exactly does dancing as a follower improve your lead?

    Quote Originally Posted by Trouble View Post
    When i lead i just tend to groin slap the follower into a tight hold and sway a lot whilst im thinking, what next what next what next LOL...xxx
    I think you've just defined the entirety of Blues Dancing there.

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    Re: How exactly does dancing as a follower improve your lead?

    Quote Originally Posted by Caro View Post
    wow, tough day Rob ?
    It just seems a logical conclusion to draw, that's all

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    Re: How exactly does dancing as a follower improve your lead?

    Quote Originally Posted by robd View Post
    To all the men that follow and claim it benefits their leading ability by being able to see and feel things from their partner's perspective: do you also allow your partner to stick a d*ldo where the sun doesn't shine so that you can experience sex from your partner's perspective and thus improve your ability in bed?
    As that's your conclusion, shouldn't you now try following?

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    Re: How exactly does dancing as a follower improve your lead?

    Quote Originally Posted by robd View Post
    do you also allow your partner to stick a d*ldo where the sun doesn't shine so that you can experience sex from your partner's perspective
    Quote Originally Posted by Cruella View Post
    As that's your conclusion, shouldn't you now try following?
    I think the conclusion should be....... one shouldn't expect to subject their partner, to anything one wouldn't like done to oneself!
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