Do you dance more from your head or from your heart

[robd]

One of the issues that limits my dancing and is a hurdle to some of the things I would like to improve is that I feel my dancing is very much from my head rather than from my heart (assuming I even have one ) A couple of observations from people I respect have brought this into even sharper focus so I thought I would do a wee (too much listening to Princess Fi ) poll to see how others view themselves. I have other thoughts about how this distinction affects other dancing preferences but will hang on to those for now.

EDIT: More haste, less speed - Poll intro should read 'comes' not 'come'

[dave the scaffolder]

I dance from my heart. I give it body and soul and sometimes get over excited and do innappropriate things in the heat of the moment.

Dance from your heart everytime for me.

DTS XXX XXX

[Twirly]

Has to be from the heart. As a follower, if I had to dance from my head, I'd be constantly trying to work out logically from what the lead was doing what he wanted me to do next, and my brain doesn't work that fast. If I dance through feeling, then I can hopefully have things flow better.

Having said that, there are times when my head has to come into play, if I'm trying to improve on something for example, or learn a new skill, then yes I'll be thinking not just feeling. But my dancing will become more stilted as a consequence.

That is all cause I'm a follower - as a leader, I imagine it would be largely head based, at least until I had an idea what I was doing!

[Jay Jay]

The heart gets it every time

[martingold]

having led all three of the above i can vouch for that

i also dance purely from my heart the music tells my body what to do my head doesn't get a look in (could be a good thing i suppose )

[frolicols]

I dance from the head. That's where my brain is. The heart is merely an organ to pump blood around the body to make sure I can keep dancing...

[straycat]

I dance from the head. That's where my brain is. The heart is merely an organ to pump blood around the body to make sure I can keep dancing...

Well - in a literal sense,

I take the question to be more along the lines of: 'Intellect vs emotion' - do you carefully think / analyse your way through a dance, or do you abandon all of that, feel your way through?

Personally, I think there are some major caveats about the '100% heart' route - the main one being that you need to have pretty good dance/connection skills to be able to carry it off. I have had some dances with people who were obviously dancing completely from the heart, clearly having a whale of a time, but who were, frankly, horrible to dance with, because what they were trying to do completely exceeded their actual dancing skills - and little things like paying a modicum of attention to their partner from time to time just went out of the window.

Sure - that's an extreme example, but my own rule of thumb is that I should only let go to the extent that it doesn't mess up my technique. That means I usually dance with about 50% instinct and 50% intellect. If I'm finding my partner harder to lead, I engage more brain. Likewise if I feel my footwork is getting sloppy, similarly for other points of technique. If, on the other hand, I'm dancing with a perfectly matched partner, everything is feeling effortless, and we're finding ourselves inspired by the music.... it's the time to let it all go and have a complete blast.

[Agente Secreto]

Mostly from the heart. If I'm having a good night it all seems to come together without any real concentration at all. Sometimes though it comes from the head - normally after a hard week at work - and those nights are to be forgotten

[Phil_dB]

A combination of the two. Which will depends on my partner, the music and my mood at the time.

It's one of the reasons why I strive to become a better dancer, - in the hope that it will allow me the freedom of expression to dance through pure emotion rather than thought. That's the plan anyway

[rubyred]

A bit of a twin edged sword for followers me thinks. Yes my heart leads me on the dance floor, and I feel the passion for the dance, but as a follower I have to follow where I am led. If I take off and do my own thing when I haven't been invited to do so, or I haven't seized the moment from the leader or let them know I want 'my time' then where was the connection between us? It is so good when there is a meeting of minds between the dance couple, and in tango the saying goes 'one heart, four legs'. I suggest the followers seize the moment in the dance when you have been given the space, but also learn how to communicate with your heart [ that where I feel it ]and your head [that's where I make sense of it ]to the leader when you want to add your shine or decoration. Let the music into your hearts, and be dictated by what it is telling you to do. But for the leaders please 'it is the music that dictates the rhythm to which the movements will be done' Joaquin Amenabar

[Trouble]

Im a little confused as i mainly dance from my feet. it sort of vibrates up my legs a bit...

Have not tried MJ on my head yet..

Heart... well thats just silly isn't it.

Anyway, seriously though...

i dance from my heart with my partner and my crotch . I dance with my head with others although my crotch does try to butt in now and then when the odd good looking one comes along!!

I am in complete control now though. Im in love. !! head rules with all but one. xxx

[Astro]

One of the issues that limits my dancing and is a hurdle to some of the things I would like to improve is that I feel my dancing is very much from my head rather than from my heart (assuming I even have one )

I didn't get that impression - that dance at Blush was fantastic , though I did remember with a start half way through that you don't like any funny business.

If, on the other hand, I'm dancing with a perfectly matched partner, everything is feeling effortless, and we're finding ourselves inspired by the music.... it's the time to let it all go and have a complete blast.

Here's a theory that might explain things -

Different people have a different chord which causes their soul to vibrate.

So I suppose, if two people, who vibrate to the same chord, are dancing together and the music contains "their" chord, and especially if said chord is pronounced in the music, then that's when the magic starts.

Does anyone know how many chords there are?

[CJ]

Dancing with your heart isn't the same as going off and doing their own thing.

I dance from my heart. But quite obviously, I dance via my brain.

I feel the music, I feel connected to my partner and I lead from there. Occasionally, I will lead from the brain but only when there are difficulties/blockages stopping a free flowing dance.

I have danced with followers who truly, amazingly "just" (there is no just in true following, but I hope U KNOW WHAT I MEAN) follow.. and they dance from the heart. I have danced with followers who actively "input" into the dance... Lory, Ruby, SnowWhite, etc... and they too dance from the heart.

Dancers who dance from the head can still do their own thing... they're just doing it from a slightly different place...

[Caro]

I take the question to be more along the lines of: 'Intellect vs emotion' - do you carefully think / analyse your way through a dance, or do you abandon all of that, feel your way through?

Personally, I think there are some major caveats about the '100% heart' route - the main one being that you need to have pretty good dance/connection skills to be able to carry it off.

A bit of a twin edged sword for followers me thinks. Yes my heart leads me on the dance floor, and I feel the passion for the dance, but as a follower I have to follow where I am led.

A big to the above.

I have voted heart, but if I am honest it depends on a lot of things: the music, my partner, my mood, and the technique I can rely on.

It's probably best I reserve the dancing 100% from my heart (i.e. emotions, not the blood pumping organ ) to my living room as it probably ain't that aesthetically pleasing and frankly is probably best done without a partner

But those who've danced with me enough should know that sometimes music interpretation (which for me is where the emotion comes from) comes before following... I'm grateful for the leaders who allow this, and in demand of those who feed off it.

[Gav]

One of the issues that limits my dancing and is a hurdle to some of the things I would like to improve is that I feel my dancing is very much from my head rather than from my heart (assuming I even have one ) A couple of observations from people I respect have brought this into even sharper focus so I thought I would do a wee (too much listening to Princess Fi ) poll to see how others view themselves. I have other thoughts about how this distinction affects other dancing preferences but will hang on to those for now.

I need to sit down. I understand AND agree with something robd posted!

[jim]

Dancing is an art form; all art forms are both mental and emotional endovours and dancing is no different.

There is always a struggle between the mind and the heart. Sometimes we over think, sometimes we over feel.

I particually like a quote from a leftfield song which says 'soul on the mind, mind on the soul; the stuggle remains but the inside grows'.

[emmylou25]

Depends whether I'm leading or following, and who I'm dancing with / what music is on.

If I'm leading it's definitely head, as I have to think a lot more about what's coming, and don't do enough following to make sure I'm working it all brilliantly with the music (usually only lead at classes where there's a shortage of men)

When following if I'm dancing with someone where we really connect with each other and the music then I'd like to think it's all about heart and soul - that's generally when I come off the dance floor swooning
If I'm dancing with someone who I haven't seen for ages and then we have a bit of a chat while dancing, so that kind of ruins that theory though.

[frolicols]

Disregarding my previous trivial reply (I've been in a bad mood all day, cr4p day at work) - does it not come down to a combination of muscle memory, experience, knowledge of the music, and your partner?

I for one am still early on the Ceroc road, so still have to consciously think of what move I'm going to do next. I'm at the point where musicality starts to kick in and I can do appropriate beginner moves to appropriate parts of the music. If I'm throwing in intermediate moves that I've recently learned, I will always have to consciously think of what I'm going to do next.

Is it not like driving a car? The more you do it the more you can do it without conscious thought. As a lead you are constantly and subconsciously matching an appropriate move to your current physical position, and the position of the music.

[kps]

Apparently I dance from my finger.
Personally I like to think I dance from the heart as I very rarely think what move I’m going to do next. Most of the time it just happens. I occasional try to think and add a new move here and there, but I always find my best dances are the one I do the least think about especially if it a bit of music I love with a partner who has a strong connection

[kps]

Well - in a literal sense,
Sure - that's an extreme example, but my own rule of thumb is that I should only let go to the extent that it doesn't mess up my technique. That means I usually dance with about 50% instinct and 50% intellect. If I'm finding my partner harder to lead, I engage more brain. Likewise if I feel my footwork is getting sloppy, similarly for other points of technique. If, on the other hand, I'm dancing with a perfectly matched partner, everything is feeling effortless, and we're finding ourselves inspired by the music.... it's the time to let it all go and have a complete blast.

spot on, I couldn't agree more