Why doesn't your partner dance, then?

[Emma]

Prompted By Mr Par's thread, and Mr McGregor's reply.... strike of the pollaholic

Actually when I started dancing I was constantly asked this question, and in the end it got almost embarrassing. I dragged my (now ex) partner along and he did a couple of lessons, but he absolutely hated it - mostly because he wasn't very good at it. Actually I think he would have been good (he was getting the hang of leading after only two classes) but he didn't enjoy himself, and you can't force someone to do something they don't like!

[ChrisA]

I dragged my (now ex) partner along and he did a couple of lessons, but he absolutely hated it - mostly because he wasn't very good at it.

I am eternally grateful to my ex for dragging me along to a Ceroc class. I was crap and didn't go back for 6 months, even though I knew it was something I really wanted to do.

So she tried again; I was still crap and didn't go back for another 6 months.

So finally, about a year after the first class, she had a final go, and dragged me to a Cerocshop - it clicked enough for me to freestyle beginners moves and I started going every week.

This is why I spend a lot of time encouraging beginners that it's Ok to feel crap at the beginning, but not to let it put them off. I'd be a lot better now, I reckon, if I'd been more persistent in the early days.

Chris

[Trish]

Personally my husband doesn't dance because he is completely dance phobic! The very thought of any type of dancing makes him look like he's going to be sick, and having been dancing the whole of the three years I've known him, I've got used to dancing without him. It's actually nice to go out and do my own thing, while he goes to the pub with the lads or has guitar lessons - which is his thing. I think if he started dancing now it would make things difficult, as I'd feel obliged to dance with him, even though he'd find the whole process frustrating and get annoyed with me, and consequently we'd end up fighting! Vive la difference I say - if he doesn't want to dance it isn't going to affect our relationship.

[Emma]

Goodness Chris, Your ex must've been one persistant woman!

[ChrisA]

Goodness Chris, Your ex must've been one persistant woman!

Ironically, she gave up Ceroc after we went our separate ways

Funny old life, eh?

Chris

[Lou]

I asked my hubby & he said:

Serious answer? Can you put more than one? It's about 5% a, 25% b, and 70% c - the main "other" reason being it simply just doesn't appeal to me. I can't really put my finger on why, I just don't see myself doing it. If you can only put one then put me down as c - "another reason".

Hope this helps!

[under par]

I am eternally grateful to my ex for dragging me along to a Ceroc class. I was crap and didn't go back for 6 months, even though I knew it was something I really wanted to do.

So she tried again; I was still crap and didn't go back for another 6 months.

So finally, about a year after the first class, she had a final go, and dragged me to a Cerocshop - it clicked enough for me to freestyle beginners moves and I started going every week.

This is why I spend a lot of time encouraging beginners that it's Ok to feel crap at the beginning, but not to let it put them off. I'd be a lot better now, I reckon, if I'd been more persistent in the early days.

Chris

Chris, a very similar experience to me, I have given up for 6 moths or longer three times cos I felt awkward and couldn't put together moves in freestyle like I wanted.

I now also spend time helping (in unofficial capacity) when I can and try to pass on tips of good/best practice to beginners.

[Bardsey]

My partner (when we got back together) decided to start beginner classes, even though its a well known fact that he has two left feet. He did this cos he reasoned that as I was so into the dancing and now so much my "own person" that I would still go out dancing whether he liked it or not, so if you can't beat em etc. He has been going about 10 weeks now and still stays in the beginners cos the co-ordination between, feet, arms and beat hasn't clicked into place yet, but he is def getting better and the main thing is, he really, really enjoys it!

[Yliander]

I need an option for "all of the above" - my male friends have refused to come to dancing for all of the reasons list and so many more

[Gordon J Pownall]

My partner (when we got back together) decided to start beginner classes, even though its a well known fact that he has two left feet. He did this cos he reasoned that as I was so into the dancing and now so much my "own person" that I would still go out dancing whether he liked it or not, so if you can't beat em etc. He has been going about 10 weeks now and still stays in the beginners cos the co-ordination between, feet, arms and beat hasn't clicked into place yet, but he is def getting better and the main thing is, he really, really enjoys it!

....and that's what counts......I went kicking and screaming my first time.....had an absolute blinder of a night and never looked back since....

[Bardsey]

....and that's what counts......I went kicking and screaming my first time.....had an absolute blinder of a night and never looked back since....

He does enjoy it and have a laugh, but can't say he's had a "blinder" of a night, although he came very close to being "blinded" by the back of my hand last night. He is one of these guys who doesn't put his brain in gear before he opens his mouth.

I was crewing last night, but as there were more men than women for a change, I was being a woman, so I told him I'd partner him in the line up. Off we trot to the line up and he seemed to be hesitating etc., asked him if he didn't want to dance with me or sumfink and he said everything was fine. We'd had this idea last night to all wear name labels and up comes this woman (also a beginner) without one, so I asked her where it was, next thing I know she's standing in front of MY partner and he says to me, "tell you what, you go get her badge and I'll dance with her!" I stood there, open-mouthed, I couldn't believe it! Mind you, ever the professional, I got her name badge, then went to get a guy from the spares line.

Boy, did he cop for it when we got home!.....He won't do THAT to me again! His (feeble) excuse was that I intimidate him with the dance thing. Moi ???

[Gordon J Pownall]

Boy, did he cop for it when we got home!.....He won't do THAT to me again! His (feeble) excuse was that I intimidate him with the dance thing. Moi ???

To quote an American Prison Movie......


"Your my bitch now boy......."

I'm surprised he went home........I'd have hidden for...oh.....about five years - give you time to cool down......

[Sparkles]

We need an option for 'virtually all of my male friends dance, so I have no need to try and convince my male friends that don't that they should'. Or should I just not be posting on this thread?

[Missy D]

Partner? am i the only singleton here

[Gadget]

My husband/partner/male friend won't dance for another reason

erm... what's this sexist thing: I dance, my wife does not. I get asked with regularity why not and that I should take her along - she declines.

She has danced with me (being modest, I am not that bad a dancer for beginners) as a kid and has a tin full of medals for ballet, tap, highland...but it's this 'making it up as you go' that throws her: give her a caberet or show-case and it wouldn't be a problem, but improvisation is just not in her.

[Gordon J Pownall]

Partner? am i the only singleton here

We're a match Missy D - we even have the same looks and dance style..!!!!

[Rachel]

She has danced with me (being modest, I am not that bad a dancer for beginners) as a kid and has a tin full of medals for ballet, tap, highland...but it's this 'making it up as you go' that throws her: give her a caberet or show-case and it wouldn't be a problem, but improvisation is just not in her.

I sympathise with her! I'm the same. But it's fine - you just let the guys do all the hard work!

Oh God - memories of ballet exams where you had to improvise to a piece of music with the examiner peering critically over her glasses at you and the old lady pianist in the corner willing you to do better ... to do something ... anything, for Christ's sake, girl!!!
Rachel x

[Emma]

erm... what's this sexist thing:

Er...well, it came out of a discussion about keeping male dancers, and why so few actually started in the first place...during which I speculated that it was because many men regard dancing as 'sissy'. I started the poll to try and get some statistics on this, so didn't include women. Mea Culpa.


(don't believe I have EVER in my life been accused of being sexist before )

[MartinHarper]

A guy at work was thinking of dancing, but I think he concluded that there were insufficient hot chicks, and it wasn't really his thing.
If hot forumite women PM me scantily clad photos of themselves, I might be able to remedy this.

I started the poll to try and get some statistics on this, so didn't include women.

We need a seperate poll to find out how many wives don't dance because it's sissy/poofy/unmacho.

[ChrisA]

but I think he concluded that there were insufficient hot chicks

Is it ever possible for there to be sufficient hot chicks?