Dancing with partners of different height

[robd]

Does anyone have any tips for minimising the difficulties arising when dancing with a partner who is a much different height to themselves, be it taller or smaller? Any moves which work well in this scenario? Any moves to avoid (I would say the comb is tricky during class - standing with bended knees for any period of time is not easy!). I am around 6' so tend to have difficulties with the shorter ladies though it's clear there are a number of factors that go together to create the compatibility leading to an enjoyable dance.

Robert

[Andreas]

When I started Ceroc they taught us apprx. 120 beginners and improvers moves. Only a couple of those moves are really critical when the height differs too much.

In general, there are not too many moves (in relation to total number) that cause problems.

So the tip would be "don't be hung up on your favourite moves, increase your potfolio". You will do about 30-40 moves in a dance, so even if you don't repeat you should be able to do 3 dances w/o doing difficult moves or moves that require favourable height.

Other than that: STAY CLOSE!

[David Bailey]

Other than that: STAY CLOSE!

Agree with all your other points, but not sure about that one, simply from an aesthetic (visual) point of view - if there's a big height differential, surely it's better to be a bit further apart?

I'm thinking mainly of wee blerts like me, dancing close with taller ladies - it's generally fine for the guys to be a little taller than the girls, but I think it's aesthetically more of a problem the other way round, to my mind... Not that I don't dance with tall ladies, just that I need to make more adjustments that way.

Offhand, moves to avoid where the guy is much taller: man duck-type moves, of course, possibly also comb moves, and possibly moves such as the backhander / archie spin (but that's OK, the last 2 are Moves From Hell anyway )

Where the girl is much taller: overhead turns, dips / drops / lifts, and of course the Tunnel. But again, the Tunnel is a naff move, so that's probably a blessing in disguise

[Andreas]

Hehe

I did not actually consider looks when I wrote that. Sure, the height difference does not show as much when you are further apart. Staying close, though, provides a shorter lead with the little bit extra to lead the follower smoothly. So that was purely from a technical point of view.

[spindr]

Does anyone have any tips for minimising the difficulties arising when dancing with a partner who is a much different height to themselves, be it taller or smaller? Any moves which work well in this scenario? Any moves to avoid (I would say the comb is tricky during class - standing with bended knees for any period of time is not easy!). I am around 6' so tend to have difficulties with the shorter ladies though it's clear there are a number of factors that go together to create the compatibility leading to an enjoyable dance.

Ok, I'm 6'4'' and I don't really find much problem dancing with shorter ladies.

First observation -- if your feet are closed together then you will be taller -- keep your feet apart, and you will sink in height (without having to bend your knees). If you modify your moves so that don't close your feet, then this will help.

If you dance a comb, then let go "early" -- don't try and hold on -- a lot of moves can be released quickly and you'll still keep the move flowing, but without having to stop in an awkward position. And yes, I will "race ahead" in a class to avoid having to stop and requiring my partner to stand on a box.

The other technique that is fun is to dance "crazy legs" -- this is a lindy move -- and yes it does involve bent legs, but since they're moving it's not so hard to dance.

And of course you can ham it up -- lead moves from a kneeling position -- or make a real point of limboing in a step under, etc., etc.

Cheers,
SpinDr.

[philsmove]

What exactly is the problem?

[clevedonboy]

Don't know Phil, I'm alright if I can get my hand over her head

[bigdjiver]

I am 6'3"". I am always looking for way to equalise the levels by crouching, kneeling or ducking. I also like moves that involve lifting the ladies in various ways. One of my sad moments in Ceroc was doing a kneeling move, what I call the "worship at feet" with a beatifully presented and beautiful short lady, who was an excellent dancer, and hear her ask if I was trying to make fun of her.

[Trish]

Does anyone have any tips for minimising the difficulties arising when dancing with a partner who is a much different height to themselves, be it taller or smaller? Any moves which work well in this scenario? Any moves to avoid (I would say the comb is tricky during class - standing with bended knees for any period of time is not easy!). I am around 6' so tend to have difficulties with the shorter ladies though it's clear there are a number of factors that go together to create the compatibility leading to an enjoyable dance.

Robert

As a fairly short woman, I would say the main problem I find when dancing with tall men is when they don't take your height into consideration. Some men I have danced with have nearly pulled my arm out of it's socket when doing a turn or return, as they reach up to where their arm goes, not where mine does! To avoid this try to put your hand just above the girl's head when leading a turn, rather than right up high - this also gives you more control ! The other thing to bear in mind is that if she is short, her waist will also usually be much lower down than a tall girl, as will other bits of her anatomy! This is something to bear in mind with moves like yoyos or anything where you're reaching for the hip - you don't want to accidentally put your hand somewhere embarrassing!

BigDJiver is really good at all this and very considerate to the height thing in general, although he does sometimes try to make me wiggle with his hip (in a wrapped in position), which is just about where my armpit is . This also doesn't tend to work, as I don't bend there! This is probably a move to avoid with a smaller girl, as the height ratio doesn't work (unless of course you can bend your knees loads and loads and still wiggle)!

Good luck with it all - I'm sure if you're aware of these things you'll be lovely to dance with!

[Purple Sparkler]

I'm 5'10", so the main problem I used to have when starting out was dancing with partners who were shorter than me.

Then I had a dance with Seamus of Ashtons fame, who told me "Ignore me. F**k me. Let me do the compensating for the height difference."

So I did. Never had a problem with a shorter partner again over the height difference. And I have to say I find that if a partner is going to wrench your arms in their sockets, it doesn't matter what height said partner is. I have some awesome dances with guys who are considerably shorter than myself.

[Little Monkey]

I had some (read lots!) fab dances with Mr. Par in Southport this weekend. I'm about 5'6, and the top of my head didn't even reach his chin!! Despite this, dancing with him was just GREAT - it didn't seem like any effort at all for Mr. Par to dance with shorter partners, and if you watch him dance, you can see he doesn't dance bent over like a hunchback to compensate for the height difference, like some tall men sometimes do. He even did moves where he had to duck under my arm, and again did it so effortlessly that the height difference didn't cross my mind at all! Very smooth....

Thanks for all the lovely dances, and hopefully I'll get some more in the future!

Little Monkey

[Minnie M]

I am only 5"3 and have had some amazing dances with Spindr and Mr.Under Par, however there are some moves Mr.UP does that you sundenly realise the height difference, but what the heck it is still a great dance and I luuuuuuuuuv it

Spindr is the kiddy, it has never crossed my mind during a dance that he is over a foot taller than me - he is SUCH a great dancer and such fun to dance with.

Mr. Under Par and SDV Claire her face was such a picture there must have been nearly a TWO foot difference she is soooooo diddy - but it was so good to watch

[under par]

snip

Thanks for all the lovely dances, and hopefully I'll get some more in the future!

Little Monkey

Thankyou little Monkey for your kind words. look forward tour next dance soon hopefully.!!

I must confess I do have a big problem when there is a big height difference I just cannot stand dancing with 8 foot tall partners.


the other way round is easy though because it is a constant for me.

i've always been this tall.

[Stuart M]

Some historical views on the subject:

Does size matter?

Only including this because I've taxied for some tall people recently - men and women - and was searching for tips for them. And, as usual, the 'related threads' thing at the bottom of the screen was useless.

[Little Monkey]

I must confess I do have a big problem when there is a big height difference I just cannot stand dancing with 8 foot tall partners.

the other way round is easy though because it is a constant for me.

Ah, it's such a shame you have no sense of humor........

i've always been this tall.

Really????? Your poor mother.....

Short Silly Monkey

[LMC]

Got back in one piece from the Dips/Leads/Seducers workshop in Daventry, superbly taught by Emma and Alex - and great fun too (the slo mo routine was hilarious!)

As a fairly tall girl (5'9" in my jazz shoes, which I was wearing today) I'm aware that dancing with a much shorter guy can be, er, interesting! - but most adapt to my height beautifully.

However, today I found some seducers/drops are awkward with a much shorter partner, and some, particularly ballroom drops/drops of a similar family are almost impossible. In a ballroom drop for instance, I couldn't get a 90deg angle between my body and straight arm if the lead was shorter. This meant that I couldn't 'take the strain' in my arms effectively, thus preventing me from going all the way down/back without either landing like a sack of potatoes on the unfortunate lead, or bending in the middle (not elegant).

When I got round to a taller guy in the rotation my morale was massively uplifted by actually being able to go "all the way" on the ballroom drop and a couple of the seducers. Up until that point I was feeling a bit discouraged (even close to tears as a couple of consecutive shorter-than-me partners were evidently frustrated that I couldn't do the move "properly" so they knew how it felt for the lead). Emma did say at that point that height was a very important factor for some drops.

Can physical fitness/flexibility compensate for the man being a lot shorter than the woman? What's other people's experiences of dips/seducers - is height *that* important?

[David Bailey]

Can physical fitness/flexibility compensate for the man being a lot shorter than the woman? What's other people's experiences of dips/seducers - is height *that* important?

Yes, to my mind, height/weight ratios do matter in this particular area.

For example, as a tiny and wimpy person, I don't do drops - although I do seducers, they're my own particular type .

I generally try to avoid any move that involves excessive weight support, because:
- they may look silly
- they may not be comfortable for me or my partner
- they may be dangerous for me or my partner.

Note: this caveat only refers to drops - all other moves are fine, you just adjust to the physical characteristics of your partner, in the same way you adjust to other factors like her dance experience and her style.

[LMC]

Yes, to my mind, height/weight ratios do matter in this particular area.

For example, as a tiny and wimpy person, I don't do drops - although I do seducers, they're my own particular type ..

Hmmm, Emma had the good idea of making us 'switch' roles, which meant that I ended up leaning the 16 stone 6ft3 guy I happened to be partnered with - and because he was holding his own weight it felt OK (odd, but OK - oh, and didn't the men just *love* the role reversal - NOT ). So I'm not sure that the weight is as big an issue as the height. And I really really really want to know whether and how much getting fitter will reduce the issues surrounding the height thing.

I generally try to avoid any move that involves excessive weight support, because:
- they may look silly
- they may not be comfortable for me or my partner
- they may be dangerous for me or my partner.

Note: this caveat only refers to drops - all other moves are fine, you just adjust to the physical characteristics of your partner, in the same way you adjust to other factors like her dance experience and her style.

Exactly - leans and most of the seducers were fine with all of the guys - whatever their height/weight. It was just a couple of the seducers and the two drops I had real trouble with when my partner was significantly shorter - just hope I get enough tall partners who know how to lead them so I don't forget!

[David Franklin]

Can physical fitness/flexibility compensate for the man being a lot shorter than the woman? What's other people's experiences of dips/seducers - is height *that* important?

What was the technique you were being taught for a ballroom drop? In particular, how straight/bent were the lead and follow's arms supposed to be?

Truly, I can't think of any "standard" drop or seducer that wouldn't be possible with a reasonable height difference, though strength may be a problem. One thing that's important is to make sure the man is lifting up rather than sideways. To a large extent, it's his responsibility to follow your center so this happens, but to make life easier for him, you may want to concentrate on dropping down rather than back (bend the knee, let bum go towards heel). The better you take your own weight, the less likely the man is to have trouble. One partner I had could drop unsupported to about a foot off the ground (awesome backbend!). I could easily ballroom drop her with one finger...

[LMC]

Technique? - not sure I'm up to describing it comprehensibly! Started out like secret swizzle, twist the lady out and change to butterfly grip. Twist back in, guy's left arm across his body so lady's left arm is bent, guy's right arm bent and hand raised so lady's right arm is straight.

The lifting up rather than sideways is a good point - obviously we were all fairly new to dips/seducers (which is why we were on a workshop!) so I couldn't say whether that was part of the problem or not.

Intuitively, strengthening my lower back and thigh muscles is bound to help with me taking my own weight. Which means that a height difference should matter less. Let's face it, MJ is a social dance, there are an awful lot of people out there who are not as physically fit as they might be. I'm not too bad but have been fitter - for me personally, I would say that it's suppleness I need to work on as much as strength.

Not sure what you mean by dropping down rather than back? - are you saying *don't* keep the 'straight line' from R/knee to shoulders?