Too Short Or Too Tall???

[LMC]

I'm 5'9"

The fact that *one* shorter person standing next to you during a fast track was a better dancer than you may have nothing to do with your relative heights. They were probably just a better dancer - or would you rather blame your height, which you can do nothing about, than your dance experience/ability, which you can?

Most people are better dancers than me. Some of them are taller than me, more are shorter. The fact that they are better than me has very little to do with their height. It has an awful lot to do with the fact that I have only been dancing 3 months and am not as physically fit as I would like to be.

Just to be clear on this: I talked about height differences on another thread and some experienced dancers made it clear there and on this thread here that height can make a difference in certain circumstances.

What I am objecting to is the value judgements you appear to be making - what is coming across is that you are saying "shorter people are better dancers"

[Donna]

Most people are better dancers than me. Some of them are taller than me, more are shorter.

Ha you've just said it yourself!!!!

Just to be clear on this: I talked about height differences on another thread and some experienced dancers made it clear there and on this thread here that height can make a difference in certain circumstances.

What I am objecting to is the value judgements you appear to be making - what is coming across is that you are saying "shorter people are better dancers"

You said it yourself before that the majority of shorter people can look better.

[robd]

I get self-conscious about my height sometimes too and was even told by an ex that I'm "too tall".

No need, no need.

I didn't think of you as particularly tall or even as just 'tall' when I saw you and plenty of women at the same event were taller than you including one whose height actually did give her and I a few problems during rotation.

[Purple Sparkler]

Most people are better dancers than me. Some of them are taller than me, more are shorter.

Ha you've just said it yourself!!!!

Yes, because NewKid is taller than average height, so of course most of the women are going to be either a little, or a lot, shorter than her.

I'm 5'10.5", so even taller than NewKid, and that's not even when I'm in heels. So from MY point of view, you're actually quite short. CF Under Par.

And I stand by MY opinion that it has everything to do with technique. For example, I've never had a bad dance with Under Par, but neither have I ever had a bad dance with Seamus the Ashtons Taxi who is CONSIDERABLY shorter than I am.

I say stop obsessing about your height and just get on and dance. And (I've said it before, and I'll bloody well say it again- can't wait to see if my application to Taxi is accepted so I can tell ALL the beginner women this) ALWAYS let the man do the compensating for your height. It's a risk, admittedly, because occasionally you might get the top of your head brushed by an arm (oh no!) but worth it because it stops you stooping.

[LMC]

Donna, you have quoted me out of context. So perhaps I haven't made myself clear.

At 5'9" most women and a significant proportion of men are shorter than me. Therefore, more dancers are shorter than me than taller than me.

Therefore there are more shorter dancers that are better than me than taller dancers that are better than me.

I repeat, the fact that they are better than me is to do with our relative abilities (or lack of in my case) not our relative heights.

[Lee]

Judging by what David James said.....

I think you'll find that 5'6.5" is exactly the ideal height for a dancer.

do you think smaller people look like better dancers? They appear to move faster and look more stylish whereas taller people tend to look slower and lack style. Do you think it has anything to do with height or do you think a taller person can make it look just as HOT by using a different technique in their dancing????

I've actually managed to read this whole thread for a change and now have a head ache

For me (being 5"9 and 1/2 ) dancing with someone a lot taller than me (say 5"11+) is actually very hard, as i struggle to get my arm over their head with out catching them, and all that streching hurts

So in response to the original question, if i'm dancing with a lady about the same height or smaller than me (but not smaller than 4") i would think we have a better chance in look better than if i were dancing with a giant.

Lee

[stewart38]

I've actually managed to read this whole thread for a change and now have a head ache

For me (being 5"9 and 1/2 ) dancing with someone a lot taller than me (say 5"11+) is actually very hard, as i struggle to get my arm over their head with out catching them, and all that streching hurts



Lee

I think up to about 6 inch difference in height there is usually no problem for me, then im afraid size does matter.

There is lovely female dancer who must be cira 6ft 7 but we still do ok

New Kid your a short arse so stop trying to join the tall society (6ft plus)

[Donna]

[QUOTE=NewKid
At 5'9" most women and a significant proportion of men are shorter than me.[QUOTE]

Blimey you are tall aren't you? There's this girl who has just started in chester and she must be well over 6ft!! I think tall people who do ballet are better than short people though cuz it looks more graceful. When I did the Strictly Dance Fever auditions there was this girl there who was incredibly tall but she was absolutely amazing!!!

[stewart38]

[QUOTE=Donna]

Blimey you are tall aren't you? There's this girl who has just started in chester and she must be well over 6ft!! I think tall people who do ballet are better than short people though cuz it looks more graceful. When I did the Strictly Dance Fever auditions there was this girl there who was incredibly tall but she was absolutely amazing!!!

5ft 9 isnt 'tall' for a women ? what they feeding you lot in Wales

[Donna]

I'm 5'10.5", so even taller than NewKid, and that's not even when I'm in heels. So from MY point of view, you're actually quite short. CF Under Par.

Do you find you have to wear flat shoes quite often then or do you still wear high heels?? If so, what size heel do you go for . I tend to not go for anything over 2 inches.

A

nd I stand by MY opinion that it has everything to do with technique. For example, I've never had a bad dance with Under Par, but neither have I ever had a bad dance with Seamus the Ashtons Taxi who is CONSIDERABLY shorter than I am.

When you dance with smaller people then do you have to bend your knees a bit because when I dance with smaller men I find myself dancing with my knees slightly bent and when they turn me under, you tend to arch your back a bit to get under otherwise their arm would take your head off!! I danced with this one guy who was short and his watch got tangled in my hair as he 'just about' as he turned me. This woman in my class even had her eyelashes ripped off with someone's watch as well!!! (mind you, I must point out she's has got very long eyelashes!!! Or did!!!

[Donna]

[QUOTE=stewart38][QUOTE=Donna][QUOTE=NewKid
At 5'9" most women and a significant proportion of men are shorter than me.


5ft 9 isnt 'tall' for a women ? what they feeding you lot in Wales [/QUOTE]


it is tall!!! We're all short asses here BOYO!!! NOW BEFORE I SAY THIS...I DIDN'T MAKE THIS UP...(otherwise known as mad duck disease!!!!! )

[LMC]

Do you find you have to wear flat shoes quite often then or do you still wear high heels?? If so, what size heel do you go for . I tend to not go for anything over 2 inches.

I just *love* my jazz shoes 'cos they are flat! But not elegant with a short skirt unfortunately. I've just ordered some Internationals with a 1" Cuban heel, probably the lowest you can get... - will post pics on the shoe thread when they turn up, because, ahem, there are already lots of discussions about shoes.

When you dance with smaller people then do you have to bend your knees a bit because when I dance with smaller men I find myself dancing with my knees slightly bent and when they turn me under, you tend to arch your back a bit to get under otherwise their arm would take your head off!! I danced with this one guy who was short and his watch got tangled in my hair as he 'just about' as he turned me. This woman in my class even had her eyelashes ripped off with someone's watch as well!!! (mind you, I must point out she's has got very long eyelashes!!! Or did!!!

I used to do this all the time. And probably still do sometimes. But I was told by a very nice and good dancer a couple of weeks ago *never* to compromise my posture - it's the lead's *job* to compensate. At one of my venues there is a Chinese taxi - lady - who is about a quarter my size in every dimension, I mean, she is tiny. And if SHE can turn me (although at fingertip length) without me having to duck, then 99.9% of guys will be able to. So now, if they don't raise their arm high enough, I will push it up - I know where my hand is in relation to my head. I danced with someone last Wednesday who resisted this and it was very difficult - if he had asked me to dance again I would have refused him and explained (nicely) why. Because ducking really does compromise your balance - I turn far faster and more neatly now I don't arch my back.

[Kev F]

I'm 5'10.5", so even taller than NewKid, and that's not even when I'm in heels. So from MY point of view, you're actually quite short. CF Under Par.

And I stand by MY opinion that it has everything to do with technique. For example, I've never had a bad dance with Under Par, but neither have I ever had a bad dance with Seamus the Ashtons Taxi who is CONSIDERABLY shorter than I am.

When we've danced I've never even thought about how tall you were/or had any problems with the height to dance quality ratio, even though you must stand taller than me with heels on.

But.....some other taller women do cause me a problem if they tend to travel further from me when dancing. So a combination of travelling and height can be more taxing for the average dancer.

So ladies who keep it tighter do help me out.

[Rhythm King]

I danced with a fabulous lady (whose name I don't know ), wearing black and white shoes, on Saturday night at Twyford. She was significantly taller than my mere 6'2". She danced elegantly and gracefully and I managed not to bash her on the head, on a monotonously regular basis. I have also danced with people who are under 5' tall. You just adapt your style to suit. Some of them are amazingly good dancers, others less so, but it's not the height that decides that.

[Purple Sparkler]

Do you find you have to wear flat shoes quite often then or do you still wear high heels?? If so, what size heel do you go for . I tend to not go for anything over 2 inches.

My first pair of proper dance shoes only had a one inch heel, and my new ones are higher than that- about 2.5 inches I think. I don't think I've worn flat shoes for dancing in over a year.

[Donna]

I just *love* my jazz shoes 'cos they are flat! But not elegant with a short skirt unfortunately.

At one of my venues there is a Chinese taxi - lady - who is about a quarter my size in every dimension, I mean, she is tiny.

There's also a chinese woman in my venue and she is also tiny. She's really funny as well. One guy really winds her up and during the class he kneels down on the floor...especially if there is a comb in the routine!!!

And if SHE can turn me (although at fingertip length) without me having to duck, then 99.9% of guys will be able to. So now, if they don't raise their arm high enough, I will push it up - I know where my hand is in relation to my head.

But.... don't they hang off the floor?

[Purple Sparkler]

But.... don't they hang off the floor?

I'm sure you meant that as a joke, but it's really not very funny. Especially as IIRC, NK has said before that her height has on occasion made her feel self-conscious. This would be one of the pitfalls of writing as opposed to talking, which you yourself have expressed on this very thread.

[Donna]

I'm sure you meant that as a joke, but it's really not very funny. Especially as IIRC, NK has said before that her height has on occasion made her feel self-conscious. This would be one of the pitfalls of writing as opposed to talking, which you yourself have expressed on this very thread.

It's something my dance teacher even jokes about when a tall person is dancing with a smaller person in order to make sure they do it safely but nobody seems to complain there. I did mean it in a friendly way but unfortunately people can easily take it the wrong way when in writing.

[LMC]

As it 'appens, there was one occasion when, as the tallest woman in a small beginners class, I made a joke of dancing with this TD and squatted down on my heels, which made her just a little taller than me (it was an interesting posture in which to try to follow a First Move ). Although she laughed, it seemed a little forced to me. So I guess it isn't just tall people who are self-conscious about height - it was a bit disrespectful of me to do that to her and I've never done it since.

As far as "hanging off the floor" is concerned - as I have a complete sense of humour failure today for reasons totally unrelated to this thread, I will not react, I will instead treat the comment seriously and point out that if your handhold is correct, i.e. not a death grip, then if the lead is uncomfortable with stretching that high then he or she can always let go.

[Donna]

As it 'appens, there was one occasion when, as the tallest woman in a small beginners class, I made a joke of dancing with this TD and squatted down on my heels, which made her just a little taller than me (it was an interesting posture in which to try to follow a First Move ). Although she laughed, it seemed a little forced to me. So I guess it isn't just tall people who are self-conscious about height - it was a bit disrespectful of me to do that to her and I've never done it since.

Yeah some people are self conscious of the height but some can just laugh it off. Like that chinese woman I was talking about? She really laughs her head off because every person in that room is too tall for her....but she still attends the classes every week and enjoys herself.

As far as "hanging off the floor" is concerned - as I have a complete sense of humour failure today for reasons totally unrelated to this thread, I will not react, I will instead treat the comment seriously and point out that if your handhold is correct, i.e. not a death grip, then if the lead is uncomfortable with stretching that high then he or she can always let go.

I think as long as you do keep a gentle hand grip then it should be fine. That's how I have pulled a muscle in my arm. I was dancing with someone a lot taller than me, and he decided to turn himself under my arm. It felt as though my shoulder was coming out of place and to make matters worse I tried to pull away. It's not been right since.