It depends (sorry ). The following are all generalities based on my limited experience.Originally Posted by Merovingian
I've been described as "like dancing with feathers". Not everyone I dance with feels this is a good thing.
In general, lady taxi dancers seem to develop more tension in their arms ( I believe as a defence against beginner leads yanking them around ). As such they prefer a stronger lead (note prefer - they can still follow a soft lead )
Speed seems to be the other factor. The faster dancers prefer a stronger lead, which again if you're really moving is not unreasonable. Slower dancers prefer a softer lead
Playfull dancers seem to work best with a soft lead so they have more space to interpret the music -
The more intricate the moves the softer the lead too - when I lead Jango moves it's a strange blend of a very strong frame, but a very soft lead (Kind of a yin-yang thing)
Ultimately do what you want and listen to feedback. If you can remember who likes a stronger lead, then it's up to you if you want to provide it. It's probably worth considering that as long as your moves are fluid and the elbows don't extend fully, you can use a lot of force in your lead without yanking (Kinda scary actually - you can lead with far more force than it'll take to pop a joint )
Be Well,
Christopher
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