Eye contact: an art-form

I don't know how many times people I've danced with have told me this! Whenever I'm dancing with someone who is at a higher level than me, I tend to look at my feet just to make sure that I'm doing the moves right. I'm sure many other people feel the same way.

What we do not realize though, is that we are so focused on getting the steps right that we don't allow ourselves to be led properly by our partner. Yes, knowing the steps is important but being able to follow as females is even more important. It doesn't matter if you're doing the moves perfectly or not, it will not look good if you don't follow your partner when he leads you. Obviously the more advanced you get, the better you get at being able to follow and thus relying less on getting the sequence right because you know your partner will just lead you into it.

Another problem with looking at your feet when dancing is the loss of eye contact. It is important to have some sort of connection when you're dancing with someone. Chat. Smile. A bit of eye contact is important. Of course too much eye contact can get a bit awkward too especially if you're dancing with someone you're not familiar with. It all comes down to balancing your eye contact though.

As dancers in ballroom dancing or any other partner dance, it is important to have eye contact because it is a tool that helps you connect and communicate with your partner without speaking. It is therefore a good idea to practice and master it. Make it a natural thing and make it a habit when you dance. This discipline is really more of an art form within the art of partnered dancing.

And remember, making eye contact and giving a smile also makes your partner more comfortable. You're basically letting them know you want to be there and you're enjoying yourself. if you make you partner comfortable, they will probably make more of an effort to do the same for you.

Dancing: A social affair

The one thing that I have enjoyed the most about learning how to dance, is the social aspect of it. Most often than not, people start dancing, especially styles such as ballroom and latin, because they witnessed a television show, someone talked them into it or they are just trying out something different. For me, the love for dance started with my interest for dance shows such as So You Think You Can Dance and Strictly Come Dancing. I remember being 16 and thinking that, as soon as I get to University, I will sign up for classes and learn. I did just that with UCT Ballroom and Latin Society and I've loved it ever since.

I'll mention a few reasons why dancing enhances one's social life and how it generally improve one's quality of life.

1) Dancing helps you meet different people and make new friends. When you meet someone at a ballroom & latin class, you already have something in common. You want to learn how to dance. You'll therefore have something to talk about as you dance. Dancing with a partner means that you can have a more developed conversation later on which can involve more people. From that point on, anything is possible. People who dance together have been known to hang out with each other outside of their class, going out for movies, lunch or even more dancing.

Social Dancing

2) Dancing increases your self esteem and confidence. The dance community is an open and friendly community. From the moment you walk in the door, you feel welcomed, whether it is at a salsa club or at your dance class. You find yourself in a place that is fun, open and energizing. Learning how to move well on the dance floor and seeing yourself constantly improving is major boost in confidence. Being able to walk up to a guy and asking them to dance shows the amount of confidence that can be gained by us ladies while guys learn to be able to ask any girl to dance.

3) Dance offers an activity for people who may not consider themselves as sporty. The benefit of dance is not only that of increased exercise, but the participation in an art-form, which is rooted in technique, which gives an opportunity for a creative outlet.

4) Dance can offer insight into other cultures, either through the dance style itself or by meeting new people. Paso or Salsa anyone?

Paso Doble

5)You may meet your special person. I've seen so many people who have met through dance and end up dating. Imagine finding someone who loves dancing as much as you do. No awkward first dates. And the person is likely to have great posture too (maybe? no?) Imagine dancing the Argentine tango with your other half though. Pretty hot!

Argentine Tango

If you're a bit skeptical, check out your nearest salsa club, go to a swing party or any dance social. You will see what I'm talking about. Dancing is fun. Embrace it. And dance some more. Life is too short not too :) And obviously, there will be people who are just not interested but they're missing out in my opinion.

Dance quotes

A lot of people will start every day off thinking about some of the famous quotes that have been said throughout our history. It helps to keen them focused on their goals in life as they think about these great men and women who have helped to shape our world. Furthermore, quotes inspire us and keep us interested in any activity that we are partaking in. Dance quotes are no different.

All dancers love to see a few quotes that show how important dance is to them. Most of the quotes are usually made by ballet dancers but there is no reason why we cannot all translate that into any type of dance.

Dance quotes for me are especially important because they show that there are other people out there who feel the same way that I do. I constantly search for dance quotes on tumblr and pinterest all the time and I am always so excited when I see a quote that I haven't heard before or when it has been creatively put in with a new dance picture.

Below are a number of dance quotes that I absolutely love. One of my favourite quotes is 'I dance because there is no greater feeling in the world than moving to a piece of music and letting the world disappear.' There is no other quote that describes how I feel than this one. I find myself being swept away in music and wanting to do the waltz or a contemporary routine when I listen to music and it just takes you to another place. I have said I don't do contemporary dancing so that is just wishful thinking on my part though.

Another of my favourites is a quote by Martha Graham. She says “Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance. Great dancers are great because of their passion.” Nothing could be truer. I always want to tell people to just relax and enjoy themselves when I see them stressing about looking perfect or not getting the moves right. Dancing is about having fun and meeting new people. In a social setting, no one cares really. As long as you are having fun, people forget to look at your dancing. Perfect moves come with practice, but in the meantime, we should enjoy ourselves while we learn and have fun learning this craft.