By Anthony Hurley
What are the qualities and priorities of an experienced male ballroom dancer?
What is expected of him and what are the ultimate goals he should have acquired during his years of intense learning and practice?
Let us first consider his responsibilities.
1) He must understand the principles of correct posture before he can assume any of the following points that relate him to his partner and ultimately allow the partnership to produce an artistic performance that adjudicators will instantly recognise as good ballroom dancing.
2) The stance and picture he creates through his body must include his partner in every aspect of dance.
3) Through his body, he must transmit to his partner, posture and frame (arm position) weight position, balance point and most importantly inner body awarness to translate emotion and preparation of movement to create musicality.
4) Total awareness at all times of his partners position and reaction to his leads in relation to his chosen basic or advanced figures.
5) All successful champions past or present constantly strive to perfect all basic fundamentals such as, footwork, foot pressure and foot styling. These attributes together with good feet and legs are the ingredients that will develop a harmony of physical body contact, which in itself is a major criteria and an essential part of adjudicating standards and decisions.
6) Under competiton conditions he is also responsible for the placing on the floor of the choreography, floor craft (a lost art) musicality and presentation of performance.
