Arranged strictlies?

[Arjay]

Hey I haven't really thought this through as to how this would work but I thought I'd just throw it out there to see the responses.


As an active teacher not just on the road but at home, I take a lot of pride and responsibility to looking out for my students and making sure that I assist in help making the right decisions in the dance community.

By coincidence, I find myself asking my students..."Are you attending this or that event? Who are you dancing strictly with?" The most common of answers is "I will be attending but I don't have a partner...do you have someone for me?"

So I thought(feeling long winded now) what if teachers took more of an active role to arranging strictlies for students....

Here are the immediate pros I see to this:

1. we keep dancers in their appropriate level
2. alleviate a little more stress for the students(especially novice)
3. greater opportunity for more diversity (people tend to do strictly with "regulars" those they're comfortable with)
4. more entries
5. if done correctly can avoid confusion
6. less chance of getting "dumped" because you're more obligated to please your teacher!!! or fear of being hated by a teacher because they hooked you up/ or cuz you dumped their student!!!!
7. teachers are then also more encouraged to watch you dance during competition(they set you up they want a little credit for finding a good match)
8. in relation to #7.... finding different kinds of matches to help influence your dance a certain way...after the dance teacher able to discuss the partnership
Cons:

1. can be more stress for the teacher(not necessarily reminding the student you don't guarantee finding them a partner)
2. not all teachers can arrange this because they're only on the road so much
3. maybe not enough people are comfortable with this (i say too bad it's a dance not a marriage)
4. if done incorrectly confusion (3rd party)

[Scott S.]

The main thing that comes to my mind is the fact that it's so unpredictable if two people will or won't work well together. I'd go for arranging an hour or so of dancing with someone to see if the chemistry for a good dance partnership is there but, as one of those novices, I need to feel confident that my partner and I are on the same page.

As a novice, one doesn't always lead things perfectly and it's crucial to work with someone who understands what your lead means even as you continue to work hard on learning to lead the way you're supposed to be leading (body position / leverage / connection / etc.).

Many follows are good at that but this leaves the real wildcard... For two people to be able to improv a dance well, they need to hear similar rhings in the music and in similar ways.

I know two intermediate follows who are both fantastic dancers. When I dance with one it's magical but when I dance with the other things are so muddled that it's as if we're listening to completely different songs. With one we're even on the same word of the same page but with the other we're reading different books, in different languages.

Predicting this is simply impossible... so if you were to arrange something, I'd suggest arranging some time alone with them both to play your own music and see how they do together. If the chemistry is right, they'll feel it quickly enough.

[Arjay]

obviously there is a comfort issue....
but isn't that also part of the point? mix it up a little bit..."learn" to dance a different way

we thrive off what is unique in this world not only just what is comfortable...

the other point is this, is being comfortable more of an issue because the desire to do well??

again quoting from another thread about "dancers basing their dance ability on the points they possess than how they feel on the floor."

sure...everyone wants to do well but to say no to someone because you don't think you'll place? I've heard this happen all too many times....

[christina]

Scott, I would assume that being their teacher, the instructor doing the match-making would be well versed in their dance styles and personalities to be able to pair people fairly well.

The idea of having a pre-strictly session with both partners and the instructor isn't a bad idea if the partners have never met before. In that case going on the floor sight unseen would be more like a J&J. It would also be a chance for the instructor to make sure the couple would worktogether rather than against one another.

As far as the compatibility/comfort with the known in order to do well - an instructor would have a financial interest in pairing well. Doing so with results that lead to regular top placements could (and would likely) encourage others to seek them out as a teacher.

On the other hand, comfort also going into the fact that many people are already nervous about competing, doing so with someone you are comfortable dancing with is, well, comfortable. You're also supposed to be out there having fun, so what better way to do that than with someone you love dancing with.

I do see the point that mixing it up is good too. Dancing with other people who have different styles/personalities forces us to explore other aspects of our own dancing. I don't know if this is necessarily a good thing on the competition floor the first time out with someone - we do compete to win (say all you want that you do it for fun - deep down you all want to win). Those competing tend to be more interested in learning more and growing as a dancer and should be more receptive to this kind of involvement from their instructor.

Personally, I would have loved something like that while I was still competing. I always wanted an instructor who was more of a coach. Someone I trusted to teach me who in return would watch me social dance or compete and offer feedback to help me improve - someone who actually worked with me to see me grow as a dancer rather because teaching and being a mentor is just as important to them as their own dancing/competing. With the strictly match-making the instructor has more of a vested interest in doing so and is actively participating in that growth by more than just a private lesson or group class.

[D. Sabrina]

O.K. People. I have to put my two cents in. WCS is a social dance first Competition dance second. This dance started in a bar and will end in a bar. So you go to a bar to dance and have fun right?. Do you scope out the place and see who the best partner for you to dance with is?

In a perfect world well yes we all want to have the best dance we can possibly have. But the object of the exercise is to have the ability to dance with anyone and make it work hence ; lead follow.

This is not a choreographed dance this is a dance that creates as the music plays. So to pick a partner for SS based on how well your chemistry is.... well you can only have a chemistry with someone that you either dance with frequently or have some sort of friendly, spiritual etc. type of connection with.

That's not to say that you can't dance with a perfect stranger and have a Kick *** of a dance. But when that happens that means that those two people are quite versed in the dance or dance in general.

So MY advice is to become well versed in WCS as well as music and Body mechanics and all the rest will fall into place. The pros rarely have bad dances when they draw each other in a J and J or Choose each other For SS.

Now I know what you're thinking.. Well the pros get to dance with each other all the time...
Wrong.... we don't , we get a few if any dances in at events with one another.

The difference is we are well versed in the dance as well as music so we have the ability to morph together as one and produce a beautiful conversation.

Yes there are those right offs But usually those write offs happen when there is a Champion J and J and there are some Leaders and/or Followers that aren't true Champions yet and don't have the ability to adapt. And since it takes two it makes it difficult when one is a true Champion and the other is not there is only so much that one champion can do to make the dance work.

Especially if the champion is the follower. As a Follower we don't have much control. People stop trying to figure out a formula on How to place or how to win. Try to figure out How to Dance!!! And one more thing ...

Yes people enter a competition to win No doubt!! But when you don't do it for a living and it's not your god given talent it shouldn't be such a big deal!! I Love to compete, But if I enter a Baking contest and don't win, well I'm not so upset.. But a dance comp different story ..

Because I've worked all My life as a dancer to perfect and grow my craft which also happens to be my living.

[westcoastjunkie]

Where is the applause button? :)

(okay, logging off now).

[CALI DOLL]

People stop trying to figure out a formula on How to place or how to win. Try to figure out How to Dance!!!.

Amen sister!

[chandra]

Don't most pros already do that, to some extent with their students, and students of their freinds?
Are you talking about something more formalized and set up? Most pros I've taken from regularily will keep a look out for strictly partners for their students. Ive seen a bunch of pros with mental lists of Novice girls looking for guys, etc.

Interesting... :D I really never have SS partners, specially cause I travel so much to parts of the country where I dont really know people... Also cause Im new in my division, so not "desirable" yet :D. Id love to have someone set me up with a good SS match.

[Arjay]

No most pros don't do this...

most pros don't sustain a home business like Melissa and myself.

yeah maybe hooking up friends....not the same thing.

yes i do mean something formally set up.

[bethany]

I guess I usually hook friends up with strictlies informally, like on myspace or something, if I know both friends are going to the event. I enjoy networking and helping friends out who want to do the comps. I can see your idea working in the larger scenes, where there may be 3-30 leads and follows in each division, but I know here in MN we have very few dancers representing each division and one nationally-recognized pro. The networking might be difficult. Events could start putting a thread on their websites that allow for finding roommates and strictly partners. That would be cool. :)

[whipdancer]

O.K. People. I have to put my two cents in. WCS is a social dance first Competition dance second. This dance started in a bar and will end in a bar. So you go to a bar to dance and have fun right?. Do you scope out the place and see who the best partner for you to dance with is?

I still believe that this dance is social first. I hope we don't ever lose sight of that.


People stop trying to figure out a formula on How to place or how to win. Try to figure out How to Dance!!!

Woohoo! So true!


As for the original question...

We do informally match up students. It is something I consider, but given that I don't travel much at all - it is much harder to help when the event is out of town. We largely depend on word of mouth from people who have been to the event to make recommendations.

[heatherleigh]

I hook friends up all the time that don't know each other yet... of course my boundary is to introduce them, they dance, then they decide if it's for them or not.

The issue is that most novice dancers just want to dance so badly that even if it isn't a good match, the go ahead and agree because they want to dance. Once you get to upper intermediate and advanced and beyond... people are more concerned about the chemistry and how the enjoy the feel of the dance... and I've seen people agreeably walk away because they just don't mesh for comp purposes. They do however have a blast social dancing.

And yes, it is social first! I completely agree! But for whatever reason, regions vary as do even different clubs within the same area. Comfort is a big key into setting up people for strictlies.

Also, I recently saw this case, that when a pro tells a student who they should dance with... most students respect the pro so much they won't say no. They won't say no, even though as soon as the pro walks away they will tell me that they don't want to dance with that person due to comfort or whatever.

So it's interesting I guess... it's a fine line.

[chandra]

Hmmm, Id have to think about that, but if was super formalized, I might feel about the same way about that as I feel about arranged marriages.

(would work for some people, but not for me. Id rather someone kinda suggest I dance with someone, and then go social dance with them, and decide... Have it be less formalized. The way your suggesting might work really well for some people though, probably specifically the people that would request it! :D)

[Arjay]

another twist on this.....


arranged strictlies based on a group that rotates within the circle. A group of friends or competitive colleagues that agree to rotate partners during certain events....
now i say this not to exclude people. Purely as a hypothetical question and perhaps a way to practice?

Let's suggest that with a rotation of maybe 4 partners doing strictlies throughout the year actively trying to achieve a goal of learning how to dance different styles of dance. they would be able to hopefully learn and share the experience of dancing with each other and potentially maximize the results of making competition a learning tool.

[dancin_weezie]

Arjay - I do love your mind!

This is a trippy idea - do I think it will work? Not quite sure :)

However, this does happen naturally once you reach the Advanced/All-Star levels of competition (sometimes even Int.).

The group of competitors slim down as most of us who are at this level have been doing it YEARS and have known each other just as long. How many times have you seen me dance with Doug Rousar, Jason Barnes, Brian Faust, or Brian Jordan? TONS! There's my 4 guys (for the most part).

The women who share them with me are usually Angie Cameron, Anne Marie LaFramBoise, and Sophy Kdep.

At times there are others who enter the mix for sure, but you naturally gravitate towards those you enjoy competing with (hence usually placing).

For those Novice and Intermediate dancers - there are LOADS of you - some of you go on to compete for years and move up levels and some of you do not. I know what it's like to be a that level and the one thing you have going for you is the sheer number of competitors. It is a lot easier to find someone to dance with. It may not be who you wanted - but at least you get to dance. In the All-Star field, the guys run out really quick and then we get to sit and watch if we don't have a partner.

I personally enjoy dancing with the newer Advanced dancers today. They are so fun and are really enjoying the challenge. Again, I won't lie and say I don't want to win, but it really is about having fun. If you don't get a trophy this weekend - you might get one next weekend. And you can still pay your bills.

In conclusion :eek: Someone could set up a network for Nov/Int dancers to find SS partners - or teachers could make suggestions for them. Unfortunately a lot of events have tried doing this informally in the past and usually no one wants to post on it. Most people don't want to say no to anyone and we are all secretly wishing for the best partner to be available.

If I know of someone looking - I file it away in my brain. If I hear of someone else looking and they would fit I make a suggestion. In the end - it's up to them ;)

[Arjay]

okay, so another twist....


We have invitationals for Jack and Jills, where champions vote amongst themselves to determine the entrants for the competition.
What if we had an online poll for a list of "invitational dancers" that the Westie Wire community or anyone in the west coast swing community can vote on certain dance partnerships to dance together at a projected dance competition.