My teacher does an excellent job of figuring out different ways to explain dance concepts, based on what his students can relate to. Once in awhile, he focuses on my love of hip-hop dancing to help me come to a better understanding of… wait for it...

Waltz.

Huh?

My teacher’s point of drawing a connection between the dance styles of hip-hop and ballroom was to give me another way to think about how I move my body.

For example, my body sometimes falls behind my feet when I’m dancing, and I end up looking heavy, slow or clunky. It’s like my feet are pulling my body along instead of the movement initiating from my torso. 

My teacher has coached me on all of the ballroom techniques used to accomplish the correct movement. He is probably sick of reminding me to keep my chest up. It’s all good information, but it’s a lot of detail. And at the same time, I’m trying to remember to stretch my head, place my feet correctly, not let my arms go behind me in frame, etc. Something always gets forgotten and I get frustrated.

Trey Anderson: A Little Rhythm

Sometimes all we need is a different approach to the same concept. Instead of thinking about lifting my sternum or contracting my lat, my teacher suggested I just think about popping my chest like I would if I was dancing hip-hop, just slower. I could do that without thinking about it, and wouldn’t you know it when I tried the movement with this different context, I started waltzing the way I was supposed to! 

It’s funny how just tweaking the approach or context can make such a huge difference. Being able to approach challenges from different perspectives is just one benefit of learning other dance styles outside of ballroom. Studying different styles like hip-hop or ballet, or even a different style within the ballroom world, will make you a more well-rounded dancer, improve your technique, and even inspire your dancing. 

When I struggled with the character of tango, I would use hip-hop music to inspire a more hard-hitting attitude which helped me practice the sharper movements. When I struggled with organizing my arm styling, my teacher explained the movements in ballet position terms. Even going out dancing at a salsa club helped me develop my follow skills. Plus it was fun!

Now it’s your turn to share. Has a non-ballroom dance been the key to unlocking a ballroom challenge? What dance are you going to learn to improve your ballroom skills next?