Here are 5 Powerful Benefits to Changing Partners In Class

Occasionally, we get calls from people who are put off or surprised when they learn that the instructors want people to rotate partners in group class.

Imagine, you are planning on coming to a salsa or ballroom dancing class with your spouse or significant other. You want to enjoy the evening together. You are thinking that learning how to dance, spending time in each other’s arms, sounds like a great evening out.

You object to having to rotate, maybe feeling intimidated by the idea of dancing with strangers.

My experience and what I hear from other instructors, is that by changing partners in a social dance class, you learn faster. Couples who don’t rotate may struggle more in learning and fall behind the group.

There are many reasons why couples do not want to change partners in a ballroom dance class.

• Shy individuals find it difficult to dance with a new unknown person.
• Some people have religious or cultural reasons to not dance with anyone other than their spouse.
• The couple plans to dance only with each other for the rest of their lives.

If a couple wants to only dance together, the couple should remain to the sides.

When two dancers learn to dance only with each other, they don’t develop a thorough understanding of connection and lead/follow skills that they would by dancing with a variety of partners in salsa classes or ballroom dance classes. Their ability to lead and follow each other will be diminished. Frequently, we have seen that they become frustrated with each other and then decide that learning dance is not for them.

Private lessons might be the preferred learning method for couples who want to dance exclusively with each other.

Here are 5 benefits to rotating partners in a group class:

1. When you change partners, you will better understand both the pattern and your role. If you stick with only your partner and both of you are struggling, it is harder to progress.
2. In any class there is a range of skill levels. Some people are new and struggling just to learn where to move their feet. Dancing with someone who is struggling forces you to really learn your part because you cannot count on your partner. Others are accomplished and can help their partners through the moves, sharing what the move can feel like when well done. Dancing with an excellent partner is always a nice change of pace. Dancing with someone who is struggling forces you to really know your own part. If our significant other is struggling, we are less likely to express our frustration to a stranger than our significant other. Our significant other may also feel more pressure to do well when dancing with us.By dancing with strangers, they may feel more at ease about making mistakes, and then learn more quickly.
3. Changing dance partners can help prevent bad habits. Frequently, couples who only dance together won’t develop their connection and lead/follow technique as well. The can anticipate each others moves and the follow may start back-leading the leader.
4. Changing partners is good for both men and women. Women improve their ability to follow by adapting to the different styles and leads of partners in a ballroom dancing class. Men develop better lead skills by recognizing that each women they dance with feels different and their leads become clearer, more on time and they can be firm or light as required.ng class. When social dancing, the follower won’t know what the lead is going to do until he does it. The leader needs to be very clear and the follow needs to stay focused and tuned in so as to be responsive to leads.
5. Changing partners gives you the opportunity to meet new people who are also interested in learning to dance. You can make new friends in dance class! Dancing is a great social activity.

Usually, by rotating partners in class, you will be a stronger dancer and stronger dancer. You will get back to your partner, and be even better as a couple having improved from the experience of dancing with a variety of leaders and followers.