Leading to Follow and Following to Lead

Learning a new skill can be hard; but nothing worthwhile is ever easy. I have posted about learning to learn, but today I want to explore learning to lead AND follow to make you a better dancer. While my experience is with Zouk, I am sure it resonates with other partner dances.

I was never interested in learning to lead. All I wanted to do was learn to be a good follow. So I figured that my efforts were best focussed only on following. Until I started assisting with the beginner dance class, where I HAD do know how to lead to help teach it. And that was when the penny dropped.

Being a good follow and being a good lead are not mutually exclusive. They are complimentary. You can only really become a good follow once you learn how to be a good lead. Or good lead once you learn to be a good follow.

Dancing is a form of communication. If all you do is listen, or all you do is talk, then you will never really understand where the other person is coming from. You will not know if you are being effective in communicating what you need to. Nor will you have a wholesome conversation or be able to have a well connected dance. If you can’t understand or appreciate what it is like to be in the other person’s position, you might struggle to take your dancing to the next level.

First things first

If you have just started learning to dance as a follow, don’t worry about learning to lead yet. Same same if you have just started learning to lead – learning to follow at the same time could be incredibly confusing. In my opinion, taking your dance to the next level by learning the opposite role is good once you are comfortable and confident in your primary role. I didn’t start learning to lead until I had been dancing for almost two years. It was just after I returned from my first Zouk congress. While that timing was right for me, it might be earlier or later for you. Everyone’s dance journey is different.

Next things next

When you are comfortable with your primary role, push your skills and become better by doing the other. This next step in my dancing journey refreshed my passion for dance. It gives me a completely different perspective – a new challenge to rise to. The more confident I get at leading, the more I can break down and understand components of the steps… and the better I can follow. As a moderately experienced follower, learning to lead is relatively easy; I know what different leads feel like to follow. I know the difference between a lead that works and one that doesn’t. Despite not knowing many leads I seem to be popular with the other followers. That could just be my charm though… 🙂

Leads- you may be reading this wondering how following can help your lead. Have you ever tried several off-axis turns, dozens of spins followed by tens of bonnekas?!? That happens to us sometimes. The intention isn’t to spin us so that we feel like you we in a vomatron, but that is sometimes the outcome. When you know how moves and patterns feel for a follow, you will be more considerate and thoughtful when using them. You will learn how a light, confident lead is wonderful, and how a rough lead can make you feel intimidated and risk injury. Knowledge is power, and knowing this will make you a better lead and dancer.

If you get nothing else out of learning the other dance role (but you will – I promise) you get to double your options to dance. Too many follows? No worries! You can lead! Too many leads? Its all good – you can follow!

What do you think? Have you learned the opposite role and how has it helped you in your dance journey?