Cultivating Connection on the Dance Floor
Partner dancing nurtures connection, cultivates community and strengthens communication skills.
Why is Dance So Great at Enhancing Communication?
At its core, social dancing is based on the principle of leading and following.
- The Leader invites, listens, and adjusts.
- The Follower focuses, responds, and waits for the next invitation.
Because there are no choreographed steps, everything depends on clear communication and each person doing their part.
Dance is a two-way conversation between equals.
Like a conversation, it's not pleasant if one person ignores the other and is only focused on what they want to say. Or if one person interrupts while the other is speaking.
There is a rhythm to great conservation. A question, and then an answer. Perhaps a moment of silence to listen, which shapes the next question.
On the social dance floor:
- The follower is fully present and focused on their partner.
- The leader invites their partner to take a step or action.
- The follower actively responds, moving their own body.
- The leader notices the follower's response and adjusts as needed.
- The follower waits for the next signal to begin again.
This process of partnering on the dance floor teaches us to be mindfully present and fully focused in our relationships and in our everyday interactions with others.
In my years of teaching ballroom dance to couples I find that leaders especially love when their partner pays attention to them. And followers adore when their partner listens to them and makes adjustments based on their inputs.
These are beautiful gifts to give each other, and you can practice it every day when you dance đź’ž
Stay tuned and check out our other Blogs for more dance tips đź’ˇ
