The Problem with Partners, Part 3

At practicas and milongas you can practice your technique on many different partners. This is useful. You learn to read lots of different leads and adapt to each one.

If you like to dance with many different leads, don’t commit to any one. Take classes from all the teachers, learn their various styles, then go home and work through them alone. Soon you will discover what works for your body. That’s your technique. Soon you will discover what suits you. That’s your style.

When you have trained broadly and have developed a solid base of technique, then you can dance with a milonguero-style or salon-style or nuevo-style or rank-beginner-style of lead, with grace.

If you like to dance with many different leads, you can’t be wedded to any one style. A practice partner will wed you to his style. How can it be otherwise? You spend all that time practicing together—and every mile you run on that track is a mile you’re not running on another.

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If you want to try out having a regular partner, start with a workshop. You’ll soon discover whether you and this lead approach learning in the same way, whether you work well together when frustrated and struggling, whether you can get along when you are not at your best.

After the workshop, take stock: Did you help one another learn? Do you still like one another? If the answer is no, you’re in luck. The workshop is over, and you’re free!

If the answer is yes … you’re in more-better luck.

You would think that, with a record of being the odd woman out of rotation for hours on end, I might find a class partner useful. With a class partner, you never need worry about being the odd woman out. It is nice to have a skirt to hide behind, even if the skirt is a pair of pants.

Bah, humbug!

The first time someone hinted that I might consider partnering up for a class, I came down on the idea like a Sledge-o-matic. We took the class as free agents. In that class I met Andrey, one of The Five. If I’d had a partner for that class, would I have met Andrey? Would I have taken note?

No. When you hide behind something, it blocks your view.

I like a clear view, and the way courage feels.