Every dancer has, at some point, been told that intermediate+ dancers “owe it to their community” to dance with beginners. Without beginners, the dance scene would die, warn teachers and organisers. “Pay it back,” they say, emphasising that “someone danced with you when you were a beginner.”
Everything they’re saying is true, yet I can’t help but feel that a fundamental thing has been overlooked: dancing with beginners shouldn’t be a boring chore.
I write this on the train home from Madrid Zouk Bachata Congress (read the review), thinking back on my favourite dances. And once again, dances with complete beginners are high on the list.
Why I Love Dancing With Beginners
Dancing with beginner followers is one of my favourite dance experiences. It requires me to connect with them so that they can relax. And then, so that neither of us gets bored, I experiment as much as possible while sticking to the basics — because I don’t plan on carrying my partner’s weight or forcing them into moves.
This means playing more with body movement, speed changes and simple variations of the same move. Assuming my partner enjoys it, I often lean into the mood of the song, whether it’s playful or sexy or full of attitude. More often than not, my follower doesn’t just match my vibe: they outdo me. And seeing your partner confidently express themselves while dancing is immensely rewarding.
Since my partner knows very few dance moves, they’re relying almost entirely on their following skills. As a result, I can adapt more moves and make the focus our connection and self-expression. Not every move I lead will work out, but that isn’t a bad thing. I just turn it into something else and act like that was the original intention. So long as I’m smiling, I find my partner is rarely fazed.
A good connection, playing with the basics and reacting to the follower: those are some of the keys to an amazing dance, regardless of your partner’s level.
The Journey To Enjoying Dancing With Beginner Leaders
It took me longer to learn to enjoy dancing with beginner leaders, mostly because I treated it as a duty rather than a joy. I plastered a smile on my face and obediently did two basic steps the whole song, exactly as led. No styling for me; that can confuse a beginner leader!
The unwanted but predictable result: a leader that looked more and more panicked as they realised just how long the song was, and a painfully dull dance for me.
Now, I seek out ways to enjoy the dance without interrupting their lead. And, as they see me enjoying the dance, my leaders often relax and start smiling more. I add footwork, play more with my hips and shoulders, and smile because I’m genuinely happy. Instead of saying “I’m sorry, I don’t know any more moves”, leaders start saying things like “wow, that’s cool!” or copying my footwork.
Placing Boundaries On Dances With Beginners
I might adore dancing with beginners, but I know it’s not always amazing. Sometimes I can’t connect with a follower. Sometimes a man over-interprets my smile or hip movement as a come-on. And sometimes it’s a dance I don’t know very well so I struggle to experiment with level-appropriate moves.
Dancing with beginners can also be more dangerous. I’m prone to joint injuries, so it scares me when beginner leaders are keen to try exciting new moves or copy what more experienced dancers on the floor are doing. And although there’s a higher risk of injury when following with a rough leader, leaders can also walk end up in pain. Heavy connections and misunderstood leads can result in muscle and joint strain.
Dancing with beginners is not an act of service. It’s something that we should both enjoy and feel safe doing. And so it’s important that we also establish our boundaries. In my case, that may mean telling a leader “your turns are hurting me; please don’t do any more turns” or, when I lead, sticking to the most basic of steps. Sometimes it requires finishing a dance early. And when a man asks me to dance but tells me they’ve not been to a single class, it means saying that “I’m happy to dance, but only if you’ll be the follower.”
We shouldn’t dance with beginners because it’s a chore. We should dance with them because selfishly, we want to have a good time. Because the more we prioritise our enjoyment, the more fun the dance can be for everybody — no matter our level.
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Tanya is a social dancer and non-stop traveller who loves how dancing allows her to meet people no matter where she goes.
