Dear Poppy,
Do you have any advise for those of us who are followers and really want to be leaders. I just have a hard time allowing the man to lead me. Usually, I think it is because he just doesn’t hear the rhythm in the song so I am just trying to help him and everything ends up quite uncomfortable and jerky. It feels like such a game and I want to be the winner.
Competitive Follow
Dear Competitive Follow,
When two people try to lead nothing works. It is a game, Sugar. A Lead-Follow Game and in that order. When one person leads and the other follows both bodies begin to flow with the music as a whole. It is as if the two become one body moving beautifully together. To dance in a partnership takes surrender, willingness to stay longer on the standing leg, attentiveness, gentle guidance and skill. You will be the winner if you become a light and connected follow! All the leads will want to dance with you and most of all, Sweetie, you will enjoy the dancing so much more.
Ms. Poppy Chiffon — the doyenne of dance, the baroness of ballroom etiquette, the sultana of Southern hospitality — is pleased to answer your dance-related questions. Here are a few queries that Poppy deigned to extract from her mailbag this week. If you have a question that you would like Poppy Chiffon to address, please e-mail her at askpoppy@dancestationusa.com. Ms. Chiffon regrets that she cannot respond individually to questions.
