Improve Your Relationships Through Dance
People of all ages are returning to the idea of couples dancing. Many enjoy the opportunity and intimacy of dancing together in such dances as swing, salsa, tango, and many others. This resurgence is directly connected to the re-evaluation of relationships and courtships in our culture. Today, partners are coming back together on the dance floor after decades of unfulfilled ‘separateness’.
Couples are making a new commitment to intimacy. The comeback of social ballroom dance reflects the efforts people are making to get to know their life partners better. Relationships are the fabric of our lives, and partner dancing directly reflects the steps needed to strengthen good relationships and heal difficult ones.
The first thing that a couple learns when dancing together is Cooperation. “Two people learning to work together to the same end, from very different perspectives; leader and a follower” – a mini relationship! You have to work together to accomplish a beautiful dance. The dance floor is an enjoyable, easygoing place to improve cooperation…resulting in better teamwork, coordination, and understanding both on AND off the dance floor!
Romance is an essential piece of the relationship puzzle. Setting the mood for passion is a mental, emotional, and physical journey; one done magnificently well through partner dancing! Creating the right environment becomes effortless as two people court each other arm in arm and cheek to cheek!
Couples always enjoy the Fun aspect of dancing together no matter how well they know each other; there is always more to learn and experience. Human beings are mysterious, fascinating creatures… and partner dancing is an ongoing, fun way to investigate each other’s intricacies, maintain a sense of wonder, and grow together! The more you talk and laugh on the dance floor the more you explore sides of your personality as well as those personalities of people you are dancing with.
In today’s age of the Internet where people interact remotely through social media such as Facebook and Twitter and rarely meet face-to-face, personal Connection and Contact is often missing. Yet, it is an essential part of a rich and healthy life. On the dance floor, we connect to our partners and to others on the floor as we move, whirl and twirl! This can be in simple, two-minute gratifying bytes, or can be an entire evening of rich ‘one-on-one’ time. The lead/follow element of couple dance not only augments physical and mental connections but also develops emotional ones …in a non-threatening way!
93% of our Communication is non-verbal. Partner dancing is an excellent place to explore, become more aware of, and refine non-verbal chat! The subtleties of the signals and in the connection as you dance allow you to really explore your ability to be open and available to communication. Learning to ‘talk’ and ‘listen’ on the dance floor is a skill that translates into everyone’s everyday life. It is a tremendous benefit to anyone in or seeking a relationship!
The partnership is a whole larger than the sum of its parts,’ so let’s build something together! Understanding the skills of partnership, and nurturing the quality within a partnership benefits you! Partner dancing requires BOTH! So, it’s evident why it’s not only effective in individual growth and development but also promotes and enhances the quality of contact between people.
From Natural Awakenings magazine, New York City Edition
