Without shoes, I'm 5'8" on a tall day. As of late, I've been smitten with this lass that started showing up to the socials. I think she's a little over an inch, maybe two inches, taller than me without shoes. *warm thoughts * Honestly, her biggest issue is being comfortable with being tall and standing out. It's like there's a mental block that keeps her from owning every inch of her lovely height. I have a bit of anecdotal evidence to support this. Last social we were sharing a tango and I teased her that it was finally time to stretch those long legs out. Her response was, "Oh great! And I try so hard to hide them." There was a hint of seriousness that explains her reluctance to lift her posture. I think with a bit of coaxing she'll be gliding in no time. That smile and those eyes are all the motivation I need to keep chipping away... Did I mention I was smitten?
Standard: The Right Height I have always been under the impression that the girl should be slightly shorter than the guy in ballroom dancing. Research shows that the height ratio between man and woman for optimal romantic attraction is 11:10, man:woman (that's a 6'0 man and a 5'5-5'6 girl, for example). But that gets me thinking: If the girl in a partnership is shorter than the guy, won't she not be able to lower as much in standard, and wouldn't that then mean that she gets less movement than the guy? In order for both partners to lower and move the same amount, wouldn't it be better for both people to be the same height?
Speaking as a (legitimately) 6'2" guy, I consider my ideal dance partner to be 5'8ish. Possibly part of the problem is just how rare it is for me to have the chance to dance with them, but I find it slightly more awkward to dance with ladies in the 5'10"+ range. Not that I would turn down the opportunity to dance with a lady who was that tall, of course.
There's a thread for that: http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=3673 Might be worth merging, if the mods were so inclined. One thing that matters more than absolute height is leg length. For example, I'm much (9-ish inches) shorter than my DH, but all of my height is in my legs, and most of his is in his torso. So our hips are even and matching our strides is easy. Of course, with me being short in the torso, getting big shapes is less easy. But I'm working on it.
I believe that on average, women have longer legs than men, i.e. a 5'8" woman has longer legs than a 5'8" man. And once you add 2.5" heels, any difference from the man being taller disappears.
Benjamin, if she is uncomfortabe being tall, I would suggest that you show her the below You Tube link. The girl is considerably taller than the man, and much slimmer. However, they are both fantastic dancers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vi9bkoqSNG8&feature=related
