I've lurked for a long time (months!) but reading this thread I felt like jumping in and adding my 2 cents. I mostly dance standard and to me it's harder not only because of the precision demands mentioned earlier, but also because for practically every movement (everything except picture lines) you have to move together around the floor as one entity, with smoothness, speed, accuracy and grace, all the while maintaining contact and frame. What I mean is, you're literally stuck to this other person in every move you make. So it's hard to find someone compatible to begin with, and then you have to keep training with that same person to develop that rhythm and get used to all the minute ways each other move, and attune all the bits of your body to that. You are much more interdependent. I'm not saying that in Latin you don't work hard at perfecting contact and connection ... and in some figures (samba rolls for example) you also have to perfect moving as one. But to me, there is much more room for individual expression, and it seems like practice won't be nearly as frustrating as standard practice can sometimes be
while I have changed my mind on this a jillion times and have basically concluded that each style has it's own unique dragons to slay...I do think it is true that standard, done poorly, definately feels the worst
Hi pygmalion, (and hi everyone! *waves*) I do love this forum. So many experts and dancers of all varieties
I think I feel worse about badly-done Standard than badly-done Latin because in Standard I can directly feel how much I'm in my pro's way/screwing up what he's attempting to do, etc. It isn't necessarily more difficult of itself and there are things in Latin that I definitely have more issues with on a basic level (Samba apparently = Slow Fox in my ability to execute it well) but I get more instant silent feedback about how wrong it is in Standard.
I think standard is easier due to the fact that moving is closer to the natural way one walks. I don't know anyone that steps ball flat when they walk normally
That is something that is overcome very quickly in Latin. At some point it won't be significant anymore.
I use LATIN when going up, RHYTHM going down. I tried MODERN--great in the switchback/landing--but it was m#rde on the straight. And don't get me started with Smooth... m
My question is: do people feel certain body types are able to handle the demands for certain styles of dance as opposed to others? For instance, I'm tall and lanky. I do smooth/standard infinitely better latin/rhythm. I'm just talking about executing the mechanics, not looking more aesthetically pleasing though I do realize the connection between mechanics and appearance. Do shorter, more stocky people just have an easier time picking up rhythm/latin?
thanks for bumping this. FWIW, I found this thread in the search I did earlier but it didn't have the specific answer to my question. When I first saw this thread I should've just bumped it by posting my question at the end.
I used to feel standard was for tall people, and latin was for less tall people, but I have seen so many examples successful couples of varying heights that I just don't believe it to be true. Shorter people have a lower center of gravity and can do faster turns, and tall people can create longer lines. There are benefits to both in either style.
yes...and, as we have said before, while a slim figure can show beautiful lines better, it can also show crappy lines better
I personally find Latin more difficult-- however, a lot of that is that I come from a ballet background and after having done 15 years of ballet being told to move your hips is 1) revolutionary and 2) completely and totally foreign. I still don't understand how to move my body like that (it's one of the thing's I've really focused my energy on this semester though and it's much better than it was even a couple months ago). While Standard is also extremely difficult too (for very different reasons) I find it less difficult than struggling through hip movement.
