We talked about how strong core, arm tension and style mattered to become a good follower, and we’re now going to explore balance (a must have) and precision.

 

3. Balance

Having good balance is one of the biggies. A follower should be able to hold themselves up, keeping their own balance. Sometimes a follower has to lean into the leader’s axis, during which time they will have to rely on their partner for balance, but for the majority of the time a follower shouldn’t have any weight relying on the leader! If you find you don’t have enough balance, no worries, there’s always a reason and therefore a solution. The first thing you should look at is whether your toes lay flat in your shoes. Sometimes, because of high heels, our toes end up being all cramped up. If it’s your case, try and relax your toes and you should see your balance improve massively. Another potential cause for loss of balance is anticipation – whenever we go too fast, too far, too early, we create a disconnection and don’t end up where our partner intended, which can make us (or him… or both) loose their balance!

 

4. Precision.

Accurate positioning such as the direction and exact placement of steps really keeps a dancer looking neat and professional. Keeping heels tightly together during pivoting and knees turned out or parallel and together depending on the step, emphasises style, so try to pay attention to detail followers! It will become second nature and doesn’t go unnoticed.

Already published: core strength and style
Coming soon: adornos and a secret tip!

Abrazo, Nathalie & Emma

If you want more tips about being a good follower, you can have a look at our Argentine tango classes.