Building Trust with Ballroom Dance
Using Partner Dance to Enhance Communication in Your Relationship
Learning to communicate through ballroom dance could increase intimacy in your relationship, break down resentment, and deepen your trust.
For some people, trust is a hard thing to obtain in a relationship, especially if a partner has betrayed you in the past. But that does not mean it is impossible.
One way to help restore trust in a relationship is to pursue an activity you both enjoy; this will give you something to focus on and work towards as a couple. With its focus on communication and reliance, partner dance is an ideal endeavor for couples looking to reconnect – and the social upbeat atmosphere makes it fun.
Communicating through Dance
Partner dancing requires two people to communicate without using words. The lead dancer, typically and for the purposes of this article, the man, will guide the follower, the woman, around the floor without verbal communication.
The most difficult part for the woman, especially at the start, is learning to recognize the lead. Lessons usually instruct a number of moves in a sequence for you to practice. Both the man and woman memorize the sequence and could perform it on their own. But as you advance, and when dancing outside a studio environment, it is the man’s responsibility to decide the combination of movements and the woman follows along. This understanding will allow you to dance with any partner familiar with the dance style.
Building Trust
Human beings innately depend on each other for support and acceptance, therefore creating a need for trust. When a relationship lacks trust, one partner may act hostile or avoid interaction. Without a conscious effort towards rebuilding your bond, distance and resentment can grow. The intimacy of partner dance will bring you physically closer and create a positive focus in your relationship.
Being able to recognize one another’s needs on the dance floor will attune you to their personal needs. Shared time in an impartial setting will create a closeness that can overflow into your personal relationship. It builds a stable and sturdy foundation to emotionally build on. Inevitably your trust for each other will grow as you deepen your communication.
Types of Ballroom Dance
“Ballroom dance” comprises a wide variety of dances that are commonly categorized as International Standard or International Latin; although in the U.S. American Smooth and American Rhythm are also practiced.
International Standard includes the slower more traditional styles danced to familiar Western music such as Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, Viennese Waltz and Quickstep. These dances are all similar that they are performed in a formation by a man and woman in a closed hold.
International Latin includes Samba, Cha Cha, Rumba, Paso Doble, and Jive which are all performed to quick tempo music at a fast-pace and allow for personalized style. Music is a mix of contemporary western and Latin American music.
American Smooth is similar to International Standard incorporating Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, and Viennese Waltz while American Rhythm encompasses Cha Cha, Rumba, Bolero, Mambo, East Coast Swing, and sometimes West Coast Swing and Samba.
Others that can be associated with Ballroom are nightclub dances – Salsa, Merengue, Hustle, etc – and country western dances. All types are partner routines that are taught at dance studios and even online.
