Chemists love Hydrogen. Chefs love butter. Ballroom Dance Teachers love basics.
This obsession is nothing new, but there is more to it than meets the eye. Let’s take a deeper look behind why your teacher may have you do that extra box step, hesitation, or rumba walk.
5 Reasons Why Ballroom Dance Teachers Obsess Over Basics
1. It’s the foundation
The basics are building blocks. Sure, people say that all the time, but think of actual building blocks. You can’t build up without them.
Rule: Your will emphasize the basics to support the more advanced material you learn
2. Styling Depends On It
The first place where you’ll learn advanced styling is with, you guessed it, basic patterns.
Rule: You won’t learn advanced styling on advanced patterns.
3. Social Skills
When it comes to Social Dancing, you are much more likely to ask, and answer, questions during the basic moves versus the brand new stuff.
Rule: Talking and breathing is easier to do with the basics
4. Leading and Following Dependent
Leading and following depends, in large part, on comparisons. It’s the dance version of a blind taste test, and every new move you want to lead or follow should be compared to a basic first.
Rule: Compare and contrast exercises start with a basic
5. The Rules
The basic step in each dance teaches the basic rules for that dance. Whether it’s the Box Step in Waltz, the Tango Basic in Tango, or the Swing Basic in, you guessed it, Swing. Each dance has its own set of rules, and that rule book is written on the basic.
Rule: The Rules for each dance are written on the basic.
Final Thought
This is a healthy obsession. In fact, if they weren’t obsessed, you may not even be a dancer anymore. The opposite of this approach to the basics is to acquire as many new patterns as possible. This “pattern happy” feeding frenzy will, very soon, leave the student frustrated, overloaded, and lacking real substance.
Is your teacher obsessed? Absolutely.
Is it for the right reasons? You bet your box step.
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