The smile density. That’s the most remarkable thing you notice when joining a dance party. The amount of people smiling per m². Happy faces, happy times. The world around the dancefloor vanishes as dancers connect to two things and two things only : their partner and the music.

I started latin dances a year and a half ago. I felt it was time to (re)connect with my body. To be more in the moment and to pull the plug off my brain.

To stop thinking.
And to start feeling.

So I jumped on the opportunity when a friend mentioned Bachata classes and voilà, I started latin dances. In this article, I’ll reflect on the benefits of the SBK trio (Salsa, Bachata & Kizomba) which hopefully applies to partner dances as a whole.

The obvious

- Fitness

You will burn a high amount of calories while dancing. Even though you should expect to burn less than while running the same amount of time, you can expect it to be more pleasurable and enjoyable ! Also, one may find it easier to dance 3h+ straight rather than running for 3h+.

- Fun

I have no metrics for this one, except for the smile density aforementioned. If you’re not convinced, hang around an open air dance party in the summer and see for yourself.

You wanna know the best part about it ? As you gain confidence and experience, dancing gets funnier and more intense – how cool is that ?

- Community

It’s a great place to meet people (from the same sex or not). As you have a passion in common, it’s easier to talk with people you meet while resting on the side of the dancefloor. A word of caution though: if you start dancing only to meet people you’re sexually interested in, you’re gonna have a hard time. Dancers can spot creeps easily and won’t dance with you if that’s what you are proving to be. You will need to invest a bit of time before you can fully enjoy partner dances. You can’t do that if you’re too eager for things to happen.

- Musicality

Your senses will be exposed to a myriad of songs while dancing. You will d evelop your sense of rhythm and musicality as time goes by, which also shows on other musical genre.

The less so obvious

- Acceptance

You can’t lead without going with the flow. You can’t follow if you’re not ok with being led. Either ways, you have to let go. You won’t have control all the time, even as a lead. And that’s what makes it fun : just like strapping yourself to a rollercoaster seat, you will enjoy the ride the moment you accept you can’t control everything – you just trust it’ll be fun and magically, it will.

- Self-confidence

There is an intense feeling of empowerment as you learn to move your body in ways you only dared to imagine until now. What used to be reserved to professionals in your mind will become very real and accessible through practice and that is a huge confidence boost. Isolating your body movements (hips, chest, head) may have no direct impact on the rest of your life but the confidence you gain in the process certainly will.

- Posture

One of the most underrated benefit of dancing. I’m a tall man (1m87). And let me tell you, I’ve been scolded by teachers countless times for not standing straight enough. This is an excellent way to boost your outlook without changing much about your clothing or body. Dance teachers even mention professional interviews as examples oftentimes: “You wouldn’t greet your future employer all bent down with a weak shake, right ? Same thing here”. Improving your posture will help you in so many different dimensions it could be the single reason to start dancing and it’d be still worth it.

- Decisiveness

This one is particularly true for leaders. When you lead, you can’t be undecisive. Whenever you are, your partner will be in the dark as to what you intended to do. Which is absolutely natural considering you didn’t even know it yourself.

When you’re a beginner, this is obviously ok. But you’ll have to learn to be decisive. Funnily enough, most followers will tell you they prefer leaders that are leading simpler, more accessible steps with a clear intent rather than half-assing some sophisticated steps. And I believe this is full of learnings for our professional and personal lives as well. When making a decision, you have to be decisive. Even if your project is small with a tiny impact, being decisive will make it much more enjoyable and straightforward for your coworkers than being hesitant about it.

- Ownership

Again, particularly true for leaders but I believe both sides benefit from this one. When you poorly lead a move, chances are it will not go as planned. A terrible way to handle it would be to blame the follower right on the spot.

Bam, you just made a big deal out of a minor misstep. Do that a few more times and you’re guaranteed this follower won’t dance with you ever again.

What you can do instead is simply to say “my bad, I wasn’t sure how to lead that”, smile and move on. Even if the both of you share responsibility in what just happened, you are taking care of your follow by acting this way. Showing ownership is a great leadership skill and will gain you respect of your peers wherever you work now or in the future. Why not starting to develop it now ?

Note 1: I am not saying leaders should always be cuddly with their partners. There are times (e.g. class, open air practice) where one should seek to help and correct their partner whenever needed. Counter-intuitively, a crowded dancefloor happens not to be one of these.
Note 2: dancers should not over-apologize when making missteps. Keep going, stay in the flow and have fun.

- Empathy

I’ve done some improv theatre when I was a student. It was an awesome activity involving a lot of creativity, open-mindedness and empathy. Plus a good dose of boldness. One key lesson I learnt in improv theatre is you never say no to your partners. When they’re building a whole setup (place, character, objective), you can’t waltz in and break this universe, otherwise you’re kind of a d*ck (or a beginner and you’ll learn to do better soon).

While dancing, you have to listen to your partner too. It’s true as a follower obviously because you have to follow the steps the leader is guiding (except for solos which are an awesome time to do whatever you like). But it’s also very true as a leader. If you’re not adapting your dance to your follower, leveling your steps to theirs, you’re being a brute. And followers will avoid brutes once the word is out. I’m not saying you shouldn’t challenge and up your game by trying complex steps from time to time. But it shouldn’t be forced upon your follower.

- Sensuality

Oof, I’ve got to be careful with my words on this one haha.

Yes, latin danses are sensual. You will experience “pleasure through your senses” more than in any other activity – with a few exceptions *cough*. And that’s where the caliente reputation of latin dances comes from. In your everyday interaction, you are mostly connected to others through your audition and vision. Dancing replaces voices by music, deepens the looks you share with others and of course, (re)introduces touch in your interactions.

From my point of view, that’s a huge win-win: just like by going to the theatre to see actors evoke emotions, you experience part of it. While dancing, you get to enjoy a sensuality that used to be confined to intimacy but now, without necessarily getting to bed with someone. And when that happens, you’ll probably be much more connected with your senses and to your partner because hey, that’s what you’ve been developing while dancing all this time.

You’ve just learnt to appreciate more of that part of life, just like a colorblind person seeing color for the first time – granted, it may be best not to cry this time though.

- Sensitivity

Just like your sensuality, your art sensitivity is likely to increase as you become a dancer. I surprise myself to say “wow” when watching people dance now, whether it’s in real life or behind a screen. I am sometimes moved by performances I would have merely appreciated in the past. And that’s true even for dances I am not familiar with. As you get more knowledgeable in the whole field (dancing), you’ll learn to enjoy and be even more amazed by what you see – the opposite of being blasé.

Final words

Dancing is one of the purest expression of life. While dancing, everything in the world disappears. There is nothing else than music, you and your partner.

It’s a beautiful thing to experience.

See you on the dancefloor