Dancing with your significant other is amazing; you always have a practice buddy, and each week you have designated time spent in one another’s arms.
On the flip side, it can also be a bit of a challenge.
As the honeymoon phase wears off, it’s easy to become frustrated and impatient with one another. Maybe it’s because thing’s don’t feel as great as they did on the lesson, or perhaps you both recall different versions of your Coach’s instructions.
Whatever the case is, in order to get back (or keep) that initial joy you shared, it’s essential to learn how to resolve conflicts within practices peacefully.
So, are you ready to get back the lovin’ feeling?
Thought so… Let’s go!
Picture this all too familiar scenario for couples (Guilty over here!):
You’re dancing your choreography and all of a sudden your partner comes to an abrupt stop. By the look on her face you know all too well it can’t be good, “You’re not leading me!” she says. Taken back he retorts, “While you’re not waiting for me TO lead you.”
Now, at this rate you can imagine the practice is going downhill fast, so before this gets uncomfortable, give this strategy a shot:
Step 1: Set a timer for 5 minutes. During those 5 minutes practice the way the Lead is suggesting (without complaint). At the end of the 5 minutes keep your conclusion to yourself.
Step 2: Repeat step 1, but this time for the 5 minutes practice the way the Follow is suggesting. Again, at the end of the 5 minutes keep your conclusion to yourself.
Step 3: Set a timer once more for 5 minutes. This time only give thought to your own dancing, and concentrate on what you need to improve.
Once you finish all three steps, evaluate the excercise. If you agree on what step felt best to you as a couple, fantastic! However, if you did not find a conclusion, then you are missing the information needed to make it work. Put what you are doing on hold, and get your Coach’s input on the next lesson. This will save you frustration and prevent you from creating habits that hurt your dancing.
It’s very easy to take our dance partners for granted, but if as couple you adopt the mentality of “how can I improve myself?” you will preserve your dance relationships for years to come. Often, our expectations are unrealistic of our partner (more on this in future blogs), and the weight of those expectations can be crushing.
Think, how do you treat the men or women you dance with socially? Most likely, you show patience, encouragement, and positivity. Use that model as the standard for how you treat your significant other, and the changes and growth you will experience in your dancing will blow your mind.
As always I LOVE to hear what you think, please share in the comments below how it goes when you try it out!
