Small World - In the West, try tango

Dance is a big part of most cultures. In the western culture for example, dance forms like slow dancing are a common part of the growing up process. As a result, most people know basic slow dancing, a skill that proves to be immensely useful at formal parties such as weddings and banquets.

Partner dance styles always require one partner to be the ‘lead” and the other to be the “follow”. The Lead, usually the male dancer, takes charge and initiates the dance steps, and the female dancer follows.There are of course many dance style variations within this ‘partner dance’ genre. The slow dance is the most basic, and perhaps the most popular. One form of slow dance, where the girl drapes her hand on her partner’s shoulders, consists of simple swaying with minimal leg movement. Other popular ballroom style dances are include Waltz, Tango, and many others. The Waltz, strictly speaking is a closed position dance where the couple are in an embrace, and dance to slow music. The Tango, also mostly a closed position dance, is a little different from the Waltz in terms of the steps, speed, compactness, and the physical closeness shared by the couple dancing.

In the Western culture, basic dance skills prove to be extremely useful in many events in one’s life. To begin, with slow dancing is a necessary skill for school dances, where you do not want to look awkward swaying with your date. The Yule Ball episode in one of the Harry Potter books is a good example. Weddings are great opportunities for showing off your dance skills. Most weddings have the couple share their first dance as husband and wife in front of an audience. Importantly, almost everyone attending the wedding is expected to dance, so if an eight year old boy is attending a wedding with his parents, he is encouraged to find a partner about his age, and ask her to dance.

Dance thus becomes a necessary skill for social gatherings, and a part of your personal charm. Which is why, if you have noticed, James Bond is always shown to be a good dancer - no matter the dance style!

Sameeksha Bansal

sameeksha@skillspark.com