Whether you are new to ballroom dancing (or any other genre of dancing that consists of dancing with a partner) or a seasoned dancer who is looking for a new partner, here are some tips to keep in mind when choosing your “other half” to compliment you on the dance floor. While some traits of a prospective partner maybe visible from the start, others may take a while (or at least a few trials) for realization. Sibling, friend or stranger, as a dance couple, you need to not only act the part but also look the part as keeping your audience entertained stretches way beyond perfect steps and choreography. When dancing, you are telling a story, expressing yourself, not with words but with every part of your body and inner being.

Confidence

This is the first and one of the most important traits to look for in a dance partner.

As a female dancer, one must have confidence in herself to be led on the dance floor. Dancing is one of the few instances a lady requires the ability to guess which step the man is going to take before he actually takes it. It is the female’s duty to step with confidence and follow the partner with in each progressive step and in some cases like twists, turns, spins and lifts, be able to have enough faith to know that he would direct you properly and adequately and not let you down.

As a male dancer, confidence comes in the sense of being able to lead the lady on the dance floor, to convey to her (only with your body movement) what she needs to do. It is the male that decides what happens on the dance floor, where on the floor it happens and which figures and steps to dance, so having a confident male partner who has the capability to make on the spot dance decisions and maneuver the lady around other couples on the dance floor, is detrimental. » Read more: A Dance Partner at Last