A few notes about connection.
Having a strong connection to your partner is very important. Use force when you dance. Don’t be afraid to resist each other. Keep that tension, because the tension is what creates that little extra “Oomph” that really makes the dance swing. Having a strong connection to the music is also key. Listen to the feel of the music. If the music is smooth, let your steps glide. If the music is jumping, throw in some bounce. And, of course, stay with the rhythm. But while we often talk about dancing with your partner and dancing with the music, we often overlook dancing with the floor.
When you dance any of the street styles, having a strong connection to the floor is absolutely essential to dancing a lot of the most stylish steps. And just as having a strong connection to your partner doesn’t just mean touching them, having a strong connection to the floor doesn’t just mean keeping your feet on the ground. It means feeling it. Sinking into it. The music has a heartbeat, a pulse, and if you’re paying attention you really can feel it through the floor. Take your steps deliberately and powerfully. Shift your weight with every step. Imagine as though you were dancing in a foot of mud. Feel the ground *squish* underneath you. As you become more connected with the floor your steps will become much more controlled. Your communication with your partner will be much more clear and it will feel like you are flowing with the music more than ever before.
A perfect example: if the leader spins his follower on one foot many times in a row, she needs to be able to keep her balance. How does she do that? She bends her knees, she keeps her arm in tight, she resists against her partner, and she sinks into the floor. The more pressure she puts against the ground, the more she steadies herself, and the more spins she can do without getting dizzy or losing her balance. So take your dance to the next level. Whenever you step out on the dance floor, remember… sink your feet into it!
