How to Deal with Backleading
Question by User BruceJillis
As I am dancing more and more kizomba I am noticing more and more that a lot of ladies are not following but are also learning the figures during classes. This makes it difficult to really learn to lead a figure.
So my question is how can you work around this? I know about throwing in variations to throw the ladies off. Are there any other tips and tricks?
Answers
User LastDanz
Best tips I know in that case:
1. Gently, ask them not to learn the steps, just to follow your indications.2. Ask the teacher to remind the followers that they have not learn the steps, just to follow you indications.
User dr_kiz
It is also a topic to be covered for the teacher(s), not only the students. It’s a good thing to separate the class into leaders and followers. For the leaders — learn the figure, the steps. For the followers — master your ginga movement.
The result — the followers don’t know the figure + they’re working on their technical side of the dance and you can lead them, if they listen, because they don’t know the figure.
In order to teach the follower to follow you must shut their brain out of it. If they start to think which step I need to take next — that’s not following, it’s solo dancing while in couple.
User LastDanz
In my opinion and experience, leaders learn to lead easily if they sometimes are followers.
And followers learn quickly just to follow if they have to lead from time to time.It’s empathy.
User Ocatarina
I know I’m late to this conversation but I’ve had teachers who made the followers wear sleeping masks so they don’t know what’s coming. 😊 But usually you can only do this starting on more advanced beginner levels. True beginners are so nervous that it’s normal for them to not really follow at first. I think that’s okay in the beginning, they need some time until they start feeling what following really is.
