In classes (and at socials!) it is a practice to rotate partners. In fact, at a social it is customary that you dance no more than 2 - 3 songs with the same partner. In classes, particularly new classes students often scoff at the idea of sharing their partner and become very reluctant; we like to joke that you will get them back - don’t worry!
In fact, some types of salsa they change partners at each new move (so you can thank us later for only making you rotate a few times!)
We’ve included some of the reasons why it’s great to change partners in dance class. Do you have other reasons? Feel free to share them with us and we will include them!
1) Its What We Do!
In the dance community it is a practice that when you attend events you ask strangers and fellow dancers to dance. With this in mind, we like to teach our students this practice right from class one!
2) Make a New Friend
Socializing is one of the many benefits of partner dancing, this is done through the meeting & problem solving with a new acquaintance. Many students will develop friendships, possibly relationships, and even use meeting new people as an opportunity to network (don’t be creepy/aggressive/weird about it tho!)
3) Blind Spots
When leading and following with someone you know typically students will compensate (back lead, anticipate, not fully lead / decide). When partnered with an acquaintance, students further develop their skills they may not have realized they needed to develop.
4) Personal Growth
Dance can bring up issues (feeling frustrated, overwhelmed learning new things etc) that can be underground, so if someone is having a tense moment that has the potential to escalate, our instructors are trained to recognize that and it helps to shuffle up
5) Comfort Zone
Meeting new people can be hard, and many are not used to being in close proximity with a stranger. So before students head to a social, getting used to this in a controlled class setting is helpful