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Leading and Following versus Choreography Part II |
| Leading and Following versus
Choreography Part II How are They Different? |
| by: Shawn Trautman |
| Although both choreography and lead-and-follow dancing involve tremendous amounts of practice and commitment, there are definite differences between the two. The main difference between leading and following and choreography is that one is for dancing with others in social situations (leading and following) and the other is for dancing a routine with a specific individual, either for a special event, such as a wedding, or in a competition. Typically, a choreographed routine is useable only with a specific partner and only really looks good with the song for which the dance was choreographed. Understanding the fundamentals of social dancing, including footwork and floor position, as well as the basics of partner dancing is critical in both types of dancing. |
| Lead-and-follow dancing combines a number of skills that are tested on every dance outing and in every dance. The skills that must be mastered include the dance floor basics, a clear understanding of both the leaders and the followers responsibilities, the basics of whatever dance you're dancing, and a great deal of common courtesy and respect toward others. Though leading and following might appear a bit overwhelming, the pieces that make up the whole are not overly complicated by themselves and can be picked up with just a little practice. |
| Although good choreography and seamless lead-and-follow dancing are indistinguishable to the untrained observer, choreography often deviates from the basics of social dance because it is a learned pattern in which both parties know the entire sequence of movements in advance rather than depending on interpersonal communication on the dance floor to create the dance on the spot. In a choreographed dance, both partners are taught the exact steps and the order in which they'll dance them. |
| The advantages of this type of dancing are that both partners know what's coming up and know exactly where they need to be. Some people need and like this kind of structure, and it works great for them. People who are getting married often want a short choreographed routine to do to their first dance because neither partner wants to take a chance leading or following in front of others. The disadvantage of a choreographed dance is that it's usually a dance that can only be done with the partner you learned it with, and oftentimes it's to a specific song. There are typically very few lead-and-follow elements to a choreographed dance, yet they are made to look the part. |
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