1) The Leader’s Role
As the leader, you’ll need to communicate dance patterns to your follower using only confident and decisive movements

2) The Follower’s Role
If you’re following, you’ll want to tune into the moves and signals of the leader and respond accordingly.

3) Where You’ll Use It
You’ll most commonly use leading and following in social dancing, helping you and your dance partner move together as a unit without the need for a song or choreography.

4) A “strong lead” is…
Skip the verbal instruction. Being a strong lead means being decisive and clear about movements. Not forceful.

5) Have patience, good follower.
Although it might look like it at times, no mind reading is happening here. Good followers wait to feel the lead. It doesn’t always come quickly.

6) Leaders be confident, followers be sensitive.
Never ask what the other will do, just move with it.

7) Followers are slightly behind the leader.
Don’t worry, followers. This is absolutely supposed to happen to give you time to react to your lead’s movements.

8) Focus on posture and balance.
Stand with great posture, and be committed to a foot and balanced. The better your balance, the more fluid your movements.

9) Skip the video tutorial.
You can’t learn to lead and follow by watching a video. To learn the right way, work with a professional. (Good news, we know a few. Call the studio today.)

10) Speaking of professionals…
At Arthur Murray Dance Studio, each of the professional dance instructors are trained in the latest methods to teach you how to lead and follow on the dance floor in a fun, quick, and easy way. The skill of leading/following is the foundation for partner dancing for anything beyond the “middle-school shuffle,” so join us for fun that’ll last a lifetime.