Now one of the great things about the salsa dancing scene is that for the vast majority of people it's mainly about the dance. Now lets be honest, while I definitely agree with this flirting is a part of our day to day lives and the dance floor is no exception. When I dance I am not doing it with the intention of meeting someone to take home or even to date. I would say this is true for many of us but who is to say that you can not put flirting into your dance?
If you are new to dancing I find that this comes naturally (engaging with your partner) but for some reason it seems to go away the more you dance. Veteran dancers heed my words! All the moves, styling, footwork or whatever will not make you a memorable dance unless the other person you are dancing with is part of that experience. I still think about a dance I had in Montreal with a performer, a great dancer, but absolutely dead in how she interacted with me. She seemed so focused on her styling and looking good in front of others, barely a smile the whole dance. I spent most of it wondering what I was doing wrong.
Now I am just as guilty of this, I have noticed it in myself and its something I am trying to curb. How many times have you seen awesome dancers who have a business expression on the face? Its weird and way too serious. There is also the question of what to do in classes. Its important to be aware because of this. Here is a general rule in classes your energy needs to be 50% less than on the dance floor. Mellow out in class. Focus on getting the moves right not on trying to flirt or engage your partner in conversation during moves. As an instructor it is very distracting to be explaining something while someone else cannot stop flirting with whomever they are partnered with. Keep in mind your partner will feel the same way too.
Take this as a tip, too much eye contact = creepy, no eye contact = boring little eye contact after a spin accompanied with a grin=money. Keep in mind I am not talking about actual flirting, but rather putting in the spirit of flirting into your 3-5minutes with this other person.
Here is a summary. Put flirting into your dancing, not actual flirting but flirting behaviour. Grins, looks, hips, etc. For good measure sprinkle in a little body role once in a while too. Remember at the end of the day its a partner dance, a street dance, a social dance.
Ivan Wan
Salsa Dancer & Teacher
Vancouver, BC, Canada
http://www.dance4uvancouver.com/
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