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Ballroom Dance Resource - Articles on Dancing Dan Messenger's comical account of the internal problems dancers may have and what to do about them!~ by Dan Messenger www.DanceTrends.org What a week! The wife went to visit family in Minnesota and I put my son on a bus headed for camp. He and about 50 other teenagers from the high school are headed for Virginia for a week of camping, hiking, white water rafting and so on. With a few days off, I decided to do some home improvement projects (minor ones). This is my favorite way to relax and ponder. Although I do not consider myself an "Internet junkie", I will try at least once a week, to get online and see what ballroom dancers are talking about. I came across a subject on a Dancescape discussion board on "Sweaty Partners - Etiquette and Hygiene". What a hoot! It was very interesting to read comments and suggestions from dancers on how to handle a stinky partner. Everything was discussed, from overly sweaty partners, stinky shoes, and farting during practice! We all can relate to the experience of dancing with someone who is wearing too much cologne or maybe, not enough! But, do we really think that we have never offended somebody? Of course not, because the one who is being offensive isn't aware that they are. I would find it hard to believe that anybody would say to themselves, "you know, I think I'll skip the deodorant and breath mints just to torture my partner"! These "episodes" a part of any sport but there are some things we can do to keep things to a minimum. Here's a couple of suggestions: If your partner has smelly pits: This is really the pits if your partner is a female and she is wearing a sleeveless blouse! Uggghhhhhh. Where does she think I am suppose to put my wrist when in dance position? It's a bummer for the teacher who has to teach the rest of the day with a stinky arm and no amount of scrubbing seems to get rid of the odor. "Tanks and sleeveless outfits are not permitted" would be an easy enough sign to post in the studio. It can be just as frustrating for the women. Let's face it. Men are probably not as concerned about their body odor as women are. Soooo what should the lady do when she notices her partner has been wearing the same practice shirt for the last year on a daily basis? Ladies, please be gentle. You know how sensitive we are. By the same token, go ahead and hurt our feelings! We will thank you in the long run...I think. You know how they have vehicle emission tests? Maybe we could have a body emission machine called "The Stinkymeter"! Every studio and dance hall would have the stinkymeter, strategically located by the edge of the floor. In order to step onto the floor, you must pass the body emission test! Am I a genius or what? Ok, on to the next one. I'm on a roll now. Look! Out on the dance floor. It's a bird, it's a plane, NO it's the HUMAN SPRINKLER!: This is the dancer who starts off with a glow and by the end of the first dance you want to take them home to water your lawn. Their hair is so wet with sweat that your only concern is how to tell in advance if they are going to spin so you can time your ducking! This is always fun when standing on the edge of the floor judging! This is one problem that we have to empathize with, however, because there is actually very little one can do about it, especially if they are competing. So, unless terry cloth turbans become a trendy thing to wear, we will be forgiving. During practice however, you can bring a towel along to wipe down with and a spare shirt to change in mid practice. There are actually two positive aspects of this problem. You can get really cool pictures of yourself looking like a dancesport gladiator, and let's face it, sweating is HEALTHY! If the shoe fits!: I do have a suggestion for this one. Several weeks ago I was teaching at a local studio. Before I got there I put my keys, my gum, (which I always have), and my cologne into my shoe bag. I started teaching at 10 AM and got my first break at 5 PM. Whew! Seven hours in a row. My dogs were barking and I couldn't wait to take my shoes off. In the process of removing my shoes I was having a bit of a struggle with the right one. I pulled and tugged and finally was able to remove the shoe. Unfortunately, I took the shoe pad out with it as it was stuck to my sock. Somehow, a stick of gum, wrapper and all, had landed in my shoe and had been there since the beginning of my day! The teacher and student just stared at me, not quite knowing what to think. I looked at them and said, " What? You mean you don't put chewing gum in your shoe? It keeps my shoes smelling like mint. All the champions do this you know"! Ok, they didn't buy this and to be honest, it had done nothing to help the sweaty odor of my shoe. I just wanted to tell the story! Seriously though, a common courtesy is to find a place in the ballroom where no one else is sitting and change your shoes there. Use some foot powder and replace your shoe pads every now and then. Or, try the gum! Haha. Last, but not least: Whether you smelt it or dealt it, it's not much fun for either partner! Although you can control it somewhat by eating less before you practice or staying away from certain foods, it can also be caused by nerves, which many dancers experience during practice and performance. The person who has the hardest time with this is the man. Why the man you ask? Because "passing gas" is a part of man humor. We think it's funny, so it's extremely hard sometimes to control the urge to laugh and ask "who did it"? Women do not think it's funny. So, my advice is, if your feeling a bit, shall we say, gassy, quickly request a foxtrot or another moving dance so your not stuck in one spot! Your toast, and so is your partner, if there's a rumba playing! So, there are my suggestions! Some serious, mostly silly. But, if you can't find humor in some of the above, you picked the wrong sport. This is a sport that requires touch and connection between two people and all of the above are a natural part of the human body. I do have one suggestion if you are too embarrassed to talk to your partner about some of these issues: Give your partner a care package......a dancer's survival kit. You could have all kinds of items useful to a dancer nicely wrapped in a gift bag such as: breath mints, Odor eaters, cologne, deodorant, a power bar, a sports towel, and a personal card thanking them for being a great partner! Dan Messenger publishes a free weekly newsletter: Dance Trends - a weekly eZine dedicated to the DanceSport Community. To subscribe please visit: www.DanceTrends.org |
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