Why Women Backlead?

Common thing that happens in every partner dance: Is Backleading Beneficial or Detrimental? Let's find out...

Backleading in social dancing refers to a follower attempting to anticipate or control the leader's movements, rather than responding to their lead. This can occur for various reasons, and it's important to remember that not all followers, regardless of gender, will engage in backleading. However, some potential reasons why a female follower might backlead:

1. Lack of trust or patience: A follower may not trust their leader to execute certain moves or patterns, or they may feel impatient and try to speed up the dance by backleading.

• Acceptable when performing.
• Not acceptable when social dancing.
• Not acceptable in dance class.

2. Inexperience: Some inexperienced followers may not have fully grasped the concept of following and may unintentionally backlead as they try to keep up with the dance.

• To help an inexperienced follower stop unintentionally backleading, consider the following recommendations:
  
  • Focus on the basics: Encourage the follower to concentrate on developing a strong foundation in the basic steps and techniques. This can help to improve their understanding of their role in the partnership.
    
    • Attempt in class with your eyes closed.
      
    • Loosen up your arms.
      
    • Concentrate on your foot movements and the way you connect with your partner.
      
  • Develop connection and sensitivity:
    
    • Teach the follower to pay close attention to the leader's signals and maintain a relaxed yet responsive connection. This will help them better respond to the leader's cues, rather than trying to anticipate them.
      
  • Practice patience:
    
    • Remind the follower of the importance of patience in social dancing. Encourage them to wait for the leader's lead and not to rush through moves.
  • Work on balance and posture:
    
    • A strong sense of balance and proper posture can help the follower feel more secure and confident in their movements, reducing the tendency to backlead.
  • Take lessons and workshops:
    
    • Encourage the follower to attend lessons and workshops to improve their skills and understanding of the follower's role in social dancing. Learning from experienced instructors can help them gain valuable insights and techniques to become a better follower.
  • Dance with different partners:
    
    • Dancing with a variety of leaders can help the follower become more adaptable and better at responding to different leading styles. This experience can be invaluable in reducing the tendency to backlead.
  • Reflect on feedback:
    
    • Encourage the follower to be open to feedback from their dance partners and instructors. Constructive criticism can help them identify areas where they may be unintentionally backleading and work on correcting those habits.
  • Practice mindfulness:
    
    • Developing mindfulness and being present in the moment while dancing can help the follower focus on their partner's lead and avoid anticipating or controlling the dance.
• With practice, patience, and a focus on improving their skills, an inexperienced follower can learn to stop unintentionally backleading and become a more responsive and skilled dance partner.

3. Overconfidence: A follower who is confident in their abilities might feel they know what the leader should be doing, and may try to take control of the dance by backleading.

• Backleading can be disruptive to the dance and can lead to confusion between the leader and follower. Here are some ways to prevent it from happening:
  
  • Clearly establish the roles:
    
    • Before you start dancing, make sure both the leader and follower understand their roles and responsibilities. The leader should be the one guiding the dance, while the follower should be following the leader's lead.
      
  • Communicate with your partner:
    
    • If you feel like your partner is trying to backlead, communicate with them in a polite and respectful way. Let them know that you appreciate their confidence, but that you would prefer to lead the dance yourself.
  • Be assertive:
    
    • As a leader, it's important to be assertive and confident in your leading. This will help prevent your partner from taking control of the dance.
  • Practice good communication:
    
    • Good communication is key to a successful dance. Both the leader and follower should be communicating with each other throughout the dance to ensure they are on the same page.
  • Again, take lessons (for the leads):
    
    • If you're having trouble with backleading, consider taking dance lessons. A good instructor can give you tips and techniques to help you lead more effectively and prevent backleading.

4. Miscommunication: Sometimes, followers might misinterpret a leader's signal and backlead unintentionally.

5. Teaching or helping: In some cases, a more experienced follower might think they are helping a less experienced leader by backleading, guiding them through moves or patterns they might not be familiar with.

• Backleading can be detrimental to the development of both the leader and follower's dancing skills. Here are some reasons why:
  • It can create bad habits:
    
    • Backleading can create bad habits in both the leader and follower. The leader may become reliant on the follower to guide them through moves, while the follower may become accustomed to taking control of the dance.
  • It can be disrespectful:
    
    • Backleading can be disrespectful to the leader, as it implies that the follower does not trust the leader's abilities. It can also be disrespectful to the dance itself, as it disrupts the natural flow of the dance.
  • It can hinder progress:
    
    • Backleading can prevent the leader from learning and developing their skills. It can also prevent the follower from improving their ability to follow different leaders.
  • It can cause confusion:
    
    • Backleading can cause confusion between the leader and follower. It can lead to miscommunication and mistakes, which can make the dance less enjoyable for both parties.
  • It can be unsafe:
    
    • Backleading can be unsafe, especially if the follower is not familiar with the leader's ability level. The follower may attempt moves or patterns that the leader is not ready for, which can lead to injury. As you heard me say many times "this beautiful dance can become a contact sport real quick".

It's important to note that backleading can hinder the development of both the leader and follower's dance skills. It can lead to miscommunication and frustration between partners, as well as impede the natural flow of the dance. Both leaders and followers should strive to improve their respective roles and communicate openly with their partners to address any issues that arise.

I hope this helps not for the follower but, also the lead.