Partner dance

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Partner dances are the dances whose basic choreography involves coordinated dancing of two partners, as opposed to individuals dancing alone or individually in a non-coordinated manner, and as opposed to groups of people dancing simultaneously in a coordinated manner.

Dance partners stay together for the duration of the dance and, most often, dance independently of other couples dancing at the same time, if any.

Although this kind of dancing can be seen, for instance, in ballet, this term is usually applied to various forms of social dance and related forms: ballroom dance, folk dance, etc.

Partner dance may be a basis of a formation dance, a round dance, a square dance or a sequence dance. These are kinds of group dance where the dancers form couples and dance either the same pre-choreographed or called routines or routines within a common choreography— routines that control both how each couple dances together and how each couple moves in accord with other couples. In square dance one will often change partners during the course of a dance, in which case one distinguishes between the "original partner" and a "situational partner".

In many partner dances, one, typically a man, is the leader; the other, typically a woman, is the follower. As a rule, they maintain connection with each other. In some dances the connection is loose and called dance handhold. In other dances the connection involves body contact. In the latter case the connection imposes significant restrictions on relative body positions during the dance and hence it is often called dance frame. It is also said that each partner has his own dance frame. Although the handhold connection poses almost no restriction on body positions, it is quite helpful that the partners are aware of their dance frames, since this is instrumental in leading and following.

In promenade-style partner dancing there is no leader or follower, and the couple dance side-by-side maintaining a connection with each other through a promenade handhold. The man dances traditionally to the left of the woman.

Some peoples have folk partner dances, where partners do not have any body contact at all, but there is still a kind of "call-response" interaction.

Nowadays, the most popular form of partner dancing among youth is "slow dancing" (for instance, dancing to ballads; see slow jam), and how close the partners get is up to them. In the "hug-and-sway" version of slow dancing, the man usually puts his arms around the female's waist, while the female puts her arm on the man's shoulders.

Partner dances with partners of the same sex

Same-sex social partner dancing is generally unacceptable in most social dance circumstances in the western world, although it is more commonly acceptable for two women to dance together than it is for two men to do so (although not in a romantic or overly friendly manner). Gays and lesbians, and others in the LGBT community who interest themselves in social partner dancing have formed social partner dance clubs and organizations, especially in larger cities in the United States, Canada and Europe.

At wilder parties, like carnivals, non-gay couple dances where both partners are men are not uncommon. These dances consist either of two men jumping around in a circle or are from the same type as those done at conventional couple dance, with the exception, that one treats the partner much tougher than in case with a dance of the woman. Also other figures known from partner gymnastic are often used. These couple dances between men are a funny, peaceful way to compete physical strength and skills by each other and are sometimes also done on sites where dancing is potential dangerous, as on tables. However, such dances would still be dangerous even if there were to be practiced on the floor since it is not implicitly unwanted to throw the partner on his or her back.

Double partner dance

This kind of dance involves dancing of three persons together: one man with two women or one woman with two men. In social dancing, double partnering is of choice when a significant demographic disproportion happens between the two sexes. For example, this happens during wars: in army there is lack of women, while among civilians able dancers are mostly women, especially during enormous wars such as WWII.

Today (1980-2004), double partner dance is often performed in Modern Jive, Hustle, Salsa and Swing dance communities, experienced leaders leading two followers.

There are a number of folk dances that feature this setup. Among these are the Russian Troika and the Polish Trojak folk dances, where a man dances with two women. A Cajun dance with the name Troika is also known.

See also

• List of basic dance topics
• List of dances