Riot and Frolic

Along with my years doing pro-am, I had an excellent couple seasons doing am-am (two amateurs dancing together).  While I enjoyed partnering with two lovely gentlemen, and we traveled to USABDA [now USADance] regionals and stayed in Minnesota for the infamous Nationals at Roy Wilkins Auditorium (NOT on a coast?!  the audacity!), and we were competitive (aka, wanting and fairly able to win), it was not the same fierceness I’ve felt in other capacities as a dancer.  Partly, it was because I was dancing am-am FOR FUN, and while competing at Nationals was cool, I knew I wasn’t competing in the most prestigious levels (AKA, Open) or capable of earning a title at that point.  Also, I knew I wasn’t going to be dancing am-am for long: I enjoyed pro-am and was curious about turning pro.

For many dancers in the amateur circuit though, it’s a very serious endeavor as a hobby (consuming most of their free time and money), or one avenue to becoming a professional.

For the amateur side of things, I don’t so much have a list of pros and cons as a list of “ideas that exist”.  For each point, some might consider it as plus, while others want to troll it on social media.  

While my much shorter opinion on the am-am side of things might seem over-simplified, I do have follow up posts in the works about many "ideas that exist" which partnerships present (which can apply to both ams and pros).

So let’s get to it.

While dancing am-am:

• You must know (or learn) your own part.  
• It is literally no one’s job in an am-am situation to make you look good or make up for your shortcomings, so you must do many things that some pro-am-ers can get away with, like hold up your own frame, stand up on your own, know your foot placements/timing/routines/etc.
• You are doing your best to look good as a partnership.
• “Looking good” is a) relative to other people in your proficiency level and age category b) not always indicative of “being good” (using quality techniques to produce excellent movements)
• Since private lessons are shared, you are not getting personalized-to-you lessons.  You’re getting personalized-to-your-partnership lessons.  If you aren’t understanding a concept or technique, it’s actually best to take a one-on-one lesson with your fav instructor to get that idea crystal clear and make progress in your partnership faster/easier.
• You’re sharing expenses!  
• Lessons, travel, competition registration fees, sometimes even costumes (but not often, because #rhinestones)!
• You are in a Partnership
• Like marriage, but worse, because goals, and short term ones at that, so there is STRESS.  Also, it is literally a physical partnership, where your partner might mess up your shoulder, which might make those goals harder to reach, not to mention leave you hurting like hell.
• You must hold your tongue.  My best marriage advice should be used as dance partnership advice as well, “Shut. Up.” There are ONE MILLION experiences when it would feel so great to say “I told you so” or the like.  But stop it.  Not giving your two cents is GREAT for building your willpower and learning to be a good person and probably making your partnership a happier one.
• You have someone to practice with! For those of you who have practiced solo, while it IS fortifying, it is not the most satisfying part of partner dancing.  Having a built in practice buddy is more entertaining and makes marathon practice seshs more possible (fighting notwithstanding).

If you’re already a pro-am dancer:

• Dancing am/am is a great way to refresh the FOUNDATIONS OF DAMN DANCING and practice your technique, especially if you get the opportunity to dance at a lower level than your pro-am proficiency level (and you should try to dance at the lowest level possible since you “point out” of levels in the USADance circuit, one of the main competitive circuits). 
• Your time spent in pro-am might get reinforced.  After having a grand time doing pro-am, with a rather demanding instructor, it was a great reflection of my education to do am/am and kill it.  Often, on the pro-am floor, you’re competing against people who take hundreds of lessons a year.  HUNDREDS.  And compete more than some pros.  And while the am-am world is very competitive (especially the International styles), many ams have never hit the pro-am world and spent hundreds of hours (and the exponential number of dollars) on their very own dancing.  And often the focus that pro-am-ers receive means their foundational movements are cleaner than am-am dancers.  
• Do what the pros do.  Most pros spend 80% of their time dancing with people below their level.  You learn how to work smarter and better by doing the same thing over and over.

Dancing as an amateur can be such a great experience: building new friendships, learning new skills, finding new disciplines, etc.  If you're dancing with your significant other, it can be a quality way to spend time together and traveling.  If you're gunning for a National title in the Championship levels in any style, you are doing Great Things.  If you are learning the beginning framework of partner dancing starting from a blessed box, you are doing Great Things.  Hell, if you are ballroom dancing in any capacity, I say, "GREAT THINGS."

GO FORTH AND CONQUER, PEEPS.