Have you ever felt like your leading is a bit ‘boring’ and is stuck on autopilot? Do you default to the same movement set, regardless of music? Follows, do you ever find yourself just ‘going through the motions’ on a step?
If this sounds like you, you may be dancing on default.
Default Ruts
Dancing on default refers to the setting where you are simply running on muscle memory. It can include simply moving through steps instead of dancing, or a tendency to dance the same way and with the same energy to every song. It can also include a ‘pattern/styling rut’, where leads repeat the same movements every time or follows do the same styling for every step.
These defaults are difficult to break. Once they are your go-to, it is very hard to force yourself to change your habits. It’s the same reason why new dancers have an easier time breaking a bad habit than experienced dancers – time and practice.
These ruts can also be a comfort zone. When you stick to only what you know you can do well, you reduce your risk of ‘messing up’. Of course, you also reduce your risk of creating something new and wonderful. These ruts also minimize the chance that you’ll internalize a newly-learned skill, simply because every new skill needs practice.
Types of Defaults
Pattern Default
Pattern defaults are more of a lead’s issue than a follow’s. These involve a lead who does the same moves over, and over, and over. Sometimes, the follow doesn’t realize that the move has been used 15 times… but the lead sure does.
Surprisingly, it can be relatively easy to break pattern default. Even something as simple as switching hands can feel like a completely different move. One way I break my pattern defaults is to use one of my usual moves, but decide that I must find a way to exit it differently.
The key here is to make sure you’re not doing something that is risky for your partner. If you’re experimenting, feel free to slow it down – or to release your partner if it goes into a risk-zone. Follows don’t mind – one of the most underutilized things in dance are pauses and breathing room.
You may also find that a follow responds differently than you thought they would. If this happens, try to follow them – you might discover something cool. If you jump onto their wavelength, you may learn how to lead something really cool simply because of a happy accident.
Musical Default
Musical default happens when a lead or a follow simply dances to the beat. Basically, it’s a dance that is on-time, but not taking into account any of the dynamics in the music.
Musical default can only be fixed by pushing yourself to use the music more effectively. This includes adding a different energy to your dance for certain songs, making movements more smooth or staccato, or even playing with timing (in some dance genres). Breaking musical defaults can also involve setting up steps that play to ‘breaks’ or ‘accents’ in the music.
If you’re not sure what a break is, think about where the music substantially changes, there is a pause, or a louder/more distinct sound than in the rest of the music. This includes where songs change from a verse to a chorus (and vice versa).
Accents can be any point where there is a very distinct sound in the music, even if it doesn’t represent a big change in the song. It’s a sound that adds auditory interest to a piece. They can be a single, small sound, or a pattern of repeating sound.
Very often, people use dips on some breaks and accents. This does not mean you should dip the partner on every break. However, you can use ‘would a dip work here with the music?’ as a good test to see whether it’s a break or an accent, it can help you recognize these moments.
This is a more difficult default to break if you don’t understand music. You may want to ask a teacher – or even learn about musical theory and composition – to break this habit.
Styling/Movement Defaults
This type of movement does not have to do with what you are doing – but how you are doing it. In follows, it can be the person who moves their hand and body the same way every time a step is done. It can also be any dancer who is moving their body technically correctly, but is not really ‘dancing’ the song.
If you’re trying to get an image of this, think ‘power conservation’ dancing. These are the dances where you’re not really ‘feeling it’ and are simply trying to expend minimum energy to get to the end of the song so you can sit back down. If you’re one of those dancers who can dance all night without breaking a sweat, you’re probably using ‘power conservation’ dancing. Perhaps Blues, Tango and Kizomba are an exception to this – but I’m pretty sure if you’re using full movement, you’ll still find yourself feeling quite physically challenged in those dances.
Sometimes, this type of default is done on purpose to conserve energy. However, it is often not a conscious decision. Very often, this type of default can happen to people who are very concerned about getting a perfect connection. Rather than trying to dance the song to their full range of movement, they’re more concerned with finding a happy connection place.
This isn’t a bad thing; connection is the foundation of social dancing. However, connection shouldn’t come at the expense of every other facet of your dance. If you have a good connection, experiment with adding some sort of styling or movement to your default step. Add a hip roll, or a hand caress. Add a mini isolation when you have the room to do so. Challenge yourself to experiment with movements while maintaining connection when you are doing movements that feel very natural for you.
Final Thoughts
Generally speaking, defaults are caused by a discomfort or unwillingness to move past a comfort zone. Defaults are safe places, where you know what to expect and how to react. Once you move past the default, you enter a wilder frontier, where both the risk of something not working and the reward of really cool stuff are higher.
For some people, defaults may be what they need right now. However, you can only reach your full potential as a social dance partner when you train yourself to be comfortable experimenting beyond your defaults.
Did we miss a type of default? Do you have thoughts to add? Leave them below, and share our article!
Just a thought. Remember, social dancing is NOT practicing. Practicing is to perform (an activity) or exercise (a skill) repeatedly or regularly in order to improve or maintain one’s proficiency. Practice will help add additional moves to your basics, you know, default moves that just pop into your head while social dancing.
Here’s another reason: the sheer amount of dancing and the familiarity that you develop with a dance style. It is impossible to not fall into patterns, and dance without thinking about every choice you make if you’re used to doing this. It’s true for everything else you do in life: I’m sure you were very conscious the very first day in the office in your new job or the first time you drove your commute, but now you barely notice it.
You can’t be permanently switched on while dancing and be actively thinking about everything you’re doing all the time.
Lucas,
Thanks for writing! I totally agree that experienced dancers learn how to do things without thinking about it. However, this is not an article about using patterns that you know. It’s aimed at the many social dancers who find themselves frustrated by their own dancing because they are stuck in a rut – and don’t know how to break out!
The more experienced you are, the less that you have to ‘think’ about patterns, musicality, and body movement. However, if you’re trying to climb out of a rut, careful concentration is necessary!
At times my leading goes into autopilot, it is when I lack inspiration and it usually lasts the whole evening. Do you know any trick how to break the pattern or flip my mentality?
You mentioned changing hand positions? I come from Kizomba and can only interpret it as going into Tarraxinha, which is not enjoyable without inspiration. Even great followers I usually connect with I can’t have good dances with like usual.
What’s really perplexing is that women can still say “wow, you lead so well”, to me when I’m in that state. Then I’m not sure if they’re genuine or just being nice, which makes me confused and a bit mad. I try not to show it of course and just says “thanks” and moves on.
Maybe I just need to wait until a good song comes on, have some fresh air or connect with a stranger. My post probably doesn’t make much sense, I just enjoy reading and discussing dance.
Hey Jens,
Yes, it can be difficult to break out of that in more ‘connection’ based dances without a great deal of variability. Perhaps you can challenge yourself to walk in a new formation or pattern. See, perhaps, if you can change directions or body angles to create a new ‘feeling’ in a step.
Anything else you can do to create a ‘snap’ into another mode will help dislodge autopilot. I also get it when I’m tired, so sometimes I grab a bit of coffee or tea to perk up. Music can also certainly be a factor – and obviously, that is out of your control.
Even if you’re lacking inspiration, women may still have fun dancing with you. I’ve never known a follow to compliment a lead of her own free will if it wasn’t true. I wouldn’t suggest dwelling on it too much; take the compliment. You may be at a point in your dancing where follows enjoy what you lead enough that even ‘autopilot’ for you is fun!