Why Follows are Out of Balance

I am glad to have you here! In this blog I will talk about five different reasons a follow can be out of balance when dancing kizomba, salsa, bachata or any other partner dance and how to fix it. So, make sure you read to the end!

Feet are too far apart in taps
When you tap and you place your feet too wide, you will have some weight on both feet. When you have weight on both feet it means none of them is free to move. And, as soon as you get the signal to move, you will have to put weight on your partner to be able to take that step.

Or you will need to first transfer it 100 % to the other foot to be able to move. And if you do this you will become slow. 

So, always tap with feet together. In general, try to collect your feet under your body as much as possible.

Not walking on a line
When I say walking on a line, I actually mean walking just outside that line.

The inside of the feet are touching on that imagined line. Walking like this moving forward you are in balance all the way of the step, from the heel on the back foot to the toes of the front foot.

And of course, walking backwards like this too.

The opposite, to walk with feet separate means you are never really in balance because your centre is moving forward, but the feet are placed in a zig-zag pattern. So, you are only in balance for a tiny moment in each step. The rest of the time you are out of balance and need to hang on your partner. 

So, try to take your steps as much on a line as possible.

Too big steps, or too small
When the steps are too big relative to the leading you are given, you will not create balance for you two as a couple. Maybe you will find it, but you will also pull your partner a bit out of balance for every step you take that is too big. If they are too small, you will be out of balance and need to rely on your partner to find balance.
Try focusing on the size of step the lead is giving you.

Too far from the lead
When you walk too far from the lead you will both tend to be moving out of your own axis, bending your upper bodies towards each other, while the legs are far away. Then you will depend on each other for balance. Also, your lower back will need to compensate all the time. You will need to contract the muscles there and will get very tired and get pain.
Try to stay closer to the lead. 

Stepping too early
A follower needs to listen to the size of movement the leader is giving all the time. What happens if you step before? You don’t know the size of the step. It can be too short, or too long. You have to guess. What can happen is that if you walk back, he will step on you. And when you walk forward, you are out of balance because you put your foot down before you know how big step you need to take.
So, try to step just a millisecond after the guy. It will make it easier to find the right size of steps.

Combination - All of the above
Another problem is that these all work together. If a step is out of balance, it happens that you as a follower need to take another step quickly. You take it too early, and what does that mean? You don’t know how big step the leader needed you to take. So, the size is not good, and you are out of balance again. And then you need to take *another step* early again!

Those are some of the biggest reasons for bad balance for followers. 

That's it! If you liked it, feel free to share!

See you on the dance floor!

Suggestion - Check the kizomba, fusion, musicality and follow technique courses here. 

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