Last night I was talking to a group of friends after a dance competition; we often catch up like at a nearby restaurant and talk after these events. For a while we were talking about different people we had danced with and what it was like to lead and follow. The old theme of what a good lead was came up. During this conversation the question of the use of the word “strong” arose.
You may not know it, but men and women often use the word “strong” in a different way.
For men, the word basically means possessing strength. May a strong person have strength and can apply that. That’s why a dance teacher here might say “give me a strong hint” and then, shortly after, hear her say “don’t squeeze my hand so much.” The man hears the word “strong” and assumes that more strength is needed.
For women, the word is very contextual. There may be strong colors. There may be strong words. There may be strong personalities. There may also be physically strong people. Of course, there can also be strong tracks.
What do women mean when they say “strong lead”?
In this context, we can be guided by the theory of signal detection. Signal detection theory deals with how clear a signal is in relation to signal distortions. If someone is talking to you and there is a lot of noise around, then the signal is relatively weak. On the other hand, if there is less noise or the voice is raised, the signal becomes stronger.
A strong lead is clear because it can be detected and has a clear intent.
The signal of a track will be weak if the associated movement is small compared to the other movements of the dance. The signal from a potential customer will also be weak if the potential customer is not sure what they really want.
To have a solid advantage, first know what you want to achieve. Second, make sure your advantage is clear relative to other moves. This could mean a clear force. However, it could also simply mean a clear move. It could also mean that you need to reduce the random forces and movements that you unintentionally apply while dancing.
You can imagine how a lead who only moves when it’s time to point out a lead would be seen as a strong lead. There is no indecision with this person, he knows where he is going and how he will get there. That is a solid advantage.
If you are learning to lead, do your best to be that way. If you are teaching someone to lead, be sure to explain the use of the word “strong” when leading.